Page 67 of The Promise Of You

“I’m sure it’s a girl. He all but admitted it to me.”

Alex snaps her head to Haley. “A girl? Justin? For more than a night?”

“Ooooh. You might be onto something,” one of the more mature women says.

“Grace, honey, find out from your brother if he noticed anything in Boston. Alex, ask your man if Justin let anything slip during one of their much-imbibed pity parties,” Cassandra says.

“Imbibed? Justin?!” Alex’s eyes are like saucers. “Oh my god, what happened to him in Boston? You’re right. It’s gotta be a woman.”

My heartbeat drums in my ears, and my palms are sweaty. This is bad. Really bad. Could they find out it’s me he slept with in Boston? And at the same time, I’m getting a hum. A nice hum all over. Is he really out of sorts because of our night together?

And what if they find out? Will they get in Justin’s business even more than they are now? “What if… what if you find out and it upsets him even more?” I venture.

“I heard he got a new tat,” Millie says, ignoring me.

“What?” This time it’s Haley who can’t believe what she’s hearing. “The only tats he has are…”

“Those that cover his scars,” Grace finishes.

A deadly silence follows this realization.

“Ladies, we need to sort this out. I went without bread for two weeks thanks to Ms. Alex here who thought it was cute to literally take a hike. I am not—not—going for an indefinite amount of time without a pub,” Ms. Angela says.

“Hear, hear!” the whole group approves.

“Haley, try and find out what the tattoo is,” Millie says.

“And where it is!” Corine shouts and holds her glass out for a refill.

“Hear, hear!”

“Did you hear about the potatoes at the Silver House?” a lady with white, curly hair says, moving the conversation away from Justin.

“It was in the police blotter!” Ms. Angela confirms. “I read Declan went in to check that everything else was okay. Lemme tell you, I had dinner there with Abigail last week—she moved in six months ago—and it’s not just the potatoes,” she adds firmly.

“What’s the Silver House?” I ask Alex under my breath.

“The retirement home,” she whispers back.

“Anyhoo,” the lady with white, curly hair continues, “Declan sat with her to make sure nothing else was wrong. Turns out, that was it.”

“Well, their food really is a crime, if you ask me,” Ms. Angela sighs.

"Oh—the people at the Silver House are sweethearts. It’s just the food is—”

“That was in the police blotter?” Haley asks, incredulous.

“Has to be, if someone calls the police,” several older voices say.

“Man, I should have reported my brothers more often when I was a kid. Can’t believe I missed out on having Declan check in on me!” she teases, oblivious to Corine shooting daggers at her.

“It would have been old man Frank, honey,” Ms. Angela tells her. “Not handsome Officer Campbell at the time.”

“Uh. Still worth the annoyance to my brothers. Wish I’d known you could do that.”

“Chloe, dear, come here,” Cassandra says once the commotion recedes, and some ladies are either being picked up or walking to their homes after we say our goodbyes.

What does she want from me?

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