Page 19 of This is Why We Lied

He followed Jon and Sara into the larger bedroom. Their suitcases were on the bed, which was high off the ground and covered in a dark blue velvet blanket. Another soft rug. Matching lamps. Another comfortable leather chair in the corner with a side table.

Will stuck his head into the bathroom, surprised by the contemporary feel. White marble, modern, industrial-looking fixtures. There was a large soaking tub in front of a huge window that overlooked the valley. Will couldn’t think of any additional ways to describe the breathtaking view, so he thought about sitting in the tub with Sara and decided it was worth a year of PB&Js for lunch.

Jon said, “One of us makes a loop on the trail at eight in the morning and then again at ten in the evening. If you need something, leave a note on the steps under the rock, or wait on your porch and you’ll see us walk by. Otherwise you gotta hoof it back to the lodge. Can I get you anything else?”

“We’re good, thanks.” Will reached for his wallet.

Jon said, “We’re not allowed to take tips.”

Sara asked, “How about I buy that vape pen in your back pocket?”

Will felt as surprised as Jon looked. Sara had a pediatrician’s disgust for vaping. She’d seen too many kids destroy their lungs.

“Please don’t tell my mom.” Jon lost about five years with the desperate request. His voice squeaked. He turned jittery. “I got it in town today.”

She said, “I’ll give you twenty for it.”

“Really?” Jon was already pulling out the metal pen. It was bright blue with a silver tip, maybe ten bucks at a 7-Eleven. “There’s some Red Zeppelin in there. Do you need more cartridges?”

“No, thank you.” Sara nodded for Will to pay.

He would’ve been more comfortable confiscating a tobacco product from an underage minor, but that didn’t seem like something a car mechanic would do. Will reluctantly handed over the cash.

“Thanks.” Jon carefully folded the twenty. Will could practically see the kid’s brain trying to work out how to get more. “We’re not supposed to, but if you uh, I mean if you need it, I’ve got the Wi-Fi password. It won’t reach out here, but it goes in the dining hall and—”

Sara said, “No, thank you.”

Will opened the door to move the kid along. Jon gave them a salute on his way out. It was hard not to follow him. The Wi-Fi password wouldn’t be bad information to have.

Sara asked, “You’re not thinking about getting the password, right?”

Will closed the door, pretending to be a man who did not want to know how Atlanta United was doing against FC Cincinnati. He watched Sara take a Ziploc bag out of her backpack. She sealed the vape pen inside, then zipped it back in the front pocket.

She explained, “I don’t want Jon getting it out of the trash.”

“You know he’ll just buy another one.”

“Probably,” she said. “But not tonight.”

Will didn’t care what Jon did. “You like it here?”

“It’s lovely. Thank you for bringing me to such a special place.” She nodded for him to follow her back into the bedroom. Before he could get his hopes up, she started dialing in the combination on her suitcase. “What am I going to find in here?”

“I got Tessa to pack for you.”

“That was very sneaky.” Sara unzipped the top of her bag. She opened it, then closed it. “What should we do first? Go down to the lake? Walk around the property? Meet the other guests?”

“We’ll both need to shower before dinner.”

Sara looked at her watch. “We could take a long soak in the bath, then try out the bed.”

“That’s a good plan.”

“Are these pillows going to work for you?”

Will checked the pillows. The foam was as tight as a seal’s ass. He preferred a pancake.

“That part you weren’t listening to before—Jon told us there are other types of pillows at the main house.” She smiled again. “I could unpack and start running the bath while you get your pillows.”

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