Page 37 of After the Fall

The rest of the drive was silent as I stared out the passenger window. The buildings passed in a blur of concrete and shadow as I thought about my dad, hiding somewhere in the woods, and my mom, locked up in Sun Valley. How had my life fallen apart so epically?

Wyatt was my only constant now. He was the partner I’d always wanted, and with a first meeting that rivaled that of my parents’. Could we still be a family, just the two of us, without a child?

Right now, nothing mattered except the flowers in my hand. If my memories were correct, there was more to them than met the eye.

The vaseof tulips looked cheery on the marble counter, bringing a touch of spring to the otherwise gloomy October weather.

It was just me and Gloria in the kitchen. As soon as we’d arrived home, Fiona feigned exhaustion. Too much human time, she’d said, before disappearing upstairs to one of the spare rooms. I wondered which room was hers, not knowing where anyone slept. I’d only explored the west wing, where mine and Wyatt’s bedroom was, along with his office and my library. The estate probably held a plethora of mysteries, just waiting to be discovered.

“There.” Gloria smiled, adjusting the stems. “Aren’t these lovely?”

“Thanks, Gloria.” I scooped up the white ribbon that had been tied around the bouquet, and tucked it discretely into my back pocket. “I’ll be upstairs if anyone needs me.”

“And I’ll be here preparing dinner. Tonight is venison lasagna. Is that all right, Miss?”

I nodded. “Everything you’ve made so far has been incredible.”

Gloria beamed, her smile carrying through to her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Please, call me Harper.”

She nodded. “Very well, Miss Harper.”

Close enough, I guess. With a wave goodbye, I raced up the stairs to the west wing and shut the bedroom door. The deadbolt locked with a loud creak. I wondered if Wyatt ever used it, in a house where there seemed to be no secrets between anyone.

With trembling hands, I pulled out the ribbon. It was a generic type that you’d find at any gift store and didn’t look special. But I knew that sometimes, not everything was as it seemed.

In the bathroom, I found a hair dryer and began blasting heat onto the back side of the ribbon. Faint lettering appeared, but the words made no sense.

fmwvi gsv dzev, zgv, nv wvzi

Had the beast inside my father finally taken over? It was useless gibberish. Tears sprang to my eyes as I crumpled the ribbon in my hand, ready to toss it away along with any hope of finding my dad.

But then just as quickly, another memory returned. I ran to nightstand and rifled through the drawer until I found paper.

Remember, Sunbeam. Dad’s voice echoed in my mind as I tried converting the letters using different codes he’d taught me. None worked, until I tried the Atbash cipher. Reversing the alphabet, the words suddenly became intelligible.

under the wave, ate, me dear.

Somehow, my dad had found a way to pass on a message. A message that only I would know to find. I didn’t know how he’d done it, or how he’d have known I’d get my hands on the tulips, but here I was with the first solid clue to… what? I didn’t know, his words made no sense. But they were one step closer to getting him back.

The door handle rattled as if being turned by someone strong. “Harper?” Wyatt’s voice carried into the bedroom from the hallway.

I slid the notepad back into the drawer. “Coming,” I yelled as I hurried to unlock the door.

Wyatt leaned against the door frame, his brows furrowed. “Why did you lock it?” His eyes darted around the bedroom as if looking for a reason.

“I—”

I wanted to tell him about the flowers, about the secret message. But my dad had gone to great lengths to hide it, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to share it with anyone else. Not even Wyatt. So I closed my mouth and scrambled to come up with a reason for the locked door.

Wyatt’s expression softened before I could speak. He rubbed my shoulders with gentle hands, his voice quiet. “I know that being here is a big change for you, and that you probably feel trapped. And I know that you and some of the crew didn’t exactly get off to the best start. But I promise that you’re safe here, and that no one will bother you when you’re upstairs, especially in our wing.”

I lifted my eyes to gaze into the face of the man I loved. A man who’d given up everything to be with me. His long eyelashes framed his golden eyes, which glowed with what looked like a mix of adoration and concern.

“You’re right. I just needed some space.” My second white lie of the day.

Wyatt’s shoulders relaxed, but his eyes darted around the room until settling on the glossy black shopping bag on the floor next to the bed. The corner of his mouth raised seductively. “Do you still want some space?” he smirked. “Or do I get to see you in the new dress?” He grinned mischievously, scooping me into his arms. I let out an excited squeal as he lifted me effortlessly over his shoulder.

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