Page 37 of Unravel You

“I have a house in Tucson, Mom.”

“Of course, you do. Valentina is okay with this?”

My guess would be yes because Valentina didn’t care about money. She cared about…quality time. This house meant nothing to her. She was impressed by it, but this estate wasn’t her idea of a home because it didn’t hold any of her childhood memories.

At least in Tucson, her family and childhood friends were there. Would she consider it an insult if I changed my mind to please Mom? Especially after I’d made a mess of things earlier today.

“Yeah, of course she is.” I said when Mom stepped back to look me in the eye.

Chapter10

What Else Did You Lie About?

Valentina

First, she bailed when Zack met me at the stairwell. Now she lurked in the gardens like some kind of thief. What the hell was going on with Ana? I was so wrong about her before. She had no interest in Derek. That was all Lilly’s crazy plan.

The good news was that Ana could be an ally. She was close to Lilly. She could help me figure out how to get on her good side. Day one had not gone as I had expected at all. Yeah, I’d figured there would be some awkwardness meeting Lilly for the first time. But this morning had been a real disaster. Did I blame Derek for that? A little.

I followed the garden path, through the tall oak trees, keeping Ana’s house lights in front of me. Getting lost in this massive maze was easy during the day because I had no points of reference outside of it. But now that night had fallen, the two houses were like beacons.

Near the creek, I found Ana sitting on her side of the property tinkering with a canvas she had propped up on an easel. I glanced up the huge tree keeping me from view. Its branches and leaves swayed in the warm breeze. Standing there, I watched Ana. If I had to be honest, Lilly wasn’t wrong in choosing her for Derek. She had her long blond hair perfectly pinned into a chignon. I ran my hands through my hair, which I’d been unable to keep under control since we landed. Her blue gaze was full of determination as she delivered strokes onto the canvas. I found it hard to believe Derek didn’t want to be with her.

“She’s not you,” Derek had said. Was that enough?

She looked like some fairy-tale princess sitting in this beautiful place, surrounded by greenery, colorful flowers, fireflies popping in and out along the trickling water, cicadas chirping. She belonged here, just like Derek. She was part of what he considered home. Who wouldn’t want that?

Crap, I had to stop doing this to myself.

Until Derek told me he didn’t want to be with me, I had to keep fighting for him. Right now, Ana was the key to get to Lilly. I couldn’t stay here, feeling sorry for myself, worrying about what Derek deserved or didn’t deserve. I had to push and do what was right for my family. I smiled at the thought. Derek, Max, and I were a family. I elbowed myself off the tree trunk and ambled over to her.

When I approached, she put an index finger up to her lips. My eyes went wide as I tried to see more in the twilight. It wasn’t exactly dark yet, but shadows crept along the tree line.

I sat on the wooden barstool next to hers and whispered. “What is it?”

“Someone was watching me before.”

I glanced toward the Cole house; the tall bushes and trees made it impossible to see anything except the lights coming from the rooms upstairs. I focused on the tree where I’d spied on her, but I was sure she couldn’t see me. Not from here. I shrugged. “I don’t see anything.”

“Maybe it was just me. It freaked me out. This place is always so quiet and lonely. Maybe my head is still buzzing from all the activity over there.” She pointed her chin toward the house.

“Did you grow up here?” I had to stay on track.

Ana was my only chance at making friends with Lilly. I had to do this for Derek. If I wanted to marry him, I needed his family’s blessing. I hadn’t forgotten about that. What would he do if his mom demanded him to let me go? Would he oblige? Or be fine with never seeing his mom again? Either option would break my heart.

“Yes.” She glanced down at her hands. “Though after our parents died, my brother Charlie sent me to a boarding school. He was in college so he had no choice, really. It was fine.”

I hadn’t asked her if she liked her school. But she gave me her rehearsed answer anyway.

“But now you’re back?”

She nodded. “I finished college a couple of years ago. I spent some time traveling, but I missed home. It’s just me here, but it’s still home, you know?”

“That’s great. This is my first time leaving Arizona. Imagine that? Where’s your brother? Is he coming?”

She shook her head, rubbing the handle of her brush. “He’s a Marine. I don’t know if Derek told you about us.”

“No, not really. Sorry.”

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