Page 125 of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

Adele shook her head. The storm, the building collapse. She remembered the fear, the anguish. She remembered, too, how those men who seemed so menacing were responsible for rescuing everyone who survived, leading the way out of Enchantments.

“I don’t believe that,” she said, shaking her head. “It was real.”

“You’re sure.”

“Positive.”

Harley gave her a look she couldn’t read.

“What’s true is that people were hurt and died on Falcão Island,” she went on. “Maybe we all went there for different reasons. We all believed that we were playing a game of one kind or another. But the game turned deadly real. I just feel lucky to be alive.”

Did he think she was naive? What did he believe? She didn’t bother to ask. She wasn’t sure he’d tell her the truth.

* * *

Back at the house, the kids were home, Violet making dinner, her famous one-pot baked ziti. Blake was on the couch playingRed World. Adele didn’t give him a hard time about the game anymore, or about the people he met while playing. If it wasn’t for Hugo Silva and Blake’s ability to reach him via the game, she might not be here right now. Although, Violet was always quick to point out that Adele might not have gone to Falcão Island at all if it wasn’t for Blake’s “stupid virtual friend.”

Blake and Violet both had a million questions, about Harley Granger, about the interview. She told them everything while they set the table together, then gathered to eat. They’d spent some time in therapy together in the months since she returned from Falcão Island—where Blake confessed to communicating with his dad onRed World, and Violet felt crushed that Miller hadn’t also reached out to her. And Adele told them about the money Miller had left,and the house she had a feeling he’d return to someday.

She’d also admitted that after she took the money from the safe, that she reported the house to the FBI. Even though she’d said otherwise, she’d always suspected Miller would one day return there and try to contact them. The FBI was monitoring the house, so even if Agent Coben hadn’t been trailing Violet, they would have found him when he came home. Miller claimed that he knew that. He’d returned to help Adele and reconnect with his kids before the FBI came for him.

Blake, Adele, and Violet made a promise to each other: no more secrets between them, ever. Just the truth, however uncomfortable, however unpleasant.

Blake intended to maintain a relationship with his father, even though he’d likely be in prison for a long time. Violet had so far chosen not to speak to him again since he’d been taken into custody while the kids watched. Adele hadn’t decided whether or not she wanted to confront Miller. She was working through it with Dr. S.Sometimes closure is a thing we find within, he’d said.It’s not necessarily given by another person. It can be something we give ourselves. She was all about moving forward now. She didn’t want to go back to the person she was—before.

As they were cleaning up after dinner, she had one more thing to tell her kids.

“Hey, so,” she said. “Wild Cody?”

“Yeah,” said Blake, mildly interested. Enough to look up fromRed World. He’d finished clearing the table and returned to the couch. “What about him?”

Violet was wiping the counter, and Adele started the dishwasher.

“In about five minutes,” said Adele, “he’s going to ring that doorbell.”

Violet and Blake both stared at her, confused.

“He’s, uh…” She felt herself blushing, unable to go on.

“Oh. My. God,” said Violet, drying her hands on a dish towel.Outside the sun was setting, washing the kitchen in its final golden glow.

“He’s a friend now,” said Adele, clearing her throat.

“A friend,”said Violet flatly, frowning.

“What?” said Blake. He closed the lid on his laptop. “Are youdatingWild Cody?”

Was she? Not really. Maybe? She wasn’t sure of anything yet. She hadn’t been with anyone but Miller in almost twenty years. What did the kids say these days? Adele and Cody weretalking.

“He just wants to be called Cody now,” she said instead of answering.

Blake’s jaw dropped open. “That’s…nuts. I don’t know how to feel about that. I mean—you mean—he’s coming here? Like now. Like…he’s your boyfriend?”

“He’s just a friend right now. I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Wait,” said Violet. “Have you…kissedhim? Ew, gross! He’s so old.”

“He’s not that old!”

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