Page 76 of The Lair

“Never say never, Allie. I also have a feeling life will surprise you in very unexpected ways.”

“All good ways, I hope?”

Her smile was soft. “In the end, they’ll all be.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

I’ve been pacingin circles around this exact spot for what feels like hours, phone in hand, my mind working at a million miles per hour.

Realistically, Jada and Paul have to know about my new living situation—and I want to tell them. No matter how many times I tell myself my lies and omissions are my only way of surviving, it’s starting to feel like an excuse rather than a real reason.

I want to do the right thing, the honest thing, and that is to unlock my phone, dial her number, and have this conversation. So why can’t I?

The afternoon sunlight filters through the treetops and warms my face. Despite the cold, I take advantage of the sunshine of the second-to-last day of the year and shut my eyes, seeking its calm.

Just like he promised, Travis helped me move into his spare bedroom the day after I toured his farmhouse. I’m officially out of that moldy apartment, and I can say with full confidence that I’ll never miss that place—good riddance.

Then I spent my first night here, under the same roof as Travis but in my own space, and it was… weird but also oddlycomforting. I fell asleep at three in the morning, too alert to fully relax when it was so calm outside.

For the past five days, Travis hasn’t been in the house when I woke up. I don’t know if he always gets up that early or if he did it on purpose so I didn’t feel uncomfortable with him there, but I hope it isn’t the latter.

For five days, we haven’t talked much and barely saw each other outside of The Lair. At home, he’s always out in the barn doing something while I eat dinner, and then I hear him come back when I’m already in my room.

I’m not dumb—I know he’s avoiding me. I just have no idea why.

Still, this is the happiest I’ve been in a really long time. In part because I feel safer, in part because I accepted Travis’s offer to handle the bar’s accounting and love my new position, and in part because I met Lola for coffee two days ago.

Our coffee meet-up didn’t last longer than an hour, but in that time, she told me about her little brother, the yoga classes she attends at a local gym and how I should join her, and growing up in Bannport.

She was curious about what it was like to live in Los Angeles, but luckily, she didn’t ask too many questions—which meant my lies didn’t get out of control. I was afraid she would recognize me, but nothing in her body language or actual words gave me that impression. We agreed to meet up again after New Year’s.

Maybe my life is truly changing for good.

I spot Buddy and Cooper sniffing around the lake and decide I need to do this before Travis gets here. This is my afternoon off, and I plan to surprise him with homemade pizza when he gets back if he doesn’t ignore me again, so this call has to happen now.

Taking a deep breath through my nose, I look at Jada’s contact on my phone and remind myself this is the person whocares the most about me in the world. Of course, she’s going to lose her mind a little when I tell her about my new home, but she’ll come to terms with it. She’ll support me, just like she always does.

Before that small window of positivity closes, I press the Call button.

“Honey?” The excitement in her voice makes me feel bad for what I’m about to tell her. “How are you? Did you have a nice Christmas?”

We video chatted that day, but my move was so recent, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them the news then.

I swallow down my nerves. “Hi, Jada. I had a busy day with a rom-com and a few glasses of wine.” That part is true. I made the most of my last night in that hotel. “How about you guys?”

I listen with a genuine smile as she tells me about their Christmas Day and how grown their nieces and nephews are. Jada and Paul might not have or want to have children, but they are the closest parental figures I have. I could never, not in this lifetime or the next, thank them enough for all they’ve done and continue to do for me.

“Paul finally got his electric bike for Christmas, so he can’t complain,” she jokes. “But we don’t have plans for the New Year yet. I think we might end up having a cozy night at home. We aren’t getting any younger.”

I roll my eyes even if she can’t see me, a smile on my face. “Please. You guys don’t look a day over forty, and you know it.”

I’m met with a genuine laugh. “Remind me to call you every single hour for confidence boosts.”

“You know I’ll be down for that.”

“You’re too nice, Allie. Do you have plans for New Year’s?”

Lola and Charlie mentioned a get-together by the lake to watch the fireworks, but I don’t know if I’ll go. “I might hang out with some friends.”

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