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But rather than spiral further down the rabbit hole of his career choices, he asked Ellie about hers. She told him about landing her first role by fluke—the original lead had received a better offer and ditched the indy film three weeks before shooting. Ellie, who was still in college at the time, happened to know one of the directors from a theater production they’d done together, and he called to ask if she’d stand in. The film had garnered her her first Oscar win.
Talk of her career flowed naturally into a deeper conversation about her current situation. Asher trod carefully, though, not wanting to push. But the more they talked about it, the more she seemed to want to tell him.
He didn’t mind listening. But as another hour ticked by—an hour that drifted to other topics but often came back to her reason for fleeing LA—he grew more and more concerned. Anxiety attacks could come on at any moment, and fatigue couldn’t be ruled out either. But the more detail she went into, the harder it was for him to see either of those diagnoses as applicable. A factor, possibly, but the pattern of her behavior was…unusual for either.
He considered taking notes. But as he wasn’t her doctor, nor did he want to interrupt their conversation, he held off. Instead, he committed as much to memory as he could. Maybe he’d have some brilliant deduction after noodling over it for a few days.
It was after two when Ellie yawned and stretched her arms overhead. “I should head to Sofia’s,” she said, rising from the couch. He followed, picking up both their mugs and walking them to the kitchen.
“Will you text me when you get there?” he asked. He wanted to be sure she arrived home safely. It’s what the Warwicks did. But the little thrill that pinged through his body when they exchanged numbers told him his offer was about more than making sure she was safe.
When she tried to insist that he didn’t need to walk her to her car, he refused to listen. And after donning their jackets, they exited through the breezeway and made their way to her SUV.
Where she hesitated.
“Ellie?”
She fiddled with the zipper of her coat and glanced out at the field to the west of the house. Then finally, she met his gaze. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be here in Mystery Lake, but I don’t have to be anywhere else until April. I think…I think I’d like to meet Dr. Garcia. If you think she’d be good for me?”
Relief washed through him. After listening to her talk, he was even more convinced that JJ could help her gain a better understanding of her experiences. Experiences he wasn’t sure were entirely in her head. He couldn’t put a finger on what felt off to him, but maybe JJ could.
And on a personal level, a not-so-small part of him felt as if he’d dodged a bullet. The thought of her heading back to LA left him feeling inexplicably empty. They didn’t know each other well, but still, he couldn’t help but feel that if she left, he’d—they’d—be losing something. With her agreeing to stay, maybe he’d have the chance to discover what thatsomethingwas.
“Of course,” he replied. “I’ll send you her contact information and call her tomorrow to let her know you’ll be reaching out.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. Her gaze held his then dropped to his lips before darting to his cheek. He stilled, waiting to see if she’d kiss him. Notthatkind of kiss. Unfortunately. But a peck on the cheek. Like a thank-you. Instead, she offered a smile, then reached out and touched his arm. His coat created a buffer between them, but he felt it to his core. “Thank you, again,” she said before turning to her car and climbing in.
He stood in the driveway and watched as she drove away. When her headlights were no longer visible, he reached for his phone and brought up his texting app. Scrolling through his contacts, he found JJ’s number.
Asher:It’s Asher, call me in the morning. There’s someone you need to see
CHAPTER NINE
Asher:Text me when you’re awake
Ellie read Asher’s message from the cozy comfort of her bed two hours after he’d sent it. Her body and brain didn’t usually allow her to sleep in. But given her late-night chat with the man in question, and the several hours of snowshoeing before that, her body had needed the rest.
She read the message again, putting off her response. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to him. Having Asher be her first interaction of the day actually appealed to her. A lot. But she knew the reason for his text. And she wasn’t sure she was ready to come face-to-face with that before her first cup of coffee.
Then again, coffee would mean she’d have to get out of bed. During the early hours of the morning, a small storm had moved in. Not enough to cause any problems, though. And tucked under a puffy down duvet, her view of the cotton ball-sized flakes of snow gently falling from the cloud cover was lovely. And peaceful. And it gave her a good excuse to avoid everything about the world outside her bedroom.
With a sigh, she decided that hiding from something she wanted—even if she was afraid—was beneath her. She trusted Asher when he told her that the unorthodox psychologist might be a good fit. And the sooner she met Dr. Garcia, the sooner she’d find out if he was right. If he was, then maybe she’d finally have someone to help her wade through the craptastic mess in her mind.
Ellie:I’m up
Asher:I talked to Dr. Garcia this morning, she’s expecting your call today
His response was immediate, and he followed it with the doctor’s contact information. She wondered what he was doing on a Sunday morning. Maybe sitting in front of his fire with a cup of coffee? Maybe he was in bed, too. Or perhaps he’d already been up and out of the house.
Ellie:Thanks. I’ll give her a call, but something came up and I’m not sure if I’ll be here much longer
A long moment passed before she saw bubbles.
Asher:Everything okay?
Ellie:Sofia’s parents called last night. They decided to come up for a visit. I love the Parisis but with everything going on, I’m not sure staying with Sofia and Josh while they are here is a good idea
Like their daughter, they loved hard and loyally. But unlike their daughter, they didn’t do well with boundaries. Well, that wasn’t entirely fair. They were respectful and considerate. And above all, they were kind. But they’d long ago decided to take on the role of adoptive parents to her. And she loved them for it. The catch was, to their mind, that meant they had every right to hover and fuss over her. And right now, the thought of all that fussing, all that attention, made her stomach pitch.
