Page 87 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
“Okay?”
“I’ll sell the store to you at the price you mentioned. No conditions. If you don’t want to run it as Hidden Treasures, that’s your choice.” Melody just wanted to swipe things off her plate. She wanted to cut the cord keeping her here any longer than she needed to be.
“Wonderful!” Candy said enthusiastically into the receiver. “My real estate agent will be in touch.”
“Okay.” Melody disconnected the call and stood there, feeling hollowed out and running over with emotions all at once.
“I thought you said you wanted to keep Jo’s store in place,” a woman’s voice said.
Melody turned toward Liz, surprised to see her standing there. “Liz. Are you okay?” Her friend’s pink lips were vibrant against her pale complexion.
“You said you were keeping it as Hidden Treasures. That’s what Jo would have wanted. I thought you wanted the same thing.”
“Liz.” Melody stepped toward her friend.
Liz took a step back and held up her palm. “Some part of me still believed you would end up staying in Trove. That you would realize what you left behind and decide you couldn’t leave us again. Some part of me thought you meant it, all of this.” Liz gestured toward the charm bracelet on her wrist. “You were never planning to stay though, were you? For all I know, you’re not planning to come back either. It’s all a lie.” Liz’s voice shook. “And I am such a fool because I believed it. Everything you said.” She shook her head and Melody saw the glisten of tears on her cheek.
“It’s not a lie. Liz, I’m just selling the store. I was always planning to sell the store. I never promised anything different.”
“You did though. You said it would remain Hidden Treasures.”
“You don’t understand. This woman offered above the asking price,” Melody said, as if that really mattered. Money was nice, but they both knew that wasn’t why Melody had taken the offer so quickly. “The kind of money that’s not easy to turn down.”
Liz frowned. Then she looked at the charm bracelet on her wrist and slid it off.
Melody watched her. “What are you doing?”
Liz sniffled and took an audible breath. Anger sparked in her eyes when she looked up again. Her jawline tightened and she pulled her arm back and forcefully threw the bracelet at Melody’s feet. “So take the money and leave, Mel. And take the bracelet with you when you go. I don’t need it anymore. Or you.” She turned on her heel and charged toward the door.
Melody hurried after her. “Liz? Wait. You’re overreacting. Liz?”
The door slammed behind Liz, leaving Melody alone in the room. She didn’t want to go out into the gymnasium just yet. She needed a moment to catch her breath. Tonight was turning out to be an emotional roller-coaster ride. Liz was just being emotional as well. That’s what that was. Tonight was triggering for her too. People lashed out when they were triggered. They shut down. They pushed people away. They accepted real estate offers. And apparently, they also threw charm bracelets.
Melody whirled to go and retrieve the discarded piece of jewelry. She didn’t see it immediately so she walked deeper into the room, looking around the furniture that was stored there. This appeared to be an area for unused desks and podiums.
The bracelet wasn’t there. She couldn’t see it. Tears clouded her vision and then it was impossible to see anything at all. All she wanted to do was leave, but that would be running away, wouldn’t it? And Melody Palmer didn’t run anymore. Did she?
To: Liz Dawson
From: Bri Johnson
Subject: A night to remember
Liz,
I’m on my cot tonight, thinking of you and Melody, and imagining you two having the times of your lives. I don’t need to be there. Just knowing that you both have this chance to redo history in some way, and fix some small piece of it, is enough. I can’t wait to hear every detail. I want to see pictures because I know you’re taking them. It will be a night to remember!
B
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
LIZ
Liz was too angry to cry. She needed space. She needed to get out of this place. “Hand me your keys.” She held out her palm to Matt.
“What?” He was in the middle of a conversation with two students who looked guilt-ridden, as if Matt had just caught them doing something they shouldn’t be.
“Hand me your keys. I need to, um, get something from your truck.”
