Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Hadley and Dani arrived back at their house late in the day, almost forty-eight hours after leaving the Hamptons. They’d stopped at a hotel for a night, this time at a nice place Hadley was able to put on her credit card. They deserved a comfortable night together and she let Dani order room service and watch a movie on the TV. Her sister got lost in the story, but Hadley’s mind was on Zach.
The entire trip, she had a gnawing pain in her stomach, one that told her she was making a mistake. Even so, she needed to go home and make permanent decisions from there. Zach had called his attorney, who promised to work on finalizing custody papers for Hadley and Dani, to make sure they were permanent. Even if their father walked out of prison one day before Dani turned eighteen, Hadley wasn’t giving him control of her sister’s well-being.
As Hadley turned into the driveway, Dani craned her neck to look at the house she’d always called home. “This place is a dump!”
Shocked by the comment, Hadley slammed on the breaks and thank goodness the seatbelts held them in place. “Jesus.” She put the car in park and stared at her sister. “Are you kidding? Just because you spent a month in the Hamptons doesn’t mean you should judge what we can afford.”
Dani glanced down. “You’re right and I’m sorry. It’s just a shock compared to the Dares’ homes.”
No kidding, Hadley thought. The house was a dump. If they stayed, maybe she could afford a nicer condo. “Let’s go inside and we can come back for our bags. I want to make sure the AC is working and see how Dad left everything.” She prayed he hadn’t lived like a complete messy hoarder while they had been gone, and Hadley wasn’t around to clean.
Together they climbed out of the car, walked up the overgrown path, the weeds coming through between each bluestone step. Hadley had her keys in her hand and let them in… to find the entire place trashed.
“Holy shit!” Dani said from behind her.
Hadley sighed, suddenly not having the strength to correct her sister’s language.
“Who did this?” she asked, following Hadley inside.
“My best guess? Someone looking for your mother’s drugs, our father’s… whatever, or the FBI or police. I don’t know.” But it was on her to clean it up.
After a quick view of every room, Hadley knew they couldn’t stay there until she could get the place in some sort of order. The couches had been shredded, the mattresses too. The kitchen items were all over the floor and even the bathrooms were unusable, toiletries tossed everywhere. “Looks like we’re going to a hotel again tonight.”
“More room service?” Dani asked.
Hadley shrugged. “Why not?” Her phone buzzed inside her handbag, and she pulled it out to take a look.
Zach: Did you get home safely?
She smiled at his thoughtful question and the fact that he hadn’t just written her off because she’d decided to leave.
Though, more and more, she wondered why the hell she believed she could have any kind of life here. Dani either.
She replied, omitting the details about the house. He’d worry and insist on coming to help her. This was her problem, not his. He’d done enough for her already.
“What’s with the smile? Is that Zach?” Dani asked.
“Yeah.” Perceptive kid. Then again, who else could it be? She hadn’t heard from any of her local friends since she’d disappeared.
“Tell him I said hi,” she said.
Hadley nodded. “I will. Now, come on. Let’s go find a decent place to stay.” They walked out and she locked up the house.
Hours later, they were ensconced in a hotel room with double beds. They’d eaten in the room, both indulging in hamburgers and French fries. Dani had added a chocolate shake.
Hadley finished up in the bathroom and walked out, wearing a nightshirt, and she settled into bed. Since Dani was still watching a show on TV, Hadley lay back and closed her eyes. As she’d expected, her time in New York came back to her like a movie reel. From walking into the bar and seeing Zach for the first time to the first family meal with his parents and siblings, tutoring Maddox’s brother, working at the restaurant, and, of course, making love with Zach.
Her body tingled at the memory. But other memories surfaced too. Dani knowing about Zach being her high school boyfriend and that mortifying vibrator comment at the Dare family dinner.
Hadley sat up in bed. “Dani!”
“What?” Her sister turned toward her.
“Just how did you know about me leaving Zach before prom?” Hadley knew she’d never told her that story.
Dani’s face flushed red. “I… umm… might have gone looking in your closet and found your old diaries.”
Hadley had been an avid diary keeper after she’d been uprooted. She blinked, staring at her sister. “And you read them?”