“Exactly right.” Uncle Jamie nodded and sipped his coffee.
They finished breakfast and sat chatting for nearly another hour before they stood from the table, and Ellis helped clean up. As she loaded the dishwasher, her brain kept replaying both seeing Cherry and her friend and also the conversation with her aunt and uncle. This wasn’t difficult. She just needed to talk to Cherry about it. This was like one of those infuriating Hallmark or Lifetime movies where the whole conflict between the main characters could be resolved in five minutes with one simple conversation.
She’d been right the first time—she was being ridiculous.
I’ll just ask her.
Ready to send a text, she jumped when her phone rang in her hand. She was even more startled to see it was Cherry.
“Hey there, I was just thinking about you,” she said softly, by way of greeting.
“Hey,” Cherry said, and Ellis knew in a split second, just by the odd tone of her voice with the one word, that something was off.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, concern filling her.
Cherry sniffled. “I’m just…I don’t know if you’re far away, but when will you be home?”
“Baby, please tell me what’s wrong.”
“Can you come home?” The smallest voice Ellis had ever heard.
“Absolutely.” No hesitation. No worries. Cherry needed her, and she was going to be there, no question. “Give me fifteen minutes to get my stuff together and say good-bye, and I’ll hit the road. I should be home by two. Do you want to meet me at my place?”
Cherry agreed with more sniffling, whispered a thank you, and they hung up.
Aunt Tracey was worried. Ellis could see it in her eyes, on her face, but she didn’t argue with her. Didn’t try to get her to stay or ask her to examine more closely what she was doing. It was like she got it, like she understood that Ellis really had no other option.
Something was wrong, and Cherry needed her.
So she would be there.
Chapter Seventeen
Ellis turned down her street at 1:47 and, as she approached her building, saw Cherry sitting on the front steps, scrolling on her phone. Cherry looked up, and the relief that washed over her face when she locked eyes with Ellis was palpable. Ellis felt it rush through her body like liquid as Cherry stood.
She pulled into the small parking lot in the back, into her assigned space, grabbed her bag from the trunk, and met Cherry in the front. They said nothing before Cherry was in her arms, holding tightly to her and not exactly crying, but definitely emotional.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered against Ellis’s ear. “I’m so sorry to make you cut your trip short, but I’m just so glad you’re here.”
She extracted herself and held Cherry at arms’ length. “Are you okay?” she asked, studying Cherry’s face, then scanning her body. “Are you hurt or something?”
Cherry shook her head and then pulled her into another hug, and her grip felt like Cherry was worried she’d be whisked off into oblivion if she let go.
She tightened her arms around Cherry, felt her tremble slightly. “Let’s go inside, and you can tell me what’s going on.”
Silently and holding hands, they entered the house, then climbed the stairs to Ellis’s door. Nugget greeted them with some very loud, clearly annoyed yowls before apparently deciding to be forgiving and twining around their feet. Ellis was happy to see his food bowl was full and a note from Mrs. Carver dictating what times she’d popped in andhow long she’d stayed. Cherry’s hand was warm in hers, and she didn’t let go, even once they were inside.
Ellis set down her bag and turned to Cherry, stared in expectation.
“Do you have any wine?” Cherry asked.
Ellis tipped her head.
“Whiskey? Vodka? Bourbon?” Cherry asked. “Moonshine?”
A chuckle bubbled up from her chest. “Fresh out of moonshine, but I have wine. Have a seat and I’ll pour.”
A few minutes later, she brought two glasses of cab into the tiny living room, handed one to Cherry, and sat down next to her. Sideways, so she could face her. She watched Cherry sip, gave her a moment, then said, “Please, please tell me what’s going on. You’ve got me a little freaked. Are you sure you’re okay?”
