Times like this, she wished she hadn’t isolated herself from everyone. You could call Amara, a voice in her head whispered. She ignored it. After her father’s death and Erik’s betrayal, she had learned quickly how shallow most of her relationships were.
Once she could no longer afford their lifestyle, many of the people in her life were no longer interested in knowing her. The pictures in the tabloid had been the final straw. In her old social circle, it was one thing to do something risqué, provided you didn’t embarrass your family. It was another to have nude pictures on the front page of a tabloid.
Only Amara had remained loyal, and Cara had rewarded her best friend by shutting her out. After the pictures had been published, all Cara had wanted to do was crawl in a hole and be left alone.
The closest people in her life now were her brothers, but she wasn’t about to tell them about the predicament she found herself in. Not until it was settled anyway. They would most likely find a way to use her situation to blame each other. All they seemed to do lately was disagree.
The tension and emotion around their father’s will and her own scandal had exacerbated the fissures already existing among the men. Instead of bringing them closer, their different points of view of what should be done to fix things pushed them apart. As the baby sister, she had been exempt from the finger pointing, but watching her formerly close family change and knowing it was partially her fault had been intolerable. She wouldn’t do anything to worsen the family tension.
An hour later, Cara heard the TV come on at low volume and realized Wes was back. She gnawed on a carrot stick. Between asking if she needed something at the store, and not blasting the television, he was already a more considerate roommate than Zoe had ever been. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to make small talk with a stranger alone in a new house. She’d listened to her fair share of true crime podcasts!
Cara crept to the door, and silently turned the lock. She positioned her suitcase in front of the door and stood back looking at her makeshift security alarm. It was pretty pathetic, but it was all she had. Propping her phone on a pillow, Cara scrolled through the internet finally settling on one of her favorite makeup vloggers, one ear out for her new roommate.
The next morning, the main area of the house was empty, the door at the end of the short hallway on the far side of the kitchen closed. Cara chugged a glass of water before putting in her earbuds and heading out for a run.
She hadn’t slept well, waking at the slightest noise. Periodically in the night, she heard what she thought was typing on a keyboard but hadn’t been brave enough to look. When the sun peaked through the blinds, she finally gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed.
Wes hadn’t attempted to come into her room during the night, which was reassuring. And if it was some sort of set-up, it seemed unlikely he would have waited for her to settle in her room. The more likely scenario was he was just another person that Melody had forgotten about when she made her plans. Cara was an adult. She’d make the best of it.
Normally, Cara ran for half an hour. But this morning, her normal distance took longer than usual because she was unfamiliar with the neighborhood. Her running app set for her preferred distance, she jogged slowly, overly conscious of her surroundings. She wasn’t in the mood for any more surprises.
The rhythm of her legs and breath took over her anxieties, each stride further easing her. She welcomed the endorphins that coursed through her body. Growing up, Cara had never enjoyed exercise, but she had taken up running at her mother’s urging.
“Darling, unfortunately, you are built like your father. You can either starve, or exercise. There’s no way around it.”
Her mother had imparted this nugget of wisdom during one of the rare school holidays Corinne chose to spend with her daughter. Even at thirteen, Cara understood her mother didn’t mean to be unkind. She was stymied by Cara’s appearance. Cara knew she’d gained weight that year, and standing next to her willowy, supermodel mother, she had felt like a hippopotamus.
Cara picked up her pace, pumping her arms faster to banish the memory. She liked the long, low hills of the neighborhood and how the post-war homes mixed with new construction. The mature trees filling the lots were winter-gray and bare, but it would be a great route in the summer when the thick leaves would provide shade.
CHAPTERFOUR
Wes didn’t lookup at the sound of the front door opening. A dull headache throbbed behind his eyes, the result of waking at four a.m. from a nightmare and being unable to get back to sleep. He hadn’t had the dream in a long time.Why now?Wes suspected it had to do with the petite, curvy blonde who had first looked terrified and then unhappily resigned to her new living situation. Like a woman who had run out of options.
* * *
Mama squatted low,hugging him tight into her neck. Her shirt was drenched in her favorite perfume. It would make him stuffy later, but he didn’t care. Something was wrong; he could feel it. His tummy churned like the time he ate the whole sleeve of cherry Lifesavers.
“Don’t go. Stay here with Gram and Poppy,” he pleaded. Something hot and wet hit his cheek, and when she pushed away from him, he saw she was crying. “Don’t cry, Mama. Don’t be sad.”
The sick feeling in his belly grew, and it was hard to breathe.
“It’s okay, buddy. You’re going to stay with them for a little bit. You’ll love it,” she insisted with a smile. Even though tears no longer fell, her eyes were wet and shiny. “You are going to have so much fun with Gram and Poppy. Be a good boy, and I’ll call you soon.” She smoothed a hand over his hair, pushing it back from his face. “My beautiful boy.”
“Tiffany.” Gram’s voice sounded the same way it did when she told him not to chase the dog. His grandmother stepped closer, and Wes felt her hands gently rest on his shoulders. “Don’t drag it out. It’s not fair to him.”
Mama jumped to her feet. Wes craned his neck back, watching the splotchy red patches spread up her neck. Her eyes weren’t sad anymore; they were mad.
“Fair?” She looked down at Wes and took a deep breath. She squatted again, pulling him away from Gram’s hands. Her hands were rough and pinched a little.
“Ow, Mama!”
He squirmed and then instantly regretted it because she dropped his arms, and Gram hissed.
“See. You don’t—”
Mama ignored her, leaning forward to press a kiss on his lips.
“I love you, little man. More than anything! I’ll be back as soon as I can. Promise.” She came to her full height and stared angrily at Gram and Poppy. “I will! Then Wes and I will be the kind of family I always wanted.”
