Chapter 11

Lauren

I wake up to a chilly breeze sweeping over my back.

Instinctively, I reach for the blanket but fail to find it. Instead, my hand brushes against my bare thigh.

Bare?

“Shit.”

I sit up. I’ve fallen asleep naked, and the cot creaks beneath me in protest. Not just that. I’m not in my bedroom but in an old barn, the window open and the first flecks of amber staining the edge of the dark horizon.

“Good morning,” Chase greets from behind me, rubbing his eyes.

I give him a sheepish smile. “Good morning.”

I grab my underwear and my blouse, slipping them back on.

“How are you feeling?”

I sit on the edge of the cot. “I’m all right.”

I’m a little sore and sticky, but fine. I kinda like the pain – it’s good. I feel full.

Chase places his hand over mine. “You’re not regretting last night, are you?”

“No,” I answer, looking down at my lap. “It’s … I can’t believe it, that’s all.”

He sits up. “Believe what?”

I shrug. “Everything. Me, not being a virgin anymore. You, being a billionaire and all.”

Chase sits beside me, our knees touching. “Did you really see my house?”

I nod then turn my head up toward the ceiling.

“It’s far bigger and better than this.”

He chuckles, stretching his knuckles as he leans forward. “Yeah. You’re right.”

I look at him. “How many rooms does it have?”

He shrugs. “I don’t think I’ve ever counted.”

“That many, huh?”

“I’d love for you to see it someday.” He reaches for my hand again, placing it on his lap and entwining his fingers with mine. “I’d love for you to meet my mother, too. She’s a very kind woman.”

I fall silent, pursing my lips as I remember the grief-stricken woman I met at the asylum.

Chase squeezes my hand. “What’s wrong, Lauren?”

“I’ve… actually already met your mother.”

His eyebrows furrow. “At the mansion?”

I shake my head as I look away from him. “No. At a place called Renaissance Inc.”

“I’ve never heard of it. Is it a wellness center?”

My eyebrows shoot up. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“She loves those. She gets some sort of bath every week. If it’s not mud or milk, it’s seaweed. Gross, right? But she always ends up looking and smelling fantastic.”

“No, I don’t think this was the same as those,” I tell him.

“What do you mean?”

I take a deep breath. “I met your mother at a… psychiatric institution.”

“What?” Chase stands up. “That can’t be. A lot of rich people suffer from some mental disorder but I can assure you my mother wasn’t one of them. She was always positive and carefree.” He shakes his head as he scratches his chin. “No, there must be some mistake.”

I get on my feet as well. “She had blue eyes like yours and wavy golden hair.”

His eyes grow wide with horror.

“And she had a pendant shaped like the letter ‘E’ with small diamonds on it.”

Chase grabs my shoulders. “How did you meet her? What did you tell her? What did she say?”

“I saw a van coming out of your place from that institution. Then I saw the place on my way home. I stopped by and she was there. I asked her who brought her there and she said it was Terrence. She said he was in control of everything now.”

Chase’s grip on my shoulders loosens. “My uncle.”

I step away from him, folding my arms over my chest as I walk to the window. “I tried to tell her you were still alive but she wouldn’t believe me. She only got mad at me, in fact.”

“She believes I’m dead.”

I turn to look at him. “She’s suffering, Chase. She thinks she’s lost you for good.”

“I know.” He leans over the window sill. “I’m worried about her. That’s why I sent James to check on her.”

He straightens up.

“Wait. Wasn’t James there? If you knew my mother was there, James should have…”

I purse my lips again.

“What happened to James?” he asks.

I rub my arms against a chill. “I don’t know. All I know is that he went to your place and he never came out. I waited and waited but he never came out.”

The color drains from his face. He runs to the bed, getting something from under his pillow. A phone. He dials a number then holds it to his ear.

“The number you are trying to reach is not available. Please…”

“Fuck!” He throws the phone on the bed then sits on the edge, running his hands through his hair.

My hand goes to my heart, and my chest grows tight. I want to go to him and wrap my arms around him but footsteps approach.

Shit.

There’s only one other person on the farm, and he can’t see me like this.

I jump out the window, Chase throwing me the rest of my clothes, my scarf, and my shoes. I miss one shoe, picking it up as the door to the barn creaks open.

I scurry toward the wall, clutching my things as I press my back against the side of the barn.

“Morning, Chase.”

My father’s voice rumbles inside the barn, and I hold my breath.

“Isaac,” Chase greets him. “I was about to go out there and do my chores. Hey, Smoke. How are you doing, buddy?”

Smoke?

No, no, no. Don’t smell me. I’m not here. I’m part of the woods and weeds.

“Have you seen Lauren?” my father asks. “Her car’s back but she wasn’t in her room and her bed looks like it hasn’t been slept in.”

“Strange,” Chase says. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

“So, you haven’t seen her?”

“No,” Chase answers. “I haven’t seen her. Maybe she went over to Kelly’s.”

“Hmm.”

The bed creaks.

“Smoke, get off the bed!” my father shouts.

“It’s fine,” Chase says.

“No, it’s not. I don’t want him in my bed next. He’s a good boy and all but trust me, he’s got fleas. He seems awfully interested in your bed.”

I turn my head to take a peek through a small hole in the wall. Smoke’s in there, enthusiastically sniffing the bed.

Oh good god.

“What are you sniffing there, huh?” Dad sits on the cot, then runs his hand over the sheets. “Did you spill something here?”

“No. That must be sweat. It was a warm night.”

I clasp a hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh at the knowledge of what Smoke must be sniffing.

Bad dog.

“So, do you want me to go look for Lauren?” Chase asks.

“Nah.”

I peek through the hole again, and my father gets off the cot, pulls his pants up.

“She’s old enough.”

Chase nods. He already has his pants and his shirt on and is putting on his hat.

Finally, Smoke gets off the bed but starts sniffing the wall behind me next.

Shit.

I dart toward the nearest tree as quietly as I can and hide behind it.

What is it with me and hiding behind trees lately?

From where I’m hiding, I don’t hear any more of the conversation inside the barn. The door opens moments later.

“I’ll leave it to you then,” my father says. “Come on, Smoke. Let’s head back to the house and wait for Lauren there.”

“Don’t worry,” Chase calls after him. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

I wait until the footsteps fade. Then I steal a peek. Chase stands in front of the barn, hands on his hips. He walks over to me.

“Is he gone?” I ask him.

“Yeah.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Whew. That was close.”

“Yeah.” Chase grins. “Thankfully, I’m a good actor.”

“You mean a good liar,” I tell him. “And thankfully, Smoke’s not as young as he used to be or he’d have found me.”

“Thankfully, Isaac didn’t sniff the sheets himself.”

I chuckle. “We were lucky this time.”

“Yeah.”

He leans forward, pressing his lips to mine.

The kiss lasts only a second but my heart is doing somersaults again.

“I better go. I’ll try calling James again later.”

“Okay.” I nod. “I should get back to the house.”

“You should. Though, maybe you should put pants on first. Your father might not appreciate the view as much as I do.”

He walks off with a wink, leaving me blushing and still flustered from the kiss and the near escape from my father.

What a crazy adventure this is all turning out to be.