Chapter Ten
Will threw his big duffel bag onto the passenger’s seat of his truck. It was noon, but he hadn’t slept well and he felt like shit. He’d stayed at Marius’s nearly-empty rental the night before, in the hopes that Ellie would text him back and they could talk things out. But if she was with Emory and determined to see things through with him, there wasn’t much Will could do about it.
Summer had told him to “go get her,” but he couldn’t—not if she didn’t want to be chased.
He was just climbing into the cab of his truck when Hayley jogged up wearing running pants and a fleece sweatshirt.
“What are you doing?” he asked through his open door.
“You texted to say you were heading out. I thought I’d come say goodbye.”
“Did you run all the way here?”
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s not that far. Was staying here okay for you?”
“It was. Tell Marius I said thanks for letting me use it.”
“Sure, no worries,” she said. “May as well wring the last of his rent from the place before the lease runs out, right?”
Marius had moved in with Hayley pretty recently, and they were sharing her tiny studio apartment.
“He makes you happy?” Will asked, still half-in, half-out of his truck.
Her expression softened. Gooey. Her face went all affectionate and her eyes looked far-away, just at the thought of her mate. “Yes,” she said, almost on a sigh. “Yes, he does.”
He’d never thought he’d see his little sister in love like this. He was glad for her while being envious of what she had.
He wished Ellie had responded to his texts last night.
“Anyway,” Hayley said, “I need a ride. I’ve got an appointment and my Bug’s in the shop.”
“If you could run here from your place, you could’ve run to your appointment,” Will pointed out.
“Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have been able to say goodbye to you. Come on, shart-stain, give me a ride, please?”
“Oh, well when you ask me like that, how can I refuse?”
Grinning, she grabbed his duffel and tossed it in the back of the truck.
Will waited until she was buckling up before turning to her and saying, “You’re a pest, you know that?”
“I try.” She settled back into her seat as he started the truck. “Just like old times, isn’t it? Sitting in this truck, getting ready to head off to wherever.”
“Always on the run,” Will said.
“Yeah. I don’t miss it.” Turning to face him, she said, “I guess you do, though.”
Will didn’t say anything. He looked at Hayley from the corner of his eye. She wasn’t looking at him, and her expression wasn’t accusatory—just puzzled.
“I don’t miss it,” he said. “But I can’t stay here. I don’t think you get that.”
“I’m starting to.”
He pulled onto Main Street. “Where to?”
Hayley reached into the pocket of her fleece sweatshirt and got her phone. Tapping the screen a couple of times, she said, “Hang a left on Nightwood.”
She directed him through a couple more turns until they stopped in front of a small house. This street had more of a suburban feel than some of the others in Huntwood, with its neighbors packed in closer together, and small front yards. From what he could see, though, the back yards led right into the woods.
“What is this appointment, anyway?” Will asked.
“Come and see,” Hayley said. Her voice sounded mischievous.
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” he said.
Quick as a flash, Hayley reached over and pulled his keys from the ignition. She was out of his truck before he could stop her.
“Dammit, Hayley,” he said.
She danced up to the front door of the house and knocked. Turning back to stare at Will, she said, “I have my first piano lesson today.”
Will glowered at her. Was this Ellie’s house? “What the hell are you doing?”
But the door was opening, and Ellie stood in the doorway. She looked first at Hayley and gave her a smile, but then her gaze turned to Will, and she looked confused.
Hayley pressed Will’s keys into Ellie’s hand. “Could you hold these for me, please?”
Then Hayley marched back to Will.
“Is your car even in the shop?” he asked her.
“Yes. I drove it there this morning and parked it in their parking lot so I wouldn’t have to lie to you. Then I ran to Marius’s old place.”
He stared at her, incredulous. “Why?”
“There’s something between you two. I don’t know what it is, but this is your chance to figure it out before you leave town. Oh, and, she’s got your keys.” Turning to look at Ellie over her shoulder, Hayley said, “I have to reschedule. I’ll mail you a check for a month’s lessons, okay?”
Ellie looked like she didn’t know what to say. She nodded, but her forehead was still wrinkled in confusion as Hayley gave Will a quick hug and then took off at a jog down the street.
Will turned slightly, so that he faced Ellie. “Hi,” he said.
“Hi.” She still held his keys in her fist. Will was surprised that she didn’t just chuck them into the snow.
“I guess Hayley wants us to talk,” Will said.
“I guess so.” Ellie looked like she was battling with herself. Then she said, “I guess you may as well come in.”
Will knew that one step into Ellie’s house could change everything. The more he saw her, the closer he got to her, the less he wanted to leave the Dark Pines territory. Getting attached was dangerous, but God help him, now that he was here, he couldn’t stay away.