She’d expected to find a mess of discarded clothes, old takeout containers, and other debris, but Shane’s bedroom, unlike the rest of the house, sat neat and tidy. The walls were painted a dark red and all the blinds were drawn tightly shut, making the place feel more like a cave than anything. Was this where Shane went to hibernate and shut out the rest of the world, including her?
She understood that, but she couldn’t figure out why he’d made such a point to keep her out until now. The room held nothing remarkable—a king-sized bed, long dresser, and even a tiny ceiling-mounted TV with a VHS player built right in. She had to wonder if that old thing still worked and if Shane actually had the right kind of tapes to play in it.
Everything was dark—the wood, the walls, the bedding, even the ceiling was painted black as night. It all seemed at odds with the rest of the house. Was this how the secret shed was decorated, too?
She drifted over to the dresser. A coin dish, bottle of cologne, and can of spray deodorant were the only items that sat on its surface. The absence of dust implied that Shane regularly cleaned—but why in here and not the rest of the house?
The weight of her guilt loomed thick like fog, and Lauren said a quick prayer to ask for forgiveness for encroaching on Shane’s privacy like this. Still, she pushed forward in her search. The betrayal had already happened, and she couldn’t have it be for nothing. She needed to see what she could find.
Inside the dresser, she found neatly folded clothing and carefully matched socks, none of which she’d ever seen her employer wear. They were going out clothes, yet he never went much of anywhere these days and preferred pajamas for around home. Even for his appointment today, he wore sweats and an old T-shirt. Nothing fancy.
In the closet, she found a handsome navy suit, the kind she’d often seen execs wearing back in New York. Finely polished Oxfords lined the floor of the closet, and a series of dress shirts hung from the rod. She even found a collection of ascots kept neatly in a lidless wooden box.
It was almost as if Shane had a second life as a high-powered stockbroker or an old-fashioned crooner… even as a news anchor or gangster. She couldn’t see Shane in any of those roles, though. She couldn’t picture him any other way than he was now, which made this discovery all the more unsettling.
Above the clothes, a high shelf drew her curiosity. It was more than six feet from the floor, and while she could clearly see that something was wedged in the back, she couldn’t reach it without finding something to stand on first.
Okay, once she figured out what was up there, she’d stop snooping once and for all. Her investigation today had yielded more questions than answers, which helped neither her nor Shane. She wasn’t any closer to understanding his thinly masked pain. In fact, she felt like she’d wandered into the secret lair of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Was it possible that there wasn’t just one real Shane but two? And which version had she become acquainted with?
She grabbed a chair from the kitchen and returned to the closet, feeling more than ready to put this all behind her.
Unfortunately, that was when the front door swung open with a low, ominous creak.
Oh no!
What was he doing home so early?
Grace had said they’d be out for hours. And where could Lauren hide so that Shane wouldn’t spot her, and she could slip away later… perhaps if he went to use the bathroom or visit with the dogs outside.
Think, think, think.
But there wasn’t time for that. Lauren tucked herself in the closet. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time or space to take the repurposed kitchen chair with her.
Crap, crap, crap!
Shane came in then. She could see him through the thin opening between the closet doors, and he did not look happy. His eyes landed right on the chair and his face darkened to match the rest of the room. “Lauren!” he bellowed.
“Yes?” she squeaked, slowly opening the closet and stepping into the main part of the master suite.
“What are you doing in my room? You know you’re not supposed to be in here,” he demanded, fixing her with a heated stare.
“I know, I’m sorry. I just—“
“You just nothing! Get out! Get out now!” He screamed so loud, the air shook and emitted a high pitch sound that echoed through the house’s wiring.
“Shane, let me explain. I—“
“No, you don’t get to explain. You only need to get out.” He pointed toward the open door emphatically and stared wide-eyed at her as if his eyes could physically move her from the space.
“I didn’t see anything, I swear. I didn’t know—”
“You knew you weren’t supposed to come in here, but that’s just like you, isn’t it?” His expression turned sinister. “You’re always doing whatever you want, regardless of the rules. Well, you know what? I’m done. You’re done.”
“Wait, no. Are you firing me?”
Shane let out an angry string of curses. “Why are you still in my room? Get out!” The same tremor she’d spotted when he’d made the mess of the flowers had returned. His entire chest heaved as if he were desperately short of breath.
She wanted to apologize, wanted to explain, but what could she say? She had invaded his privacy, and she’d done it knowingly.
“I’m so sorry. What I did was wrong, and I—” Taking a chance, she walked toward him and placed her hand on his arm, but he ripped it away as if he’d been burned.
“Don’t touch me. Don’t touch my things. Don’t even talk to me. Just get out! I expect you to be gone when I wake up in the morning. You’re no longer welcome here.”
Lauren wanted to get angry. She wanted to meet Shane’s screams with her own, but this time, she knew she was in the wrong, had known all along.
Would the dogs suffer because her curiosity got the best of her? And what of Shane? Though he was raging like a beast again, he’d become her friend. Would he be able to focus on getting better without the added help? And where would she go?
She had no idea, but she knew this was what she deserved.
“Get out right now before I get you out myself.” Shane seethed and, despite his red-hot rage, she knew he could never hurt her. Words were his weapon of choice, and even then, he avoided saying anything he couldn’t take back later.
But he’d fired her. Would he take that back? Or was this it? And which way did she prefer?
“Not going to listen, are you?” He reached for her waist to pick her up, but Lauren shifted out of his grasp and moved into the hall.
When the door slammed in her face, she felt a hot rush of tears stream down her cheeks.
What was she going to do now?