scanned them all and found them fine, then nodded to Coleton. He jumped out and grabbed as many bags from the trunk as he could hold, pushing a few up onto his wrists.
She watched him, bemused. “There’s nothing wrong with taking a few trips.”
“There is if we don’t need them,” he said, grabbing another bag.
She watched him finally admit defeat and head towards the door, then grabbed a few bags of her own, following him. The tension had melted on the way back, and now she felt worn out, defeated, tired. She hadn’t asked him about her sister again and knew she wouldn’t. He would tell her when he was ready. Sharing the truth had done that much for her.
She unlocked the door and they dropped bags in the entryway, then retrieved the rest of them from the car. When they entered the apartment the second time, Coleton took a few of the bags straight into the kitchen.
“I’ll start dinner,” he called over his shoulder, not looking at her.
“OK,” she muttered under her breath, actually glad he was heading in there so quickly. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that had been almost twelve hours ago. Normally she loved days like today, but this one was proving to be an emotional roller coaster.
She eyed the bags and decided what to do next. Prepare the bed and the couch. She ripped into plastic bags and removed bedding and pillows, and by the time she had everything done, a rich smell wafted from the kitchen.
She wandered in and sat down at the tiny, circular table just as Coleton closed the oven.
He glanced at her. “It won’t be done for forty-five minutes.”
Aria pressed her lips together. Her stomach was clamoring for food.
Coleton noticed her look. “Want to start on salad now?”
“I would love to start on salad now,” she said, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice.
Coleton chuckled and pulled a bowl out of the fridge, then handed her two different dressing choices. She chose vinaigrette and he put a plate in front of her. Aria piled it high, trying not to think about Coleton’s face when she’d said Ava was her twin sister. What could Ava had done to him?
She started eating and tried to remember her promise to let him tell her when he was ready. She didn’t think he would deliberately draw things out. But whatever had happened had obviously been difficult for him. Her mind raced. It couldn’t have been a romantic relationship because Ava was married to Jason now, right?
Aria shook her head and kept eating, and then the clock on the stove caught her attention. Almost seven.
“Damn,” she muttered and hurried into the living room to see if the ancient TV worked. She heard Coleton following her but was too busy to explain anything to him. Turning on the TV didn’t get her any sort of signal, and the box on the top made it look like it only caught local channels. She flipped through the buttons and finally figured out they had exactly three channels. At least they were clear.
All three were showing the news so she just settled on one and watched it intently. Wildfires in the south. The presidential debate was heating up. Christian ministers were refusing to marry gay couples. Then a picture of the Westwood Harbor Police Department filled the screen. She shushed Coleton even though he hadn’t said a word, and leaned forward, listening intently.
A grim-looking anchor woman talked quickly, the camera panning past her to the wreckage of Coleton’s car. She outlined what they knew, which was almost nothing, but then said what Aria had been waiting to hear. “The owner of the car has not been identified. All we have been told is that he was twenty-nine years old, a local resident, and was declared dead on the scene.”
Aria felt a smile break over her face.
“I’m dead?” Coleton asked, wonder in his voice.
“Yep,” she said firmly.
“Wow, that’s smart,” he responded, in that same dreamy manner.
“Don’t get too excited. Remember that a half a dozen people
She watched him, bemused. “There’s nothing wrong with taking a few trips.”
“There is if we don’t need them,” he said, grabbing another bag.
She watched him finally admit defeat and head towards the door, then grabbed a few bags of her own, following him. The tension had melted on the way back, and now she felt worn out, defeated, tired. She hadn’t asked him about her sister again and knew she wouldn’t. He would tell her when he was ready. Sharing the truth had done that much for her.
She unlocked the door and they dropped bags in the entryway, then retrieved the rest of them from the car. When they entered the apartment the second time, Coleton took a few of the bags straight into the kitchen.
“I’ll start dinner,” he called over his shoulder, not looking at her.
“OK,” she muttered under her breath, actually glad he was heading in there so quickly. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that had been almost twelve hours ago. Normally she loved days like today, but this one was proving to be an emotional roller coaster.
She eyed the bags and decided what to do next. Prepare the bed and the couch. She ripped into plastic bags and removed bedding and pillows, and by the time she had everything done, a rich smell wafted from the kitchen.
She wandered in and sat down at the tiny, circular table just as Coleton closed the oven.
He glanced at her. “It won’t be done for forty-five minutes.”
Aria pressed her lips together. Her stomach was clamoring for food.
Coleton noticed her look. “Want to start on salad now?”
“I would love to start on salad now,” she said, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice.
Coleton chuckled and pulled a bowl out of the fridge, then handed her two different dressing choices. She chose vinaigrette and he put a plate in front of her. Aria piled it high, trying not to think about Coleton’s face when she’d said Ava was her twin sister. What could Ava had done to him?
She started eating and tried to remember her promise to let him tell her when he was ready. She didn’t think he would deliberately draw things out. But whatever had happened had obviously been difficult for him. Her mind raced. It couldn’t have been a romantic relationship because Ava was married to Jason now, right?
Aria shook her head and kept eating, and then the clock on the stove caught her attention. Almost seven.
“Damn,” she muttered and hurried into the living room to see if the ancient TV worked. She heard Coleton following her but was too busy to explain anything to him. Turning on the TV didn’t get her any sort of signal, and the box on the top made it look like it only caught local channels. She flipped through the buttons and finally figured out they had exactly three channels. At least they were clear.
All three were showing the news so she just settled on one and watched it intently. Wildfires in the south. The presidential debate was heating up. Christian ministers were refusing to marry gay couples. Then a picture of the Westwood Harbor Police Department filled the screen. She shushed Coleton even though he hadn’t said a word, and leaned forward, listening intently.
A grim-looking anchor woman talked quickly, the camera panning past her to the wreckage of Coleton’s car. She outlined what they knew, which was almost nothing, but then said what Aria had been waiting to hear. “The owner of the car has not been identified. All we have been told is that he was twenty-nine years old, a local resident, and was declared dead on the scene.”
Aria felt a smile break over her face.
“I’m dead?” Coleton asked, wonder in his voice.
“Yep,” she said firmly.
“Wow, that’s smart,” he responded, in that same dreamy manner.
“Don’t get too excited. Remember that a half a dozen people
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