Page 62 of The Love Hoax

Gleaming marble floors and an abundance of shiny wood adorn the lobby. I give my name to the clerk.

“Nice place,” Evie whispers, one eye closed.

I put an arm around her shoulders, mostly an attempt at keeping her vertical. “Only the best for my fiancée.”

The clerk hands me a key card. “You are in room eight-oh-four. Enjoy your stay.”

I look at the solo key. “Is the other room nearby?”

The clerk frowns. “What other room?”

“I booked two rooms.”

The man’s gaze passes from me to Evie, then taps furiously on his keyboard. “I’m so sorry, sir. There must have been some misunderstanding. We have only one room booked for you.”

“No problem, I’ll sign for another one now.”

“You don’t understand, sir. We are fully booked.”

Evie yawns so big I can see her tonsils.

“I need sleep,” she mumbles. Clearly, she isn’t tuned into what’s happening.

There’s no point in finding another hotel with two rooms. Evie is ready to collapse. To the clerk, I say, “We’ll manage.”

We take the elevator to the eighth floor. The bellhop unlocks the room door, handing the key to me. I hand him a tip in return, then watch as the door closes shut behind him.

The room is luxurious and minimalist. One closet, one nightstand. One bed.

“Call me in the morning,” Evie says, flopping onto the bed, her eyes closed.

“But—”

Before I can explain, Evie is sound asleep.

I stand at the foot of the bed, panic setting in as I try to figure out a plan of action.

Looking around the sparse room, it’s clear there are no viable options. I make a decision I hope I won’t regret.

Chapter Forty-Four

Caroline

My hand fumbles for my buzzing phone on the nightstand, my eyes squinting at the time. It’s after one a.m. A surge of panic rises within me as I answer the call.

“Hi, Caroline. It’s Jeffrey. Sorry to call so late.”

Jeffrey, Evie’s younger son who lives in Rome. This can’t be good. “Is everything okay?”

“Sort of. I’m heading back to the States. I’ve been trying to reach my mom, again, with no luck. Thought maybe you knew a better way to reach her.”

I take a moment to regroup. The last time I was woken in the middle of the night, my husband had suffered a heart attack.

I find my pain meds next to the phone and dry swallow a tablet. My doctor explained the importance of keeping the drug in my system for the next week. He’s stopping by later to check on me. Who knew house calls are still athing.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

A pause. “I had a blow-up with my dad. I’m going to finish the semester back home.”