Page 86 of The Temptation of Truth

Hammond surveys my face, so I smile and bat my eyelashes just to irritate him. To throw him off any other conclusions he might be coming to. Then, thankfully, he returns to his phone. My shoulders sag.

“She was shopping with Jones, but she’s finished. She’s at the lodge.”

“Great. Thanks.”

I turn to leave, but his voice stops me. “When you see her, exchange phone numbers. I don’t want to be arranging your playdates.”

My eyes widen and I feel the color drain from my face, but he doesn’t notice. He’s typing up another angry email, and I’ve been dismissed.

When I get back to the room, I can’t ignore my nerves. My stomach is flipping over on itself, and I hold my breath as I push open the door. I’m expecting to see Aurora inside—hoping—but instead, the room is empty. The only proof that she’d been here at all are the shopping bags sitting atop her made bed.

Curiosity draws me to the bags, and despite being alone, I tiptoe cautiously. When I reach her bed, I hold my breath again, listening to the silence. Checking once more that I’m the only one in the suite.

When I’m certain I won’t get caught, with my heart racing like a child stealing cookies before dinner, I reach my hand into one of the bags and run my fingers over soft, cool fabric. I peer inside and find clothes. I smile.

Despite knowing I shouldn’t, I start pulling the items out of the bags, and each piece makes my smile widen.

Two pairs of jeans. A few pairs of denim shorts. A pair of corduroy overalls with cute little flower patches on them. Tank tops. T-shirts. A long, flowy skirt. A pair of tennis shoes. A pair of sandals. A few pieces of jewelry. Every item follows a similar style from the other day, when she wore the wide-legged jeans and crocheted top, and it doesn’t escape me that there isn’t a single cotton dress among them. It feels significant, but I don’t fixate on it.

I turn my attention to the small outdoor patio, and my eyes fall on Aurora’s orchid. It’s sitting on the same little table in the dappled sunlight where it’s been since we got to the lodge. It doesn’t look like Aurora’s moved it at all, so I step out onto the patio and crouch down beside it.

The orchid looks healthier than it did last time I looked at it. A darker, more vibrant green. Firm, shiny, plump leaves. Andmaybe it’s just wishful thinking, but the bud, tiny as it may be, appears to be growing. No bud blast yet, as Aurora called it.

“Are you coming out of recovery mode, Arthur?”

Carefully, I trail my fingertips along the leaves, then inhale, filling my lungs with the fresh air. It’s so peaceful here. I think it could bring anyone back to life. I close my eyes and listen to the breeze. The bird songs. I try my best to clear my head of everything that’s been causing me stress, and I just breathe.

“What are you doing out here?”

I whip around and find Aurora standing in the doorway. Her hair is wet and hanging down her shoulders, and she’s wrapped in a large, fluffy white towel.

“Were you in the shower?”

She shakes her head. “No. I just came back from one of the hot pools.”

“Oh.”

I stand quickly and run my eyes over her face, searching for any hint of regret or shame, and my throat tightens. I didn’t realize how much I missed her presence. Her voice. It’s been a matter of days, but I missed her so much that my eyes nearly devour her, searching every feature as if I’ve not seen her for years. The longer I stare at her without speaking, the pinker her cheeks tint, so I break the silence.

“How was it? The hot pool, I mean.”

“Good. Nice and, um, hot.”

“Cool. Good. I should try one before we leave.”

“You should.”

I nod, and another uncomfortable pause stretches. She glances back into the room, probably searching for an escape route, so I gesture to her orchid, grasping for any topic that will keep her here. I’m not ready for her to leave again.

“He looks good,” I say, and her eyes drift to the flower.

“Yeah. I feel bad, though. I haven’t really been tending to him, but he doesn’t seem to mind.”

“Maybe he just needed space.”

“Maybe.” She flicks her eyes back to mine. “How was sound check?”

“Good. It was good. All sounds were checked. How was shopping?”