Page 108 of Most Likely to Fear Love

Only by the slightest flicker in her eyes did she give the game away. She recovered quickly, sliding back into her professional demeanor. “I neither confirm nor deny?—”

“Save it,” I cut her off, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips. If Hannah was behind this, it gave me a tiny flame of hope, and I was absolutely going to cooperate. “How about you follow me back to my place? You can dig through whatever the hell youneed to. Laptop, documents, phone. Whatever proof you need that I’ve got no skeletons dancing around in my closet. It’ll save you the trouble of tailing me all over town.”

Shelby seemed surprised for a moment, giving me another head tilt, as she fixed me with a narrow-eyed stare. I sensed it could go either way, but then she nodded. “Alright. Lead the way.”

A short while later, when we pulled up to the house, I got out and waited for her to park before gesturing for her to come inside. As she walked towards me, her suit jacket dropped open, showing me the gun holstered at her hip. Smart woman.

Buddy and Max barked at her from the porch, their tails wagging. She took a moment to pat both of their shaggy heads, making their tails wag even more.

“Cute dogs.”

“Thanks.”

I gestured to the front door. “Come on in, I’ll get my laptop set up for you.”

She stepped inside, her gaze roaming around the living room. I noticed her hand linger on her holster for a moment before she unclipped it and set it on the table near the door. She knew enough to be cautious, but she wasn’t here to pick a fight.

“Make yourself comfortable,” I added, nodding towards the dining table. “I’ll make us some coffee, if you like.”

“That’d be great, thanks.”

Pulling out a chair, she settled herself in as I set up the coffee machine. While it brewed, I grabbed my laptop from the bedroom, bringing it out and setting it down in front of her.

“There. Passwords are written down in this notebook.” I tapped on a small notepad I placed beside the laptop.

She raised an eyebrow, the slightest hint of surprise breaking through her professional demeanor. “You’re, uh, you’rebeing awfully accommodating. You really don’t mind me going through all of this?”

“Nope. I’ve got nothing to hide. And if it means Cassidy can have some peace of mind, or whatever Hannah thinks she needs, then it’s worth it.”

Shelby gave a small nod, and without another word, she opened the laptop and got to work.

I turned away, focusing on making the coffee, trying to work through exactly what was going on here. Cassidy definitely hadn’t arranged this, but Hannah had. Which could mean something. Or nothing at all. Fuck. Right now, though? I’d take what I could get.

CASSIDY

Isat in my car, staring at Michelle’s house, my hands clenched so tight around the steering wheel, my knuckles had gone white. The ache under my ribs that had been my constant companion since Harle left was nothing compared to the churning in my stomach now. This was different. This was facing the ghost of a life I’d thought was real, but never truly existed.

I’d considered asking someone to come with me, but this was something I needed to do alone. Though right now, watching the afternoon sun cast shadows across Michelle’s perfectly manicured lawn, I was seriously questioning that decision. But I knew if I sat there too long, I’d talk myself out of it, so I grabbed my purse, climbed from the car, and walked determinedly up the driveway.

The sound of my knock echoed in the still afternoon air, and for a few seconds, I considered turning tail and running. I couldn’t even say why, beyond the feeling that this was a bigger moment than I was prepared to deal with. But then the door opened, and there she was.

Michelle.

She looked me up and down, her expression unreadable. The moment our eyes met - both green, I realized with a jolt - the air seemed to vanish from my lungs. It was like looking at my own future self, right down to the way she held herself. The similarity was so jarring, I actually took a step back.

Michelle’s lips twitched into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Well,” she said drily, running a hand through her blonde hair, “you can’t say he didn’t have a type.”

The words hit like a punch to the gut. Because there it was - the elephant in the room, addressed head-on with bitter humor that almost made me want to laugh.

“Come on in.” Michelle swung the door open wider, stepping back to let me in. She led me down a short hallway into the kitchen. It was spacious, with gleaming white cabinets, marble countertops, and a large window that overlooked the backyard. A vase of fresh flowers sat on the island, and next to it, a box. It was taped shut but unmistakably old, the edges worn and slightly discolored.

“Would you like a coffee?”

My eyes were fixed on the box, my stomach twisting at the sight. “Uh, yes, sure. Okay”

While Michelle busied herself at the coffee maker, her back to me, she asked, “How’ve you been, Cassidy?”

Her tone was casual enough, but coming from her, it felt loaded. I hesitated, my fingers twitching against the strap of my purse as I stood there, uncertain of how to answer. Did she want a polite lie? The truth?

---