Page 10 of Whispers of the Lake

“No, it’s not that,” I said, though that was important too. “This is about someone else.”

“Okay. Who?”

“Eve Castillo. I need you to track her location for me.”

Eve Castillo journal entry

I’m ashamed right now. Ashamed and so stupid. I bought a peach cobbler, vanilla ice cream, and a bottle of wine. It’s Wednesday and Rose and I always meet for our movie nights and girl time on Wednesday.

Cole answered the door. He looked surprised to see me. “Rose is working late with Herbert,” he’d said.

“She is?” For some reason my heart dropped. Did she text me this?

I checked my phone and sure enough, there was a text in there from Rose twenty-ish minutes ago. I must’ve missed it while I was shopping for the food and wine.

“Oh my Godfrey. I feel so stupid.”

Cole flashed me a smile and I tried not to react to it. Even though I’d ghosted him, I couldn’t deny that Cole was attractive.

“Godfrey will never get old.” He chuckled. Then he invited me in.

I’m sitting here writing this because I shouldn’t have accepted his invitation. I should’ve just gone home. We ate some of the peach cobbler and I hoped Rose would turn up soon so the awkwardness would pass.

Eventually Cole offered to pour some of the wine I’d brought and said I was welcome to watch a movie on the sofa if I wanted to wait for Rose. He said he was going to catch up on some work emails.

I hesitated.

“You wouldn’t be a bother,” Cole said, smiling.

I told him sure. He popped some popcorn while I sat on the sofa with a blanket. I sent a text to Rose and asked if she’d be home anytime soon. She responded after Cole had brought me the popcorn and another glass of wine and said she’d be off in another hour. She apologized for bailing at the last minute.

I told her it was okay, but if she wasn’t going to be here soon, I figured I needed to leave. We could catch up another time.

I let Cole know as much as he worked at the dining table. He looked surprised to see that I was leaving. He said something about how he was wrapping up on the emails and knew the perfect movie we could watch until Rose came home. He was talking like we were a couple—like he didn’t have a freaking wife who was my best friend.

“I should go,” I kept saying as I slipped into my sneakers.

I grabbed my purse and keys, ready to leave. But before I could, Cole caught me by the elbow and spun me around. He kissed me. I snatched my mouth away and froze. And for some reason that I couldn’t understand at the time, I let him kiss me again. This time, I didn’t stop it.

“I miss you,” he whispered on my mouth. “I wish it was you.”

I swear it just happened. We started kissing. He cupped my face in his hands, and we made out against the door.

It felt wrong.

Dirty.

Deceitful.

But it also felt . . . good.

Rose would kill me. She’d never talk to me again if she knew. She was like a sister to me. It was so cruel of me. I didn’t stop him until my phone chimed with another text from her.

He looked at me. I looked at him. Then I told Cole I had to go. I ran out of the house with tears in my eyes. I wouldn’t let it happen again. It was a mistake. One I regret so, so much.

CHAPTER EIGHT

There’s always this little voice in the back of my head judging me. I’d hear it ask things like:Why do you still have Eve’s number in your phone? She slept with your husband! Why do you even care about her?I wish I had it in me tonotcare. I really wanted to be the kind of person who knew how to ghost others and not feel guilty about it later.

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