Page 49 of Faking All the Way
“It’s not an imposition, sweetheart. I’m not letting my granddaughter risk her life on these roads, and I’m certainly not letting Asher drive either.” She dips her chin, fixing Kat with a look that’s impossible to argue with. “You’ll stay, and that’s final. I won’t hear another word about it.”
I glance out the window again. She’s right. Driving back to the cabin in this would be pretty fucking stupid, the kind of pointless risk you take when you’re young and think you’re invincible. I’m not that young anymore, and I know better.
“Thank you,” I tell her. “We really appreciate it. You’re very kind to offer.”
Beverly nods, satisfied that the matter is settled, then heads back toward the living room. “I need to tell the others not to drive home either. There are enough guest rooms for everyone.”
Kat and I follow her out, but when we get to the living room, the couple Daniel was talking to is already gone. Their coats are missing from the rack by the door, and Daniel is the only one left, standing by the fireplace with a fresh drink in his hand.
“What happened to the Foleys?” Beverly asks, looking around with concern.
“They left a little while ago,” Daniel says, his words just a little slurred. I guess he wasn’t just nursing that last drink.
Beverly clicks her tongue in disapproval. “Well, I hope they made it home before the weather turned. I’ll have to give them a call to make sure they made it alright.” She turns her sharp gaze on Daniel, taking in his unsteady posture and flushed cheeks. “But you’re certainly not going anywhere, young man. The weather is terrible, and you’re in no shape to drive. You’ll stay the night as well.”
I frown. The idea of the three of us staying here, with Daniel right down the hall from us, isn’t appealing. Not after watching him shoot sideways glances at Kat all evening with that smarmyfucking look on his face. But I can’t exactly kick him out of Beverly’s house, and she’s right about the roads.
“That’s very kind of you, Mrs. Sanders,” Daniel says, giving her a crooked smile that’s probably supposed to be charming. He takes the last sip of his drink and then sets the empty cup down on the mantel.
“Oh, nonsense.” Beverly waves a hand. “It’s just common sense and basic human decency. Now come on, all of you. Let me get you situated upstairs so you can get some rest.”
Despite a bit more halfhearted protesting from Kat about not wanting to be any trouble, we end up following her grandmother up the sweeping staircase to the second floor. The stairs creak under our feet, the old wood settling with age, and I can hear the wind howling outside.
“The blue room for you two,” Beverly announces, opening a door halfway down the hall to reveal a spacious bedroom. It’s big, just like the rest of the house, with an attached bathroom, tall windows with thick curtains, and a couple of comfortable-looking chairs in the corner. The furniture looks old and expensive.
And there’s only one bed.
I see Kat notice it too, her gaze shooting over to me as her eyes widen a little.
“This is great, thanks, Grandma,” she says, a hint of strain in her voice. “You’ve kept it so nice.”
Beverly, oblivious to the tension crackling between us, pats Kat’s shoulder and then heads down the hallway to open another door. “Let me get you some toiletries. I know I’ve got extra toothbrushes somewhere around here—ah, here they are! And toothpaste too.” She gathers several items from what looks like a well-stocked storage closet. “Oh, and Kat, dear, I have a spare nightgown that should fit you. Let me go grab it.”
She disappears downstairs and returns a few moments later, handing Kat a white cotton nightgown that looks like it’s from another era. She doles out toothbrushes and toothpaste to the two of us, giving me an apologetic expression.
“I’m afraid I don’t have anything that will fit you, Asher. You’re quite a bit bigger than my late husband was. Broader in the shoulders.”
“That’s okay,” I tell her. “I’ll manage just fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“And Daniel, same goes for you, I apologize. But I’ve got a toothbrush and toothpaste for you, and you’ll be right next door in the green room.” She hands him his toiletries, then opens the door adjacent to the one she’s designated for me and Kat.
Right next door. Of course.
“My bedroom is downstairs on the first floor,” Beverly continues, moving between the rooms to make sure everything is in order. “So if you need anything during the night, you’ll have to come down and get me. I won’t hear you if you just call from up here. The house is too big, and I sleep like the dead.”
She pauses, looking at each of us in turn. “The bathrooms are stocked with everything else you should need—Daniel, yours will be right down the hall.” She points. “They’ve got towels, soap, all the basics. Sleep well, all of you. I’ll make a big breakfast in the morning once this storm passes.”
She hugs Kat goodnight, then squeezes my hand with surprising strength for a woman her age. She gives Daniel a polite nod before heading back downstairs, her footsteps fading as she descends.
There’s a moment of awkward silence in the hallway, the three of us left standing in the sudden stillness that rushes in now that Beverly isn’t bustling around up here. I see Daniel glance over at Kat, and something in his expression makes myjaw clench, a possessive instinct rising up inside me before I can question it.
“Well, goodnight,” Daniel finally says, giving us both a little salute, although his gaze lingers on Kat. He disappears into his room, closing the door behind him.
Kat and I go into ours and close the door, and if I thought that was going to ease the awkwardness of this situation, I was dead wrong. With the door shut, the room suddenly feels smaller than it did a moment ago, the bed looming large between us like an elephant we’re both pretending not to see.
“So…” Kat draws out the word a little, breaking the silence.
“So,” I echo, because what else is there to say?
