Page 14 of Secrets Among Us

“This is my favorite wine.” She looked at me over the rim of her glass.

I nodded. “I always keep some in the fridge.”

Her lips tugged into a beautiful smile. “In case I stop by?”

“Something like that.” I took a bite of pasta and couldn’t help but moan in delicious satisfaction. “So, youcancook.”

Sadie chuckled. “Surprise.”

I narrowed my eyes on her and smiled. “You always pretended you weren’t that great at it.”

“That’s because I found out how amazing you are at cooking.” Her cheeks flushed, and she laughed. “And I didn’t pretend that I wasn’t great. I just never offered to do it.”

“I’ve found it helps me decompress. I missed cooking, and I didn’t even realize it.”

The steely clang of her silverware as she daintily cut one of the sausages echoed just how thick the air was with silenced emotions. We’d never had moments like these where there was so much to say, but neither of us said it.

“So, as I was saying…” She smiled and took another bite. I noticed the little dimple that always surfaced on her right cheek while she chewed.

There wasn’t much about Sadie I didn’t notice.

But what concerned me were the secrets I felt hiding behind her recent gaze. They weren’t there before, and now, with every flick of her eyes, I could tell she had been burying something inside.

“I’ve been working hard these last few weeks to focus on my future, the move, and trying not to go back to that space, to that time when everything went so wrong.”

My chest tightened, watching her relive in those few seconds everything she was speaking about, and I knew she might be right. Her therapist might be onto something.Maybe I am that constant reminder she doesn’t need.

“And has it been going well?”

She forked a few noodles and peppers. “Sometimes, I can forget and pretend that I was never kidnapped. That my life was as fun-filled and as adventurous as before.” Sadie let out a deep breath and took a second before finishing. “And then I wonder if I’m meant to forget it.”

I wiped my mouth with the napkin and nodded. “I don’t know if you can forget something like that, Sadie. I’m no licensed therapist, but I don’t know if that’s a realistic goal. You went through something that shifted how you saw the world.”

“Agreed,” she said, glancing out the window.

Sadie stiffened, and I followed her gaze.

“Everything okay?”

The hanging baskets were still motionless.

“No. Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “Just my mind playing tricks on me again.”

“Tell me what you think you saw?”

Sadie reached for the bottle of wine and poured more into her glass. “I thought I saw like a flicker of light or something.” She set the bottle down. “But being that you’re in the middle of nowhere with a security system that chimes, sings, and throws grenades, I know it’s in my head.”

I chuckled at the last accusation. “I don’t think it’s legal to have grenades or bombs on the property.”

“But if you could, you would.” She laughed nervously, but I saw her gaze linger outside.

“For the record, I only have this much equipment because my brother and I test everything out before we use it for clients.”

“Whatever you say, Zack,” she teased, and it suddenly felt like old times.

She gasped, and I followed her gaze to see the same flickering light she mentioned.

We were sitting ducks. Every move in this house was lit up like a spotlight, and I saw nothing but shadows of Douglas firs and pines.

---