That sounds just like Dad. He was the easiest-going person I knew—until it came to his family.

“Nora and Elaine defended me, and things escalated from there,” Roy says. “By the end of the week they’d sold their house in Wick and packed up the truck. We haven’t heard from them since.”

That’s why my parents never went to the Ballinkays for help. That’s why Roy had looked so guilty when Nora said maybe they didn’t think they could.

“I’m going to do what I can to make up for that mistake,” Roy says, standing. “Now you’re the one in danger, and I’m going to keep you safe. I owe your parents a lot more than that.”

I want those words to warm me up, to comfort me, but all I can think about are the differences in our stories. When everything went wrong for him, it wasn’t his fault, not really.

This is all on me.

Leaving was the right choice, I think. But as I stare at my rapidly cooling dinner in its white takeout container, my bag tucked beneath my feet, all I can think is the same thing in a hundred different words: forsaken, forlorn, deserted.

Alone.

Chapter 20: Anna

I wake the next morning feeling like something is missing.

It’s only when I roll to the side to find Max sleeping beside me that I remember: Colin’s gone.

For a moment I just lie there, looking at the glowing plastic stars on my ceiling and wrestling with a squirming feeling in my belly. Last night is an uncomfortable wedge between my ribs, but I didn’t know what else to do. Gran is never wrong about this kind of stuff.

I try to tell myself that it’s what’s best, that I can do this myself, but the more I repeat it, the faker it sounds.

Sighing, I slide out of bed and try to coax Max to follow, but he won’t lift his head, even when I tell him breakfast is ready. That really worries me. The only person who loves food more than Colin around here is Max.

I wince at the thought of Colin. I hope he’s okay.

The day drags on as Nora assigns me chore after chore in preparation for tomorrow’s party. The inn is nearly full to bursting with guests, and I weave between them as I dust and turn down rooms with the house’s help. With so many people around, it’s impossible to avoid everyone, and by the end of the afternoon, I’ve seen a couple things I rather I hadn’t.

I try to focus on how nice the house is starting to look, wrapped in faerie lights and tall orange lanterns, the windowsills lined with bouquets of autumn flowers and tiny pumpkins that Colin and I drew faces on days ago, but it all feels hollow.