“Opposite of me,” she said almost flippantly, but there was a waver in her voice that gave away her distress. She sucked in a deep, loud breath, her eyes closed. “I don’t even know where I’m going to live.”

“Where have you been living?”

“In a house owned by my father.”

“Oh. Well, I’m sure you’ll find something.”

“Yeah,” she said but I could tell she wasn’t optimistic. “I have a lot to figure out.”

“I’m sure,” I said, unable to really grasp what her life must be like at all. Even if my dad was wealthy, I didn’t think I’d be living in a house he bought for me at thirty-four years old.

My phone buzzed with a text message. I took it out, guessing it was Holden before I even saw his name.

Where are you?

How should I answer that briefly without him jumping to the conclusion that I was being held hostage by my longtime nemesis?

Long story. Talking to Magnolia. Everything’s okay. Be back soon.

Yeah, I’m going to need to hear that to believe it. Watch your back.

Pressing my lips together against a grin, I sent him a thumbs-up emoji, then stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

“Holden?” Magnolia asked.

“Yep.”

“Are you going to tell everyone?”

“About?” I asked.

“Everything I told you.”

I scowled because her tone said she completely believed I would. “No. Why would I?”

“Some people would,” she said. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I… haven’t been nice to you, like, ever.”

“No, you haven’t,” I said with conviction. “Lucky for you, I guess I’m not that vengeful. I’ll tell Holden a little bit, because he already is probably minutes away from sending out a search party, but he’ll keep it private.”

She blew out a long, shaky breath. “I guess I’ll go home and face the shit storm.”

“Do you have a way to get there?”

“My car is here, parked up the street.”

“How did Rick leave?”

She sat up a little straighter. “Don’t know. Don’t care. Maybe I’ll see him walking alongside the road and I can flatten him.”

“Highly don’t recommend. It sounds like you have enough to handle without jail time.”

“It would solve where I’ll live,” she said dryly.

We both got to our feet, dusting off our butts and hands.

“Are you okay to drive?” I asked her.

“Fine. I haven’t been drinking. Chloe…” She faced me but didn’t meet my eyes, instead gazing out toward the water. “Thank you for listening. And not telling the whole world about my screwed-up life.”

“Sure.”