I chuckle. “Living in big cities has hardened us, hasn’t it?”

“I suppose, and being a single woman in a big city has made me even more paranoid than I was before, and I always was a little paranoid.”

“I remember you calling me a time or two when your dad was working late.”

“Oh yeah.” She smiles. “Seventy-five percent of those times I really did hear weird noises. The other times, I just wanted you to come over.”

“I feel taken advantage of.”

“You wish I’d taken advantage of you,” she says, and we both laugh. I put my BMW in park and let my hand fall, taking hers for a second and lacing our fingers together.

“I do.” I bring her hand up to my mouth and give it a kiss. “I really do. If I could go back…fuck.” I swallow hard, refusing to let my mind wander right now. We have the weekend and then Chloe’s world is going to come crashing down around her.

“Hey, we’re together now.” She squeezes my hand and it’s in that moment I realize how much I need her. I was worried what telling her about Stacey would do to her and her alone, but I know, without a doubt, losing Chloe will break me, and even if there was a way to put the pieces back together, without her in my life, I wouldn’t want to mend my broken heart.

“This is nice,” Chloe says sleepily. We’re both naked in bed together, with the two windows right next to us open just a few inches. The sounds of the night filter into the room, lulling us both to a dreamlike phase. “It sounds just like the sleep sounds app I use when I can’t sleep, but better because it’s real.”

“It’s crazy how loud the cricket are.”

“Sometimes, when they’re quiet, you can hear the lake. It’s still most of the time,” she says, words spacing apart. Both exhausted, we went right upstairs, brushed our teeth, stripped out of our clothes, and fell into bed.

“Yeah,” I say with a yawn, running my fingers up and down Chloe’s back. Her head is nestled against my chest, and I have one arm around her, holding her against me as I rub her back with my free hand.

“I wish we could stay here longer than the weekend. Alone, preferably, though I do miss my dad.”

“When is he coming back?”

“I’m not sure. It sounded like they’re staying as long as necessary.” She shivers and wiggles closer. The breeze coming in through the open window is chilly, but we both want to hear the sounds of nature like this since we don’t get to in the city. I tighten my hold on her

“Did you think you’d end up back here someday?” I ask, eyes falling shut.

“Yes,” she replies. “I did, and part of me…part of me never wanted to leave.”

“Why did you then?”

“Mostly for work, but also because I was scared I’d see you, married with children, and it would hurt me too much.”

Her words are like a punch to the gut, like the universe is throwing me a bone by working this into a conversation.

“But you’re not,” she goes on, speaking slowly. “And…I’m…I’m…not.”

“You’re half asleep, babe. Go to bed.”

“Mmmhh,” she mumbles and then falls silent. I kiss her forehead and try to quiet my mind, which usually isn’t an issue for me. It helps that I’m exhausted from work pretty much five days a week, and tonight is no exception. I push all negative thoughts out of my head, listen to the crickets, and run my fingers up and down Chloe’s back until I fall asleep, not waking until the morning.

Chloe is up and in the bathroom down the hall. I can hear the water running and her coughing. The sunlight coming through the window is muted, letting me know it’s still early.

“Oh, hey.” Chloe quietly comes back into the room. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“No. I’m used to getting up early.”

“Yeah, it’s only seven. I’m going back to sleep,” she says with a sniffle. “My throat hurt and I needed water.”

“You’re still not feeling well?”

“I’m fine.” She waves her hand in front of her face and gets back into bed.

“You feel a little warm,” I tell her, and I pull her into an embrace.

“I was all snugged up next to you, that’s probably why.”

“Maybe. Take it easy if you’re not feeling well,” I tell her. “If you have a fever you can get worn out or dehydrated a lot faster than you realize.”

“You’re such a doctor. I’m fine. It’s just a cold.” She coughs again and rests her head on the pillow. We both drift off for another two hours, and get out of bed the next time we wake up.

“I’m hungry,” Chloe says as we make our way downstairs. “But I don’t feel like making anything for breakfast.”

“If we go to my parents’ now, my mom will cook for us.”

“Oh, I like that idea. Do you think she can make us biscuits and gravy?”

“All you have to do is mention it and she’d run out to the store to get it for you,” I remind her.

“Hah, you’re right, though. I don’t want to make her go out of her way, but biscuits and gravy sounds really good, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

“I’ll make coffee and then go get dressed.”

I snake my arms around her waist, standing in front of the kitchen counter. “It wasn’t that long ago we were here and I was trying to resist you.”

“You did a pretty crappy job.” She whirls around in my arms. “Though I’m glad your resolve crumbled. Then again, I’d expect nothing less when I’m around.”

“Sounding pretty cocky there,” I say with a laugh.

“I…never mind,” she says and laughs at well. “I was going to make a cocky joke, but it would have fallen flat, trust me. I’ll just go upstairs and get dressed now.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” I give her a kiss and she leaves my arms, disappearing upstairs. It takes me a minute to find the coffee and filters for the coffee pot, and as soon as I get the coffee brewing, I go upstairs to get dressed as well.

Chloe is in the bathroom, standing by the sink with her hair twisted in a bun at the top of her head. She’s putting on makeup and looks adorable.

“You know I don’t think you need that, right?”

“I do, and I’m glad because more times than not, I’m too lazy to put on makeup. But I rarely ever see your mom and want to look good.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Okay. Because she cares and has never seen you without makeup. In fact, I don’t think you even wore makeup until college.”

“Part of that was because my dad wouldn’t let me wear makeup until I was fifteen, and then I was just really bad at doing it.” Chloe shrugs. “I’ve learned since then.”

“I still don’t think you need it.”

“Thank you. I’ve paid a lot for my face to look good.” She winks and then turns back to the mirror, finishing her makeup. We get ready together and then go back downstairs for coffee. The misty rain from last night has picked up speed, and we take our time drinking coffee on the screened-in porch, listening to the raindrops hitting the still surface of the lake.