Someone Else’s Life(47)

Annie looked down at Marley, who gazed back at her. “What do you think, Marley? Can we trust her?” He growled and she pulled back. “Really? That’s what you think?” She wanted to believe Serena, to believe that she was sincere.

Marley let out a yawn, then put his head down, as if disinterested. “Thanks for your conflicting input.” Annie shook her head, but her mind was working. She knew Serena wasn’t there to harm her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story than Serena was telling her. She looked at the other woman’s phone, which was still facedown on the couch. Keeping an eye on the bathroom door, Annie walked to it and turned it over. She touched the screen and it came to life, showing a picturesque view of a body of water on a sunny day. Annie peered at it. Why did it look so familiar? Was it somewhere here on Kauai?

She went to open the phone and then cursed under her breath—of course the phone was password protected. Did she have enough time to try to figure out Serena’s password? How could she possibly even guess at it? But she couldn’t stop the urge to try and see what was on the phone. Maybe the pictures would give her a clue. Or her contacts. Something, anything. With another glance at the bathroom door, Annie began punching in numbers, starting with obvious ones like 123456 and 654321.





25


When Annie heard the water shut off in the bathroom, she placed Serena’s phone facedown and picked up the remote, turning the volume up on the TV. She did her best to look like she’d been just sitting there watching the news when Serena came out of the bathroom.

“How’s the storm?” Serena asked. “Is it slowing down yet?”

“Yeah, no.” They both stared at the meteorologist, who was talking about wave heights approaching forty feet just north of Kauai and warning of “giant disorganized waves” that could cause unprecedented coastal flooding. Annie scrunched her nose—her mind felt as disorganized as the waves. Serena was a puzzle, and Annie was determined to get to the bottom of things.

“Serena . . .” she started.

But before she could say more, Serena picked up her empty wineglass. “Mind if I get a refill? This storm is freaking me out.” She waved the glass in the air. “I need reinforcement.”

“Oh.” Annie glanced at the window, not wanting to admit that the meteorologist’s words were freaking her out too. “Of course, help yourself. I just opened a second bottle earlier.”

As Serena filled her wineglass in the kitchen, Annie went to the window and peered into the darkness.

Illuminated by the outside light, she could see the flooding in back wasn’t as bad as in the front because it was higher up. The rain was slowing down some, and maybe it would blow away into the ocean and not pummel Kauai. She hoped so.

Turning back to Serena, Annie said, “I really need to ask you why you seem to know me better than you should.” She grimaced, realizing that sounded wrong. “I mean, we just met and you know things . . .” She watched Serena fill her glass, searching for a way to ask how she knew so much about Annie without offending her.

Serena returned to the couch. “Yeah, it’s strange. I feel like you know me better than you should too. I mean, you understand me. You get what it feels like to have your life fall apart. To lose people you love and something you’ve always wanted.” She set her glass down on a coaster and twisted her fingers together. “All I wanted was a family.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Annie said. “I mean, how do you know so many details about my life that I’m pretty sure I didn’t tell you?” There, she’d said it.

“What do you mean?” Serena’s eyes were wide with questions.

“Like, knowing Lili had a pink collar, and what we got Finn for his birthday, and I don’t know, a whole bunch of stuff that you shouldn’t know.” Annie was finding it hard to concentrate, to remember what it was that had alarmed her friends and made her question Serena, with the way Serena was staring at her.

Serena cocked her head. “Annie, are you okay?” Her brows came together. “You told me all that. Don’t you remember?”

Annie stared at her, a sick dread starting in the middle of her stomach. Had she told Serena and forgotten? Just like she’d forgotten packing that box of missing items, or finding and losing things all over Kauai? She searched her mind, desperate to have a concrete memory, yet the more she thought, the more confused she became.

Serena popped off the couch and walked to Annie’s side by the front door. “It’s okay, I’m here.” She took Annie by the arm and led her gently back to the couch, where Annie collapsed, stunned. What was happening to her?

They sat in silence while Annie tried to make sense of it all. The news droned on, dire warnings about the storm continuing as the wind outside picked up again. She shook her head, wishing she could clear it.

“Did this start going on after what happened to Finn?” Serena finally spoke, her concerned gaze focused on Annie’s face.

Annie turned to her. “Did I tell you about that too?” She reached a hand to rub the side of her temple, where a headache was creeping in.

“You just mentioned earlier that something happened to Finn and that’s why you had to leave New York.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Annie was positive that she hadn’t told Serena what had happened. But Serena’s next words made the anxiety come rushing back.