The Writing Retreat(27)

“Don’t mind if I do.” I pulled the top off the first tray to find a half-eaten pan of breakfast potatoes glistening with oil and rosemary. “I could get used to this.” I didn’t usually eat a big breakfast, but now I loaded up my plate.

“How’s it going?” I sat two chairs down. “You still working on your idea?”

“Oh, no.” She picked up a piece of toast, revealing vines of purple flowers that climbed up her wrist. “I came up with that pretty quickly, thank god. I’m trying to get a head start on the daily word count. Three thousand is no joke.”

“Seriously.” My stomach filled with dread.

“You?” She gestured at my notebook.

I paused, chewing. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course.” She grinned, eyes wide and waiting.

“I’ve had writer’s block this whole last year.” I felt a rush of relief saying it out loud.

“Damn.” Her eyes softened with concern. “You poor thing. Because of Wren?”

“What?” The name made my shoulders tighten.

“Didn’t you say you had that friend breakup a year ago?”

“Yeah.” Taylor was more perceptive than I’d taken her for. “We did.”

“It has to be connected, right?”

“Probably.” I swallowed a mouthful of eggs. “I haven’t totally psychoanalyzed it yet.”

Taylor watched me thoughtfully as we ate. “Hey.” She pushed her plate away and closed her laptop. “Keira’s in the library. When you’re done, why don’t we go see her? Maybe being around all those books will spark some ideas.”

I agreed, and fifteen minutes later Taylor was leading us confidently to the library. I wondered if she’d further explored the house that morning; she seemed to know her way around.

“Have you seen Ian at all?” I asked, wondering if he and Roza were still entangled in bed.

“Nope. But his car wasn’t in the drive this morning.” Taylor nudged me. “Why, you have a thing for older English gentlemen?”

I chuckled. “He’s not my type. Just curious who’s all here.”

“Just us, Roza, Chitra, and my favorite person… Yana.”

We entered a hallway lined with windows that showed the backyard. Something bright caught my eyes. Two figures in puffy coats and bright knit ski caps were marching over the snow, heading towards the woods.

“Oh,” I said. Taylor turned back, followed my eyes.

“Poppy and Wren,” she said. “They mentioned they were taking a break and going for a walk this morning.”

“Cool.” I said it too loud. Why not? Poppy was rooming with Wren, and Wren could be infinitely charming, especially to a cute twenty-something like Poppy. It wasn’t like Poppy and I had fallen into an intense, immediate friendship the day before while traveling together. But I still felt a tiny sting of betrayal.

The library looked even more majestic in the sunlight. Keira sat in one of the overstuffed chairs by the fireplace, a stack of books on the floor beside her.

“K!” Taylor strutted towards her. “Miss me?”

Keira looked up, smiling and adjusting her glasses. “So much.” Today her braids were down, pulled over her shoulder. Again she wore all black: leggings, a loose button-up shirt, and patent leather lace-up oxfords.

“Hey.” I waved, feeling a flush of self-consciousness in Keira’s put-together presence. Sure, Taylor was in her pj’s, but her hair and tattoos made it seem punk. I’d dressed quickly in jeans and a gray sweater that now felt vaguely mom-like.

“Hey, Alex.” She turned her smile to me. “How’d you sleep?”

“Pretty well. How about you?”

“Not great.” Keira stared at the ground and fingered the lion charm on her necklace. “I had a nightmare.”

“About what?” Taylor settled on the couch.

Keira finally looked up. “Don’t remember. Just left me feeling disturbed.”

“I’m sure it’s the house. Definitely haunted.” Taylor yawned and pointed to the stack of books. “What are you researching?”

“Well, speaking of this house… I was looking into Daphne.”

“That’s a great idea for a novel,” I said, impressed.

“You want it? Take it. Unfortunately, it’s not clicking for me.” She tossed a book onto the stack and rubbed her eyes. “I need to get more coffee. And maybe take a stroll around Blackbriar, since it might be my last day here.”

“It won’t.” Taylor jumped up and held out her hand. “C’mon, I’ll walk with you and we’ll brainstorm.”

“You have the time to brainstorm?” Keira raised an eyebrow.

Taylor grinned. “I’m at almost two thousand five hundred.”

“I hate you.” They laughed and I forced myself to smile. Fear stirred in my belly. Wren and Poppy must be doing well, too, if they were taking the time to go for a walk.

I really needed to figure something out. Fast.

“Coffee?” Taylor asked me.

“I might stay and look at these books. If you’re cool with that, Keira.”

“Of course.” They walked out together, chatting and laughing. When had they become so friendly?