Epilogue

For all the unkind thoughts I'd ever had about my sister, I had to admit Trina stepped up to the plate and took good care of me following my escape from the mountains. The idea of staying alone worsened my anxiety; not only did she move me into her spare bedroom, she handled all the details of subletting my apartment. She comforted me when I had nightmares, helped me find a therapist, and provided everything I needed. In the past, she'd always fled from responsibility and serious situations, but her newfound sense of duty allowed me to see her in a new light. Although I loved her no matter what, I enjoyed how our relationship grew stronger.

I kept to myself at the beginning and didn't venture outside unaccompanied. Little by little, I felt more confident and eventually took a walk around the neighborhood or went grocery shopping without thinking unknown attackers were waiting to cause me harm. I knew I'd never forget everything I'd witnessed at the lodge, but I didn't have to let it define me.

During my recovery from the traumatic events, I thought about Adam. We'd been separated at the police station when giving our statements about what happened, and I hadn't seen him before going home with Trina. I wondered if he was okay, if he experienced the same things I did, the fear and the acceptance.

Selfishly, I wanted to know if he thought about me in return.

Though curious about his well-being, I needed to focus on myself. I couldn't stay with Trina forever, even if she never showed any frustration toward me. I had to rebuild my own life and show the world I was the same strong, capable person I'd always been.

Trina came into my room one day as I caught up on emails from former clients inquiring when I'd be available for more work. I raised an eyebrow at the odd expression on her face. "Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

She scrunched up her nose. "I'm not sure if I should tell you."

"Let me guess, you're running off to Vegas to elope and you want me to stay here and keep an eye on the place."

"Very funny." She produced an opened envelope she'd been holding behind her back. "I got a letter from that guy you were with at the lodge. The younger one, not the retired cop."

My heart threatened to explode out of my chest. I hadn't told her about what transpired between us, and I couldn't tell if she'd figured anything out. "Adam? Why did he contact you instead of me?"

"It says he wasn't sure if hearing from him directly would upset you, so he asked me to use my best judgment." Trina tapped the envelope against her palm. "He wants to see you, but only if you feel comfortable."

I swallowed. "When? And where?"

She passed me the letter. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I'll be fine." I tried not to shake when I took it from her.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I smiled. "Thanks, though. I mean it."

"Let me know if you change your mind," she said, leaving the room.

I pulled out the sheet of paper and scanned it. The letter didn't contain much more than what Trina had already told me. In the note, Adam suggested meeting Friday afternoon and had included the address of a coffee shop. Before I got to the bottom of the page, I'd made my decision.

The next few days seemed to crawl by. I lay awake at night, but the nightmares no longer kept me up. I wondered how I'd feel when we saw each other in a more ordinary setting. Would it be everything he'd once promised me? Or had the terrible ordeal we'd endured extinguished any sparks between us?

Friday finally rolled around. The coffee shop he'd recommended was located in a town about twenty minutes away from Trina's apartment. I left plenty of time to drive over to find the place and had no difficulties. Despite arriving early, I entered the café to find Adam waiting for me at a small table in the back.

My pulse raced as I approached him. He stood when he saw me, but didn't reach out for a hug or a handshake or anything. "I'm so glad you're here," he said, pulling out a second chair. "I wasn't sure if you'd come."

I took a seat. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, I can think of plenty of good reasons." He sat across from me and frowned. "First, I need to apologize to you."

"What for?"

"Everything that happened at the lodge occurred because of me. Isabel plotted out her whole crusade because of my actions and decisions." A lengthy sigh left his lips. "Some of her accusations may have been true. I regret a lot of things and wish I'd handled them differently."

I shook my head. "You're not to blame for any of this. She was crazy, irrational, disturbed."

"Yeah, my therapist keeps telling me the same thing. Maybe one day I'll believe her." Adam sat back and rubbed his eyes. "I'll spare you all the details about what the police learned from searching her home and belongings, how she followed me out here and established her own life, all while waiting and planning for the perfect moment to exact her revenge." Dropping his fists to the table, he stared at me. "You must think I'm a monster if someone hated me so much. Or because of everything with Mia."

Some of what I'd heard during our final confrontation had concerned me, but the raw emotion I'd seen from him convinced me he'd never intended to hurt anyone. "I don't think you're a monster. Quite the opposite, in fact."

"Well, that's nice to hear." The tension eased out of his face, and he leaned toward me. "Anyway, I didn't invite you here to soothe my ego and listen to me whine all afternoon. How have you been holding up? And be honest with me."

"I'm okay." I raised my palms and shrugged. "Some days are better than others, but I'm not so paranoid anymore. Trina's been helping me out a lot."

"About her…" He chewed on his lower lip. "I hope I didn't bother your sister or freak her out by looking up her address, but I didn't want to risk causing you any more distress. I couldn't come up with a better idea."

"I don't think she minded." The familiar flush rose to my cheeks. "And I'm happy you decided to reach out."

Adam grinned, flashing the genuine smile that had captured my heart the first time I'd seen it. "Veronica, I'm just going to lay it all out here. I knew you must have a hundred reasons why you'd never want to see me again, and why you should forget about all the horrible things we went through and leave them in the past." He slid his hand across the table and rested it atop mine. "But then I remembered the incredible way I felt with you, and the connection we shared. And I needed to take a chance and see you one more time to find out if it was still there."

His touch sent a ripple of exhilaration throughout my core. Although the bad memories would never fade completely, when I looked at him, I saw nothing but the man who had made me feel more alive than I had in years. The reminders of our intimate encounter were etched into my soul, their effects undeniable.

I turned my wrist and squeezed his fingers. "I don't want this to be the last time we see each other."

He let out a long breath and laughed. "So, what now? It seems everything about our meeting and getting together has been strange and out of order. I'm not sure where to go from here."

"This is a good start." I glanced around the quaint café. "The only thing missing is the dumb guitar-playing college kid you told me about."

"And the coffee. I told the barista to leave us alone until I was sure you were all right." Adam clasped my hand in both of his, affectionate warmth lighting up his hazel eyes. "We both still have a lot of healing to do. I don't want to rush anything or ever cause you to feel uncomfortable. You set the pace, and whatever you need, I promise I'm here for you."

His words resonated pure and heartfelt and let me believe we could accomplish anything together. I trusted him.