Extended Epilogue

HUDSON

“ T hat’s the last of it,” Seamus calls from the inside of the truck as I take the last box into the house he’s going to call home for however long he decides.

It’s exactly him, in that it’s small, quaint, and not big and flashy. It’s a modest three bedroom, two bath home on a small cul-de-sac, which is hard to find near the downtown Seattle area. Houses like these rarely come up for sale. In fact, I don’t think it was, but he made some insane off-market offer to the homeowner to buy it.

Not surprising, considering whatever Seamus wants, he gets.

The truck is backed into the driveway, and I trail the side of it, taking a few garbage bags to the trash can that’s placed by the side fence.

Just as we’re finishing up, the next-door neighbor pulls into their driveway, turns off the car, and steps out of the driver’s side of the car. “Hi, are you moving in?”

She’s roughly my age, long dark hair and olive skin. She looks like she could be Kobi’s sister, making me believe she’s Japanese and something else, or maybe Hawaiian .

Either way, she looks way too familiar.

“No, my friend—” I point at the truck and side-eye a look inside of it. Seamus’s back is ramrod straight against the side closest to us, hiding.

This motherfucker is hiding.

He is waving his hand, not looking at me. Still hiding.

Hum.

“My friend is moving in, but he… went to the… store.” I turn back to look at her again. I’m a terrible liar, so ‘store’ comes out like a question instead of a statement.

“Oh, bummer. I’ll have to introduce myself another time.”

“You look familiar. Do I know you?” I ask, because it’s bugging me. I know I’ve seen her before.

Her brows pinch together as she inspects me, giving me an honest review before saying, “No, I don’t think so.”

She pulls one side of her jacket off her arm then shrugs off the other, leaving her in only a white tank top and denim shorts.

Oh, shit.

I palm my face to hide my expression as the flashback hits me.

The woman in white.