Masquerade

42

~Willow~

The next few days are weird, to say the least. Though we all wait for the police to show up to question us, they never do: not about what Spencer did to my father, or about what Nick did to Spencer afterward. Though I can't say it has anything to do with that Zade guy who waltzed into my apartment unannounced, I have a sneaking suspicion that it does.

My mind drifts in and around that idea as we drive away from my apartment, Nick holding my hand and just as silent as I am. No doubt he's thinking about all that, too--we all have been.

I also think about all the crap that guy and his people found that Ava and Aiden hadn't, and I know in my gut they didn't find it all in his apartment. Whoever they are, they're a hell of a lot more sophisticated than they'd looked. FBI, maybe? Some other government agency? I let out a long breath and mentally shake my head. I don't know who they are--may never know who they are, really--but I'm glad they seem to be on our side and not Spencer's. I don't think they're the kinds of people anyone wants on their asses.

While I haven't seen any of them since my confrontation with Spencer, I don't think they've left. Should that worry me? Maybe, but I'm not going to let it today. No, today is set aside for my dad. He's being discharged, and we are on our way to my parents' house in advance of his coming home.

My stomach does a nasty twist inside me, just thinking about what we're getting ready to do. The last surprise party I'd been a part of ended up pretty shitty, though in hindsight I don't regret it now. Still--

"What's with the broody face" Nick squeezes my hand, and my nervousness fades a little. I look over at him, then shake my head and give him a tentative smile.

"Nothing worth talking about." His eyes meet mine for a moment, and I put more effort behind my smile. "Honestly, it's nothing important."

"You'd tell me if it was, right?" He looks away and back at the road, an uncustomary frown pulling at the corner of his mouth.

I sigh and nod my head. "Yes, I'd tell you. It's just a few stray cobwebs I still have to clear out."

The corner of his mouth turns back up into a crooked smile, and I lean back in my seat to study it for a while. I'm still kind of amazed how all of this turned out. This time last year I'd been struggling to save a marriage to a man who never really loved me, though I'd been too naive to see it. And now, I'm with a guy who shows he cares in every single thing he does.

My smile softens as I turn my head to look out the window. The first flakes of an early snow flurry drift past the glass and I can't help but feel kind of happy to see them. Soon enough the Christmas Social will be the buzz of the town, and maybe once it is Nick and I will be able to sink back into the scenery.

We're still the hot topic, second only to Spencer's disappearance. Though the local authorities have been pretty tight-lipped about that, I have a feeling I know what happened to him: he didn't leave this town without an escort. I also believe that, if I made the call, I could find out for sure ... but do I really want to know? Sometimes I think yes, other times I think no. Eventually I know my curiosity will win out and I'll speak to Casey Zade again, but for now I'm content to let sleeping dogs lie.

I push all those thoughts into a secret corner of my mind as Nick pulls up outside my parents' house, then shuts off the engine. We're the first people here, it seems. I look at the house for a long moment before I finally smile.

"You feel like an adventure?" I ask before turning to look at Nick.

He gives me a puzzled smile then shrugs his shoulders. "I'll follow you anywhere you want to go."