Distracted by A.K. Evans

TWO

Ellery

Present Day

I made it.

By the time I put my car into park, I let out an immense sigh of relief.

After three hours of driving, it was safe to say I’d endured all of the stress and tension I thought I could handle for a single day.

Nobody had followed me. I’d made sure of that.

And even though I would have spotted a tail very early on in my journey, it didn’t change the fact that I now felt safer than I had.

That’s not to say I thought I was out of the woods yet. I knew I wasn’t. I was fully away that this might always be something I had to be concerned about. I understood that this wasn’t over, but there was something oddly comforting about the fact that I was here, that I’d actually done it.

So for now, for at least today, I thought I deserved to savor the feeling of being out of harm’s way.

Maybe it was being this far away that gave me that sense of security.

Maybe it was the fact that I’d finally gotten out.

I didn’t care either way. I just knew that I felt as though a lead weight had been lifted from my chest and that I could finally breathe again.

I promised myself I wouldn’t get comfortable, though. There was still far too much to be concerned about, and there was no question that my husband wasn’t going to just accept that I went missing.

He’d search.

He’d search until he found me.

But Patrick wouldn’t be doing that because he cared for me.

No.

No, he’d keep looking, because he’d want to punish me. He’d want to see to it that I’d paid for ever daring to believe I could leave him.

And while I’d always questioned the morals of a man who was willing and able to marry a woman he didn’t know or who had been essentially forced into it, he hadn’t done anything in eight years to prove to me that he was a decent guy.

If anything, I’d learned that things were far worse than I had already assumed they were.

That was precisely the reason why I knew I could only give myself tonight. One night. One single night to just breathe easy.

Tomorrow, I’d get right back to it.

From this point forward, my only goal would be to focus on acquiring the necessary skills to make sure I could not only keep myself safe but to be able to defend myself in the event that trouble landed on my doorstep again.

To be fair, even if I had no plans to start that today, I still believed I was taking the necessary measures I believed would keep me off Patrick’s radar. That meant I was doing everything that was the exact opposite of what the woman I’d pretended to be for the last eight years would do.

Patrick believed I was high maintenance. That had come from the fact that, again, he married a woman he knew nothing about. He thought because I’d come from a wealthy family that I’d need to live in the lap of luxury.

His huge house, his fancy cars, his chefs, his maids.

He thought I liked having all of that.

Quite frankly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he believed I needed them to survive, because he didn’t think I knew how to do any of it on my own.

Spending sprees had become part of the norm for me. Patrick assumed I liked material things. He didn’t know that none of the things I ever bought using his money were of any importance to me.

That was why I’d left all of it behind.

I didn’t care about any of it.

And I certainly wasn’t the kind of woman who would leave his mansion and only travel to stay in a luxury resort.

Nope.

My living arrangements for the foreseeable future were going to be in a place that Patrick would hopefully never consider looking.

Short and Sweetin Steel Ridge, Pennsylvania.

I’d stumbled upon Short and Sweet when I knew I’d reached the beginning of the end of things with Patrick. It was a relatively new operation here in Steel Ridge, and it was essentially a tiny home hotel.

When I’d reached out to the owner about it, I’d learned that it was perfect for me. Short and Sweet was discreet and secluded in its location while offering extended stays for guests like myself who were in a bit of a transition period.

I wasn’t sure that Steel Ridge would be the place I’d live for the rest of my life, but it was the place I had to be now in order to learn what I needed to learn.

So, I arranged for an extended stay.

Having spent entirely too long sitting in my car while looking at the few homes in front of me, I finally leaned across the center console and grabbed my oversized bag. I did happen to have one small overnight bag with a couple of outfits in it that I’d managed to stash in the car prior to today’s escape. The same day I’d gone out to purchase the car was the same day I’d packed a small bag. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to get me by for a few days.

I got out, walked up to the tiny home that was advertised on the website as the registration house, and knocked on the front door before entering.

No sooner had the door closed behind me when a woman stepped out from behind a wall and walked up to the counter.

“Hi,” she greeted me.

“Hello,” I returned. “I’m looking for Hanna Briggs.”

Smiling brightly at me, the young woman replied, “That’s me.”

“Oh, hi. I’m Ellery Cross. We spoke on the phone two days ago,” I said.

Realization immediately dawned on her features. “Yes, Ellery. I’m so glad you made it. I’ve got your reservation all set here. Just give me one minute.”

“Sure. Take your time,” I urged.

As Hanna moved about and got whatever paperwork she needed for me to sign ready, I took a moment to assess her. It was immediately obvious just how beautiful she was.

With the exception of the blue eyes we both had, Hanna and I were near opposites. I was taller with a more athletic build, and she was at least four or five inches shorter with curves that I would have killed for. Her blonde hair with large curls and lots of volume was a stark contrast to my slightly longer, straight, dark brown hair.

“Alright, so I’ve got all of your paperwork here,” Hanna declared. “I just need a few signatures, and I’ll need a copy of your license as well as your credit card. Since your stay is open-ended, I’m just going to charge your card on the same day each week for that next full week. If and when you know an end date for your stay, please let me know, and I’ll adjust that week’s charge accordingly. Of course, there is no rush, and you are more than welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”

The mall might have been my first saving grace, but I had a feeling this woman was going to play an even more crucial role in my life. So, for the first time in a very long time, I felt a genuine smile spread across my face.

“Thank you, Hanna. I don’t have any immediate plans to search for permanent housing, and I suspect I’ll be in town for quite some time. So, let’s hope you don’t get sick of seeing me here,” I replied as I pulled out my license and my debit card.

Yes, my debit card.

I might have been forced into making an awful choice eight years ago, since there weren’t any other acceptable options, but I wasn’t a complete fool. Over the years, when I finally convinced myself that I’d need to start taking steps toward securing my own freedom at some point, I opened my own bank account. The only money that ever went into that account was money that I’d made from a job that Patrick knew nothing about.

Sadly, I hadn’t managed to realize my dream of becoming an author. The truth was that after learning that I was going to have to get married to a man I didn’t know or love in order to save my family, so much of the drive and dedication I had for pursuing the career I had wanted was gone.

It felt like doom had settled over me, and I’d gone through a long period of mourning in those first few years. The only thing I’d managed to do successfully was finish school and get my degree.

But the dreams I had for once I graduated ceased to exist. It wasn’t because I didn’t still want to become an author.

I did.

I desperately did.

Unfortunately, the creative well had dried up.

I hadn’t even been able to gather and organize all of the notes I’d taken down during my first year in college, so that I could write and complete a book that I’d been so excited about.

It was gone.

All of it.

Of course, my love for reading never faltered. How could it? Reading was the only thing that remained in my life that allowed me to escape from the day-to-day reality I was living in.

So, I decided if I couldn’t find a way to write the stories I wanted to share with the world, I’d read the stories that helped me escape.

I became an editor.

The best part about it was that I didn’t need to leave the house to work. I could do everything I wanted right from the comfort of my home—not that there was much about being in that home that made me feel comfortable. Sure, it was large and luxurious, but I hated everything about it.

Suffice it to say that I’d stashed away a fair bit of money over the years just from working. That didn’t include the amount I’d managed to pocket whenever Patrick handed me a wad of cash to go shopping.

To keep up the guise of being a dutiful and happy housewife, I splurged on things I didn’t care about, but since Patrick never asked for any of the cash that I didn’t spend back, I deposited it.

Now that I was here and would still be able to continue my job working as an editor, there wasn’t any reason to believe I’d face any hardship when it came to not only paying the weekly rate for one of Hanna’s tiny homes, but also providing for myself.

“There’s not a chance I’ll get sick of having you here,” Hanna assured me. “I’ve had several people visit for a few days, but you’re my first long-term stay. I’m thrilled to have you here.”

“How long have you been here?” I asked, feeling curious.

She shook her head. “Not long. As of right now, I’ve only got the four homes available. I’ve been fortunate enough to snag the land and have those four homes built, but growing a business like this isn’t exactly something that happens overnight. Word of mouth is a huge help, though. So, if you love it here, I’d appreciate a review online. Plus, if you’ve got any friends or family coming to the area needing a place to stay, I’m their girl. With time, I’m sure I’ll get to where I want to be.”

“How many homes are you looking to have?” I wondered, ignoring the fact that I didn’t have any family or friends I could tell about Hanna’s business right now.

A look of longing washed over her face before she murmured, “My dream is to have at least a dozen, but I know that’s going to take a while. If I’m lucky, though, it’ll eventually happen.”

Something about the way she was speaking reminded me of myself from so many years ago. The determination mixed with the undeniable drive to have something special and meaningful in her life was very much the way I’d been right up until my dreams crumbled. I hoped Hanna had better luck than I did.

“I’m sure you’re going to get there,” I told her.

“I hope you’re right.”

For the next few minutes, I completed the paperwork Hanna had given me while she took care of charging my card. Once we both finished those tasks, Hanna spoke again.

“So, since you’re staying longer and I wanted you to be comfortable, I decided to put you in one of my larger homes,” she started. “At just over four hundred square feet, it can technically sleep up to five people.”

“Oh, Hanna, that’s incredibly sweet of you to do, but I really don’t mind taking one of the smaller homes, so you can accommodate more guests with the larger one.”

She shook her head and insisted, “No. No, I’ve still got one home that accommodates up to six guests, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. And the other two I have will still sleep up to four people. Most of the visitors I’ve had have been couples, so even my smaller homes are oversized for their experience. Plus, since you’ll be here for an undetermined amount of time, I figure you might eventually have some company over.”

At those words, I felt something squeeze in my chest.

There was nothing I wouldn’t have given to be able to invite my family here to stay with me. Sadly, that wasn’t an option.

Hanna didn’t seem to notice my despondency as she continued, “And I guess this is where I should give you just a quick rundown of how things work here. I don’t mind if you have company visiting, and I don’t mind if they spend a few nights. The rate for the home will not change, but I do ask that you don’t exceed the number of guests that the house can accommodate. If you need more space while you’re here, just let me know, and if my larger home is available, we can probably work something out. Or, I might be able to give you a discounted rate on one of the smaller homes for the extra guests. Aside from that, I have been trying to plan and host weekly game nights and movie nights, so my guests have something fun to do if they’re spending a night in. Of course, like I said before, this is still all new and I don’t have a ton of guests here, so I have many nights when the games are out or the popcorn is popped and nobody shows. Either way, here’s this week’s schedule, if you’re interested.”

“Thank you, Hanna. I’ll look it over,” I promised.

“Sure. Now, you’ll find that you have most of the basics in the home, but if there’s anything missing that you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m happy to help in any way I can. Based on your license, I’m guessing that you might not know the area that well, so if you need any recommendations for anything—restaurants, stores, or otherwise—just give me a shout. Just call the main number that’s on the website, and that’ll ring here. I live here, too, so I’m always around unless I’m out running an errand,” she shared.

“Oh, I’m glad you mentioned that. I’m probably going to head out to a grocery store today, so I can make sure I’m stocked up for a few days,” I revealed.

With a nod of understanding, Hanna returned, “There’s one that’s about a ten-minute drive away.”

She then gave me directions to get there. When she finished, she asked, “Do you have any questions for me?”

I shook my head slowly. “I don’t think so. Not yet.”

Hanna smiled and said, “Alright. Then, here are your keys. You’re in the Steel Hideaway house. There is a hand-crafted wooden sign right by the door with the name on it, but it’s the one with the grey siding, black front door, and white trim around the windows.”

The Steel Hideaway. Certainly an homage to the town we were in, but I couldn’t ignore how fitting it was that I wound up in the one called the hideaway. Maybe that was a good sign.

Taking the keys from Hanna, I returned, “I’m sure I’ll find it. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome, Ellery. Enjoy your stay.”

With that, I turned and walked out. After grabbing my extra bag out of the car, I took it inside the house.

I didn’t know what I expected when I walked into the house, but it certainly wasn’t what I got. Maybe I had been anticipating a much more rustic feel, considering Short and Sweet was off the beaten path and surrounded by trees.

This home had a modern and contemporary feel, and the colors used inside matched the exterior.

It had everything I would need, and I loved that the master bedroom had its own separate space, detached from the main living area that was made up of the additional sleeping spaces, living area, and kitchen.

I smiled.

This was a great start to a new beginning.

Once I’d finished perusing the space, I took off to the store to grab some provisions. While I was there, I decided that since I was giving myself one day to relax, I could pick up a book. I found one that looked interesting, bought it, and took it home with me.

I then spent the rest of the evening reading and getting lost in someone else’s fictional world.

Before I knew it, I was curled up in the bed.

That’s when all that had happened that day swam through my thoughts. This had been a big day for me. As comfortable as I was inside one of Hanna’s tiny homes, I knew difficultly was right around the corner and that things over the next few months wouldn’t be easy.

But that was just the thing.

It was time to start the next chapter of my life, even if that meant I’d have to fight to keep it.