discomfort at her core, like a jab in her stomach. “A month ago,” she said quietly.
“So you don’t even know if she’s still holed up in that cabin or if she went back to New York City?”
“I think she’s still on her self-imposed retreat,” Josie said. “She hasn’t talked with our parents or our brother in weeks.”
“She’s fighting with everyone, then?”
Josie sighed. “No, just me.”
“You ready to tell me what happened?”
Josie jogged a few strides ahead of him. “Not particularly.”
Trout stopped to sniff a telephone pole, and Josie paused as well. She felt Noah’s gaze boring into her before she looked up at him. His hazel eyes were serious. “Josie, I know this rift between you and Trinity has been bothering you. Just tell me what happened. You might feel better if we talk about it.”
“I don’t think so,” she said. “Besides, you were there for most of it.”
Noah raised a brow. “Yeah, I came in from working an overnight shift. I said a few words to her, and she freaked out. Then I took Trout for a walk. I have no idea what went down between the two of you, but when I came home Trinity was gone. You’ve been miserable ever since.”
“I haven’t been—”
Noah held up a hand to silence her. “I know you don’t like to hear it, but you’ve been off. Not yourself. I can see you’re trying to wait her out, and that’s fine, but while you’re doing that, let’s just talk about it. Maybe I can help.”
Finished with the telephone pole, Trout pulled at his leash and they followed, on the move once more. “You can’t help,” Josie said. Her cheeks burned as she thought of the last time she’d spoken with Trinity. “I’m not waiting her out. She hasn’t responded to any of my calls or texts. She’s freezing me out.”
“Then maybe you should just take her sunglasses to her. Show up at her cabin and make her talk to you again.”
“I can’t do that.”
“So what, then? You’re just going to keep wallowing, leaving her overpriced sunglasses on the foyer table so you can be reminded of your misery indefinitely, and not even try to patch things up with her?”
That was my plan, she wanted to say, but remained silent, edging ahead of him as they rounded the block.
“Josie.”
She slowed and met his eyes. “You really want to know what happened?”
Three
One Month Ago
Josie woke before Trout for once, turning to find the dog fast asleep on Noah’s side of the bed. Any time Noah worked the night shift without Josie, Trout slept next to her. She knew Noah didn’t want them to get into the habit of letting the dog sleep in their bed, but Josie enjoyed being able to reach over and stroke his soft, warm fur. Sunlight streamed through the bedroom windows. She scratched between Trout’s ears. “Time to get up, buddy.”
Downstairs in the kitchen, Josie’s twin sister, Trinity Payne sat at the table, her laptop open before her. Without giving Trinity a second glance, Trout ran to the back door to be let out as Josie turned the coffeemaker on, taking a moment to study her sister.
Rarely had Josie seen her anything less than camera-ready. Usually, even when she was just out of bed, she had a sort of glamorous television glow about her. But now she wore sweatpants and mismatched socks. Her lithe frame was dwarfed by an NYU sweatshirt. Josie had often joked that Trinity’s black hair was so shiny, a person could see their reflection in it. Now it was greasy and thrown up into a ponytail that looked like Trinity had started and forgotten to finish. No make-up on her face, she wore bright red earbuds and chewed her lower lip as her fingers pushed around the laptop mouse.
Josie poured two cups of coffee and fixed them—both she and Trinity took their coffee the same way—and walked around the table to stand beside her. She set Trinity’s coffee next to the laptop and then tugged an earbud from her sister’s ear.
“Ow,” Trinity said, shooting Josie a look of annoyance. She moved to take the earbud back, but Josie whipped the other one from Trinity’s head and then pulled them completely from the laptop.
Trinity’s voice got high and squeaky. “What are you doing?”
Josie motioned to the laptop screen. “You’re watching that again? Trinity, this has to stop.”
On the screen, the clip played. Now that Josie had removed the earbuds, the sound filled the kitchen. It was the