Even after some time apart, Heather looked exactly as I remembered, thick, soft, and unmistakably mature. Standing beside her was her son, the same one who had once been forced to listen over the phone while I used his mother's body.
Heather's eyes met mine, and for a brief second a flicker of recognition and lingering tension passed between us. She had actually come, just like she said she would… and she had brought her son with her.
Lily stood between us in her revealing red bikini, clearly waiting for an explanation, while the quiet lobby suddenly felt a lot heavier with the arrival of the woman I had been looking forward to claiming again.
"Alex, this lady says you asked her to come here. Do you know her?" Lily asked, looking between me and Heather with mild curiosity.
I nodded casually.
"Yeah, Lily. You might not remember her, but she was the train conductor on our ride to the beach house. You were asleep the whole time, that's why you never met her," I explained.
