Chapter 3

Hailey’s POV

Huntsville was a little over thirty miles from the town of Glendale where Mom and my university were.

I leaned back against the headrest and closed my eyes, waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in. It wasn’t very often I drank to the point of getting a hangover, and this afternoon I remembered why that was.

“Are you okay?” mom asked.

I opened my eyes. “Yeah, just a late night last night.”

Mom smirked. “I’ll have Aaron make you some strong coffee when we get there.”

“Yes please,” I said.

I looked out the window, watching as the sparse trees of Glendale began to turn into forests. The motion made me nauseous and I closed my eyes again.

“I’m surprised I’ve never heard of this place,” I said.

“Oh, it’s a small town I guess,” Mom said.

“You haven’t been here yet?” I said, surprised.

Mom shook her head. “No, not yet. It’s only been about a month, he always comes to me,” she said with a shrug.

My head was spinning. All of this was happening so fast. But mom seemed happy, so I kept my opinions to myself.

“In 200 feet, take a left turn at Highway 380,” mom’s phone GPS instructed. Mom slowed to turn.

I cracked open my eyes and looked around as we pulled into the small town. It gave off old west kind of vibes, with its cobblestone streets and old-fashioned store fronts.

“Woah,” I said. Whatever I was expecting, this was not it. It was very different from all of the bigger towns that surrounded it.

Mom smiled. “Oh, isn’t this the cutest little town!” She looked at her phone and frowned. “What the…”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“My map app,” she said. “It’s not getting a signal. Can you try yours?”

I pulled my phone out and typed in the address mom gave me, but it was as if this little town didn’t even exist on the map.

“Oh well,” Mom said, her smile returning. “We’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way.”

She pulled into a gas station and went inside. I stayed in the car, but when I noticed two of the locals standing at the pumps glaring at me, I decided to join her.

I got out of the car, watching the men at the pump. They gave me a small nod, but still with a wary look. I returned the nod and hurried into the gas station.

My mother was talking with the clerk when I entered, giving her the same wary look as the two outside had given me.

I walked past someone picking out a candy bar, and they watched me the entire way to the counter. A chill went down my spine.

“I beg your pardon miss, but what did you say your name was again?” the clerk asked my mother.

“Oh! I didn’t,” Mom said. “My name is Hannah Burke, and this is my daughter, Hailey.”

The clerk’s entire demeanor changed at the sound of our names. He grinned. “Oh, Ms. Burke! We’ve been expecting you. Here, let me draw out a map to Mr. Treves’ place, that’ll be easier.”

He stepped into a small office behind the counter, and I narrowed my brows at mom. “That was weird.”

“Oh, honey, this is a small town. Everyone knows everyone’s business here,” she said.

The clerk returned a moment later and handed mom a small piece of paper. “Here you are,” he said. “And on behalf of everyone in Huntsville, welcome!”

“Thanks so much,” mom winked at the clerk. We started to walk out the door when the lady that had been picking out candy suddenly approached.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear…you’re Hannah Burke?”

“I am!” mom smiled at her. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you?

“No, we haven’t met, but I’ve heard so much about you!” the woman replied.

The two started making small talk, and I immediately tuned them out. I was way too hungover and still reeling from the not-Derek thing to deal with polite pleasantries.

Coffee. What I needed was a strong coffee.

I poured myself a cup and paid while mom and the stranger continued to chat. When I was done, mom looked at her watch.

“Well, we should be going. It was so nice meeting you!” Mom said to the stranger.

The lady waved goodbye and we walked back out to the car. I was kind of unnerved by how mom was not at all unnerved by any of this. I had so many questions for her, but I didn’t even know where to start, so we sat in silence the rest of the ride.

“Oh, this must be it!” Mom said moments later, pulling up to the gate of a very large estate.

Woah…mom’s new man is rich??

My heart pounded in my chest. I’d never been around rich folks before. The thought of it made me nervous.

Mom pushed the button at the gate and told the guard on the intercom her name. The gate slowly opened and mom pulled in.

“Mom…how did you meet this guy again?”

“Oh, well, he saw me at the restaurant - I was his waitress that night - and he said it was love at first sight. He’s pursued me ever since,” she looked over at me and smiled.

It was a nice thought that romance like that still existed, but something still seemed off about this whole thing to me.

Mom pulled into the circular driveway in front of the huge mansion and parked. A tall and imposing man stood in front of the large front door, his hand clasped behind his back. He was wearing a suit. Who wears a suit on a Saturday afternoon?

Mom hurried out of the car. “Aaron!” She said, running over to him.

The tall man smiled at the sight of my mom and rushed towards her, wrapping her in his arms when he reached her.

Aaron looked strangely familiar, and for some reason Derek and the stranger I’d had the one-night stand with yesterday popped into my head at the sight of him.

“Aaron, this is my daughter Hailey,” mom said after he finally released her from his hug.

“Hi,” I said with a small wave, suddenly feeling shy.

He gave me a small nod and an uneasy look, not unlike the men outside the gas station. He turned back to my mother.

“I hope you feel comfortable here,” he said to her. “It is my hope that you both will move in here after the wedding.”

“Oh, we would love to!” Mom gushes excitedly. “Wouldn’t we Hailey?”

“Um…” I was at a loss for words. My brain was still struggling to catch up with all the new information it had gotten in less than a few hours.

Aaron ignored me. “You’re both welcome to everything here. There’s only one rule. No one is allowed to wander into those woods, especially during the full moon.”

He pointed to the east side of the estate, where the woods seemed dark and cold, despite the sunny, warm day.

I felt another chill go down my spine.

“Well, that seems easy enough to follow,” Mom said, looking at me. “Right?”

All I could do was nod.

“Come! Let me show you around,” Aaron smiled warmly at my mom and led her through the front door, where a butler was holding it open for us.

I stepped inside and gasped. The house was gorgeous, with dark wood floors and a large swirling staircase in the middle. Several men and women dressed in black suits and black and white dresses stood in a line in front of the stairs.

“These are my servants,” Aaron gestured to them. “They can help with anything you may need.”

Servants? I didn’t even know such a thing existed in real life. I was feeling very out of place here, especially in my torn jeans and sneakers.

“Oh, and I almost forgot to mention my two sons should be arriving soon,” Aaron said, finally looking over at me. “They both attend Glendale University, and I believe one is your age. Maybe you’ll recognize him.”

“Oh, yeah, maybe,” I said, shocked again by the news I was hearing.

Suddenly, a booming voice near the front door announced, “Madams, may I present the young men of the house, Derek and Tyler Treves.”

My eyes grew wide and I turned.

Entering the house was Derek, the love of my life. And next to him?

The Derek look-alike I’d slept with just hours ago.