He wanted anonymity and darkness. The timing gave Nicole the chance to organize herself, as well as talk to Aunt Lulu, whom she still felt like she was abandoning for the weekend. Aunt Lulu had no problem with Nicole’s sudden trip, understanding family emergencies better than most, she’d said. While Nicole packed, Sam headed home to his place to do the same. He also took on the job of arranging for a place for them to stay. The goal, he’d explained, was to remain gone until they could return home to a quiet Serendipity on Monday. To Nicole, it felt like running away, but he insisted on doing things his way. She let him. She’d been carrying the burden of information alone for so long, doing nothing but mull over what to do, so she was grateful to have someone else in charge for a change. She’d hoped they could talk about what would happen next while in the car. She was afraid that by involving Mike and Cole, she’d lose any chance to get ahead of this mess, but as soon as they hit the highway, the day’s events caught up with her.
