equally big kitchen that was attached to it. A strudel, plates, silverware, and glasses, including champagne, lay on the island waiting.
“It will taste better cold at breakfast,” Hayden agreed. “Let’s show you your room.”
The second floor was just as dazzling as the first. The tour stopped briefly so that Connor could show off his room, which was baseball-themed and had several large decals on the walls, one of Connor at bat. Izzie’s and Mira’s rooms, Hayden explained, were in their own wing.
“We’ll have to work out a bathroom schedule,” Mira said.
“Just so neither of us gets a late start. Unless, of course, you want to use one of the other four bathrooms we have up here.” Hayden cleared his throat. “What else can we tell you?” She rubbed her hands together and her bracelets clinked. “Our housekeeper handles all the day-to-day stuff, like making school lunches—not that any of us actually take them. And you can leave her a list of food you like so the kitchen is stocked. Now, about laundry…”
“Connor, why don’t you show Isabelle those pictures on the wall?” Hayden suggested.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was doing. He probably thought she couldn’t hear him over Connor’s chatter, but Izzie still could.
“Could you stop laying it on so thick?” Hayden whispered. “You sound fake.”
“I’m trying to be friendly!” Mira protested. “This whole situation is weird, okay? I’m trying, which is more than she’s doing.”
Izzie’s cheeks flamed. Is that what Mira thought? It wasn’t that she was unhappy—she didn’t know what she was at the moment. She only knew she was tired. She wished Mira realized how strange this all was for her, too. She needed time to wrap her head around what had happened tonight and what was going to happen from here on out. She wanted to be grateful—she was grateful—but she had no clue how to express it. Instead she’d ticked off Mira. Izzie felt bad, but she was too exhausted to rally with conversation as cheerful as Mira could pull off.
“She’s tired, remember?” Hayden pointed out. “This has got to be hard on her.”
“And us,” Mira hissed. “This is as tough for us as it is for her.”
“You sound like Savannah.” Hayden’s voice rose slightly. “What’s wrong with you? Ever since you started hanging out with her, you’ve been—”
“Savannah has nothing to do with this,” Mira said through gritted teeth. “This is hard on everyone. She could at least try….”
“Isabelle, come see your room,” Hayden interrupted, calling to Izzie. “Mira, want to tell her about it?”
“Sure,” Mira said unsurely before purposefully strutting forward and flashing a grin.
Did she really think Izzie hadn’t heard what she’d just said? Mira let Izzie walk inside ahead of her.
“Mom said you can have it repainted, and she wants to get you new linens,” Mira explained, still talking. But all Izzie could do was gape. “It’s so cute and cozy, isn’t it?”
Cozy wasn’t the right word. The room was four times the size of Izzie’s old one. The walls were a creamy yellow and the queen-size bed had a muted floral comforter on it with lots of throw pillows. There were two bedside tables, a desk, and a framed Renoir poster. Or maybe that one was a Monet. Izzie’s boxes were already stacked in the corner along with her duffel bag.
“My mom loves redecorating,” Mira told her.
The sound of static kept Izzie from having to reply. Her aunt’s voice beamed down from somewhere in the ceiling. “We’re ready for dessert!”
“Intercom,” Connor explained to Izzie. “You know, because the house is so big?”
Mira walked to a small box near the room door and pressed a button. “She’s tired, Mom. She doesn’t want to come down.”
“But it’s apple strudel! Just one small piece?” There was mumbling in the background. “And Barbara wants to say good night.” The others looked at
“It will taste better cold at breakfast,” Hayden agreed. “Let’s show you your room.”
The second floor was just as dazzling as the first. The tour stopped briefly so that Connor could show off his room, which was baseball-themed and had several large decals on the walls, one of Connor at bat. Izzie’s and Mira’s rooms, Hayden explained, were in their own wing.
“We’ll have to work out a bathroom schedule,” Mira said.
“Just so neither of us gets a late start. Unless, of course, you want to use one of the other four bathrooms we have up here.” Hayden cleared his throat. “What else can we tell you?” She rubbed her hands together and her bracelets clinked. “Our housekeeper handles all the day-to-day stuff, like making school lunches—not that any of us actually take them. And you can leave her a list of food you like so the kitchen is stocked. Now, about laundry…”
“Connor, why don’t you show Isabelle those pictures on the wall?” Hayden suggested.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was doing. He probably thought she couldn’t hear him over Connor’s chatter, but Izzie still could.
“Could you stop laying it on so thick?” Hayden whispered. “You sound fake.”
“I’m trying to be friendly!” Mira protested. “This whole situation is weird, okay? I’m trying, which is more than she’s doing.”
Izzie’s cheeks flamed. Is that what Mira thought? It wasn’t that she was unhappy—she didn’t know what she was at the moment. She only knew she was tired. She wished Mira realized how strange this all was for her, too. She needed time to wrap her head around what had happened tonight and what was going to happen from here on out. She wanted to be grateful—she was grateful—but she had no clue how to express it. Instead she’d ticked off Mira. Izzie felt bad, but she was too exhausted to rally with conversation as cheerful as Mira could pull off.
“She’s tired, remember?” Hayden pointed out. “This has got to be hard on her.”
“And us,” Mira hissed. “This is as tough for us as it is for her.”
“You sound like Savannah.” Hayden’s voice rose slightly. “What’s wrong with you? Ever since you started hanging out with her, you’ve been—”
“Savannah has nothing to do with this,” Mira said through gritted teeth. “This is hard on everyone. She could at least try….”
“Isabelle, come see your room,” Hayden interrupted, calling to Izzie. “Mira, want to tell her about it?”
“Sure,” Mira said unsurely before purposefully strutting forward and flashing a grin.
Did she really think Izzie hadn’t heard what she’d just said? Mira let Izzie walk inside ahead of her.
“Mom said you can have it repainted, and she wants to get you new linens,” Mira explained, still talking. But all Izzie could do was gape. “It’s so cute and cozy, isn’t it?”
Cozy wasn’t the right word. The room was four times the size of Izzie’s old one. The walls were a creamy yellow and the queen-size bed had a muted floral comforter on it with lots of throw pillows. There were two bedside tables, a desk, and a framed Renoir poster. Or maybe that one was a Monet. Izzie’s boxes were already stacked in the corner along with her duffel bag.
“My mom loves redecorating,” Mira told her.
The sound of static kept Izzie from having to reply. Her aunt’s voice beamed down from somewhere in the ceiling. “We’re ready for dessert!”
“Intercom,” Connor explained to Izzie. “You know, because the house is so big?”
Mira walked to a small box near the room door and pressed a button. “She’s tired, Mom. She doesn’t want to come down.”
“But it’s apple strudel! Just one small piece?” There was mumbling in the background. “And Barbara wants to say good night.” The others looked at
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