CHAPTER THIRTEEN—The Key That Kept Her Awake
Elena barely slept that night. The silver key sat on her nightstand, catching the weak glow of the streetlamp outside her window. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again, pressed into her hand by Andrew's trembling fingers. She could still feel the warmth of his touch lingering in her palm, and it made her uneasy in a way she couldn't explain.
She kept asking herself the same questions.
What did Daniel leave?
Why wasn't she told sooner?
And why had Andrew waited all these years?
The darkness didn't offer any answers.
By sunrise, she felt hollow and restless. She dragged herself to the kitchen, hoping coffee would settle her spiraling thoughts. It didn't. Her hands shook faintly as she held the mug, and the smell of roasted beans reminded her painfully of mornings with Daniel. He used to hum while he brewed coffee, a habit he probably never realized she adored.
She set the mug down too quickly, afraid the memories would drown her if she let them rise any further.
The air in the house felt suffocating. She grabbed her jacket, slid the key into her pocket, and stepped outside.
Whispering Creek was quiet, wrapped in the calm that only small towns seemed to carry before the day truly began. The bakery was still closed. Mrs. Alder's dog barked at passing leaves. A single pickup rumbled down the street. Everything was exactly as she remembered it, but she was not.
Caleb noticed the moment she walked into the bakery twenty minutes later. He always did.
He looked up from the counter, wiping his hands on a towel. His eyes softened instantly. "You ok?"
Elena hesitated. She shouldn't tell him. At least, not yet. The key felt heavy in her pocket, like a secret that didn't know who it belonged to.
"I didn't sleep well," she admitted.
He stepped closer, concern etched clearly in his face. Caleb never pushed, never demanded, but he cared with a steadiness that made Elena feel safe even in her worst moments.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
She opened her mouth to say no, but the lie stuck in her throat.
"Caleb… Andrew found me yesterday."
His expression tightened. "Found you?"
She nodded. "Behind the courthouse."
He took a breath, the kind that masked frustration behind patience. "What did he want?"
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver key. Caleb's eyes dropped to it, then lifted back to her face with confusion.
"He gave me this," she said quietly.
Caleb took it carefully, turning it over in his fingers. "What is it for?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. He said it was something Daniel wanted me to have."
Caleb stared at her for a long moment. The bakery was quiet around them, the scent of cinnamon and sugar softening the air. Elena felt something shift between them, something fragile and tense.
"Elena," he said eventually, his voice low, "Andrew isn't stable right now. I don't know what he's telling you, but you have to be careful."
She knew he was right, but the warning stung anyway. Not because she disagreed, but because a part of her wanted to believe Andrew wasn't completely lost. Grief twisted people in unpredictable ways. She knew that too well.
"I think he's telling the truth," she whispered.
Caleb's jaw tightened. "I didn't say he wasn't. I'm saying he's unpredictable." He paused. "And you're vulnerable right now."
That cut deeper than she expected. "I'm not fragile."
His expression softened immediately. "I didn't say that. I know how strong you are. I just…" He hesitated, searching her eyes. "I care about you. I don't want you getting hurt."
The sincerity in his voice made her chest ache. This was the problem. Caleb was steady. Trustworthy. Safe. But the edges of her grief were still sharp, and sometimes she didn't know where Caleb fit within all those broken pieces.
She gently took the key back. "I need to know what this is."
Caleb nodded slowly, though she could see the tension lingering in his shoulders. "Then I'll help you."
Her breath caught. "You don't have to."
"I know." His gaze held hers, steady as always. "But I want to."
Before she could respond, the bakery door swung open and the morning rush began. Elena forced herself into routine, though her thoughts kept drifting to the key she had tucked back into her pocket.
The day passed, but her mind never settled. She replayed her conversation with Andrew, Caleb's concern, and the weight of the key pressing against her skin. When her shift ended, Caleb walked her to the door.
"Promise me one thing," he said softly.
She tilted her head. "What?"
He hesitated, then exhaled. "If Andrew contacts you again… tell me."
She swallowed. "Caleb…"
"Please, Elena. Don't let him pull you into something alone."
The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten. She nodded. "I'll tell you."
That seemed to ease him a little. He gave her a gentle smile, and for a moment she wished she could fall into the comfort of his presence without the ache of the past shadowing every step.
But life rarely gave simple comforts, and hers certainly didn't.
That evening, she decided she couldn't wait anymore. She drove to Daniel's parents' house, hoping they might know something about the key. Her heart hammered as she knocked on the familiar front door. The house smelled like lavender and old memories. Mrs. Whitaker opened the door, her eyes softening at the sight of Elena.
"Oh sweetheart," she whispered, pulling her into a hug as if no time had passed.
Elena felt tears press against her eyes. "I need to ask you something," she said once they sat in the living room.
Mrs. Whitaker nodded. "Of course."
Elena placed the key on the coffee table. Mrs. Whitaker stared at it for a long moment, her expression flickering with something Elena couldn't identify.
"Do you recognize it?" Elena asked gently.
Mrs. Whitaker swallowed hard. "I do."
Elena's breath caught. "What is it?"
Mrs. Whitaker hesitated, then spoke in a trembling voice.
"It's the key to Daniel's cabin."
Elena froze. "Cabin? He never mentioned a cabin."
Mrs. Whitaker looked down at her hands. "He bought it while you two were engaged. He said he wanted it to be a surprise. A place to start your life together. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere yours."
Elena's eyes burned. She couldn't breathe.
A surprise.
For their future.
Mrs. Whitaker reached for her hand. "He planned to take you there the week before the accident."
Elena's heart cracked open all over again.
But before she could speak, Mrs. Whitaker whispered something that made the air around Elena turn cold.
"Andrew was with him the day Daniel last went there."
Elena's hand trembled. "Andrew… knew?"
Mrs. Whitaker nodded slowly. "He was the last person to see Daniel there. He never told us what happened."
Elena felt the room tilt.
Daniel had a cabin.
Daniel left her a key.
And Andrew had been hiding something all along.
Mrs. Whitaker squeezed her hand gently. "Honey… I think it's time you go there. And I think it's time Andrew tells you the truth."
Elena closed her eyes, gripping the key tightly, feeling its edges bite into her palm.
She knew she wasn't ready for what she would find at that cabin.
But she also knew she couldn't run from the truth anymore.