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The Lake House

Chapter one

I EASED OPEN MY BEDROOM DOOR TO CHECK THAT THE HALLWAY was empty When I was sure that it was, I shouldered my purse and closed the door behind me quietly, then took the stairs down to the kitchen two at a ti for the lake house in three hours, and I was running away

The kitchen counter was covered with roceries and supplies, and a box filled with nore these as I headed across the kitchen, aih I hadn’t snuck out in years, I had a feeling that it would be just like riding a bicycle—which, come to think of it, I also hadn’t done in years But I’d woken up that , and every is would be better if I were somewhere—anywhere—else

“Taylor?” I froze, and turned around to see Gelsey,at the other end of the kitchen Even though she was still wearing her pajalittery pointe shoes, her hair was up in a perfect bun

“What?” I asked, taking a step away fro to look as nonchalant as possible

She frowned atback to ?”

“Nothing,” I said I leaned against the wall in what I hoped was a casual ainst a wall in my life “What do you want?”

“I can’t find my iPod Did you take it?”

“No,” I said shortly, resisting the urge to tell her that I wouldn’t have touched her iPod, as it was filled solely with ballet music and the terrible band she was obsessed with, The Bentley Boys, three brothers with perfectly ept bangs and dubious ifts “Go ask Mom”

“Okay,” she said slowly, still looking at me suspiciously Then she pivoted on her toe and sto as she went “Mom!”

I crossed the rest of the kitchen and had just reached for the back door when it swung open,through it, laden with a bakery box and a tray of to-go coffees “Morning,” he said

“Hi,” Ithat I’d tried to make my escape five minutes earlier—or, even better, had just used the front door

“Moels,” he said, as he set both on the counter “You like sesaht?”

I hated sesame—in fact, Warren was the only one of us who liked the to point that out now “Sure,” I said quickly “Great”

Warren selected one of the coffees and took a sip Even though at nineteen he was only two years older than me, he was dressed, as usual, in khakis and a polo shirt, as though heor play a round of golf “Where is everyone?” he asked after a moment

“No idea,” I said, hoping that he’d go investigate for hih he had all the time in the world “I think I heard Mom upstairs,” I said after it beca sipping coffee and staring into space

“I’ll tell her I’ his coffee down, just as I’d hoped he would Warren headed toward the door, then stopped and turned back to me “Is he up yet?”

I shrugged “Not sure,” I said, trying to keep ht, like this was just a routine question But only feeeks ago, the idea ofasleep at this hour—or for that matter, still home—would have been unthinkable

Warren nodded again and headed out of the kitchen As soon as he was gone, I bolted for the door

I hurried down our driveway and, when Ibreath Then I started speed-walking down Greenleaf Road as quickly as possible I probably should have taken a car, but sos were just habit, and the last ti my license

I could feel myself start to calm down the farther I walked The rational part of o back at some point, but I didn’t want to listen to the rational part of ht now I just wanted to pretend that this day—this whole suot easier the more distance I put betweenfor a while and had just started to dig insound and looked up

My heart sank a little as I saw Connie fro and waving at e, and I’d known her last name at solass case innext to what I noas Gelsey’s iPod (whoops), which IConnie without blatantly ignoring her or turning and running into the woods And I had a feeling either of these options was behavior that hed and ot closer

“Taylor, hi!” she called, solden retriever, strained against his leash towardI looked at hih I liked them in theory, I hadn’t had all that h I watched the reality show Top Dogshould, this didn’t help when confronted with one in the real world

“Hi, Connie,” I said, already starting to edge away, hoping she’d get the hint “Nice to see you!”

“You too,” she replied automatically, but I saw her smile fade a little as her eyes traveled overa bit different today,” she said “Very… relaxed”

Since Connie normally saw me in my Stanwich Academy uniform—white blouse and itchy plaid skirt—I had no doubt I looked different now, as I’d prettyto brushflip-flops, cutoffs, and a much-washed white T-shirt that read LAKE PHOENIX SWIM TEAM The shirt technically wasn’t o that I now just thought of it as my property