Free Home Is Where the Heart Break Is by Tess Oliver

have stayed at home eating popcorn and helping Mom label old candlesticks, but instead, I’d decided to torture myself. I glanced at my phone. Nada. Even Josh from back home had not texted me. Of course, I’d ignored his last three texts, so he may have gotten the hint.
    Marcus smiled at me. “Regina sure is shooting you nasty looks. Someone must have told her about you and Nico.”
    “There’s nothing to tell,” I said with a bit too much anger. After all Marcus had nothing to do with any of it. He looked slightly taken aback. “Sorry, Marcus, but everyone seems to think I’m back in town to disrupt lives. Far from it. I just came back to help my Aunt Sadie in her antique shop. The fact that both Nico and Chase still live here is just a coincidence.”
    He put up a hand. “Hey, you don’t have to explain it to me. I know how silly this town is about rumors and gossip. I guess it’s the boredom of living in a small town. We have to make up drama.”
    I smiled. “Yeah, I’ve forgotten what a virtual soap opera this place can be.” I glanced toward Regina. Marcus was right. She was shooting me hostile scowls and making it obvious that she and her friends were talking about me. They didn’t even know me. Not completely sure what they could be discussing.
    “Well, speak of the devil,” Marcus said looking the direction of the parking lot.
    Nico was pulling in on his motorcycle. It felt like my stomach had tightened into a knot. Regina sashayed across the sand to meet him, and the pain in my stomach worsened.
    She immediately threw her arms around his neck. I knew it would bother me to see Nico with another girl, but I felt physically sick. I had to look away. I briefly considered texting my mom to pick me up.
    “Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone?”
    I twisted around and Nico was standing over me. Regina was back with her circle of friends and busy lobbing red hot glares my way.
    Nico fistbumped Marcus. “Hey, Bro, how’s it going?”
    “Good, Nico.” He looked at me. “I see your best friend is back in town.”
    Nico gazed down at me and the stomach knot loosened. “Yeah. I came to pick her up. I’ve been trying to call you. Chase needs us.”
    I looked at my useless phone. “I guess I’m not getting much service up here.”
    He stuck out his hand. “Let’s go.”
    “Nice meeting you, Marcus. Could you let Lexi know that I left?”
    “Sure thing.”
    Nico pulled me along to his bike.
    “What’s the matter? What happened?” I asked anxiously.
    “Chase called me from the hospital. It’s his sister.”

Chapter 10
    Pinecliff and the surrounding communities shared a small hospital about eight miles out of town. I held tightly to Nico as he maneuvered the bike around all of the dark curves. Mom would have a major panic attack if she knew I was on the back. Hopefully she’d never know. Besides, it had to be safer than the crazy drive I’d had to Granite Beach in Lexi’s car.
    An ambulance was still parked in front of the emergency room entrance when we arrived. We hopped off the bike, and even though I was wearing a sweatshirt, I had to rub my arms and hands vigorously to defrost from the chilled night air.
    Nico and I hurried toward the entrance.
    “So Chase called you?” I asked with probably too much glee to be appropriate for the situation.
    “Before you get too excited, he tried to call you first but couldn’t get through.”
    “Damn useless phone. But he called you next.”
    “I guess. He sounded really bad. I think it’s her heart.”
    I struggled to keep up with his long strides. “Man, Cindy is only twenty-two, isn’t she?”
    “Yeah but she’s really messed herself up with her dieting obsession.”
    The glass doors slid open. Only a mother and her little boy were sitting in the waiting area.
    Nico went to the window. “We’re looking for Chase Monroe.”
    The nurse lifted a brow and seemed to think it necessary to give him a disapproving look first. “Down the