Before You Go

chapter three

Leon

After introductions are made, Tenille gets me situated in the carrier house. It's located on the eastern edge of her family's property. For three whole minutes, Tenille and I walk down the white brick path in the golden light stemming from the sunset. Being here has stirred up a nostalgic feeling in my stomach. I can remember every inch of the carrier house, Tenille's house, and the property itself. I don't know how many days the three of us – me, Tenille, and Liz – spent up here during the summers of our childhood.

When we step into the carrier house, Tenille shooting me a wary glance as we do, I realize that the place has been remodelled since the last time I was here. Tenille's grandmother, before she died of old age, had a much more eccentric taste. I remember dolls being on every shelf, strange antique pictures, and god-awful wallpaper. There was also some shaggy carpet running through the building. Now, the carrier house is bigger and has a contemporary look to it. A few walls have been knocked down, making room for an open-concept style. The kitchen is black and white with hints of brass and several pendant lights. The living room matches the kitchen, with a beautiful white leather couch and large flatscreen TV hanging on the wall. Several plants dot the area, ranging from succulents to palms. The walls have been painted a soft white and the floors are now a sandy hardwood. I have to say the place looks stunning and I'm excited to see what they've done with the rest of it.

"Looks amazing," I say as I kick off my shoes. I set my bags down on the floor, in front of the closet, and begin to wander through the kitchen. I've never been a fan of brass, but it looks good against the marbled white countertop and white cupboards. The dark backsplash also helps tone it down a bit. I run my hand over the smooth surface of the island.

When Tenille doesn't reply, I glance up at her. She's glaring at me, her arms crossed over her chest. "You do realize how shitty your timing is, right?"

"I was invited to the wedding," I frown. "And the invitation clearly stated that I could show up early if I wanted to exploreWhistler, Ten." I pause, wondering why Tenille is acting so strange. She's shifting her weight back and forth between her feet and refusing to meet my gaze. Her behaviour is what makes me wonder if Liz's reaction correlates with the way she's acting right now. I decide to play a game with her. Appearing as innocent as I can, I say, "I can't understand why Liz was so shocked to see me, considering she was the one who sent out the invitations. I thought she would have expected me to come this early. You know what I'm like, Ten. I can't pass up a good time."

Tenille tugs at the tips of her dark-brown hair and sighs. "Eliza didn't invite you, Leon. I did. She didn't want you to come."

"Oh," I say, caught off guard. My heart begins to hurt a little – even though I shouldn't be surprised by Liz's ill will towards me. I turn my back to Tenille and rub my jaw, staring at the dark backsplash. Maybe coming here three weeks early was a bad idea. Maybe I'm too late. My original plan had been to come here and do something I should have done a long time ago: tell Liz how I really feel about her. Tell her that, in the time we've spent apart, I was an asshole and I never should have lied to her about my mom's death.