Chapter 4
ALLIE
Iwatch her from behind the tree line. She has no idea I’m here.
Avery’s sitting right on the edge of where the rocks and dirt meet the lake; knees bent and toes wiggling in the calm waters.
The look of deep concentration on her face makes me pause my initial plan of approaching her.
On the one hand, she may need a friend, but on the other, she may prefer to deal with whatever internal war she's having on her own.
So now I’m standing here like some weird creeper just watching her.
And… fuck, I kind of like it. The sunset is a perfect background to the scene before me.
The setting sun reflecting off the water gives Avery's blonde hair an ethereal glow, which is perfectly at odds with the deeply pensive frown gracing her face.
I watch as she closes her eyes and sighs as she leans her head up toward the sky.
It is a beautiful sight. Her looking up like that.
So gracefully and seemingly at peace. I watch as she simply breathes for a moment.
Both of us are stuck in this tranquil moment, frozen in time.
It is quiet as I take in the sounds of nature coming alive with nightfall.
“I know you’re back there. May as well come out already.” Well…. Shit. Here I was thinking I was being all sneaky and incognito. Guess not.
Taking a slight step back, a branch snaps beneath my feet.
Damn it. Now I’m definitely caught. The jig is up.
I hunch my shoulders and go to take a seat in a position mirroring hers.
Instinctively, I scan her from head to toe, checking body language to get a read on how to approach things.
It’s become second nature to me. Fewer surprises that way.
My eyes darken when I notice the large bruise developing on her temple.
Suddenly, all pretense of a gentle approach goes out the proverbial fucking window.
As gently as possible, I grasp her chin and tilt her face side to side, examining the marks.
Ugly bruises mar the side of her beautiful face and make my blood boil.
Someone hurt her. Someone is going to die.
“What. Happened?” I ask, my tone a bit sharper than I intended. Thankfully, the stunning vixen lending me her company either doesn't notice or just ignores my unintentional slip.
Avery simply shakes her head. “Oh, you know, just another exciting conversation with my father.” Nothing out of the ordinary, unfortunately.
Well, he's a dead man. Simple as that. No one messes with my friend and gets away with it. He would die painfully and slowly. Very, very slowly if I had my way.
“Then there's this.” She hands over an old-looking envelope with her name written on the front. “It’s from my mother.”
Oh. “Are you two close?”
“We were… She died when I was little.” The finality of her words has me knowing not to push the subject.
Whatever had happened was obviously painful for her.
“I can't…. I can't read it,” she says, handing me the letter. When I don’t immediately take it from her outstretched hand, a quiet and defeated, “Please,” leaves her lips, and that’s my undoing.
The woman beside me is the definition of calculated.
Some would even say cold or detached. She should never beg for anything, especially from me.
Nodding solemnly, I take the envelope out and scan the words written in a beautiful, almost calligraphy-style script.
My stomach clenches and drops the further I read.
Holy fuck. Moving to sit facing Avery, I notice a doll sitting in the rocky dirt beside her.
That must be Edith. Looking into the doll's eyes, I say the most honest words I’ve ever spoken.
“Whatever you need, you have my full support. Count me in.” I must be finally losing the last of my marbles because I swear Edith nods in approval.
Possessed dolls…. Awesome. My favorite.
“Avery…. I… You really need to read this yourself. It’s pretty personal. And… Complicated.” Without saying anything, she reaches her hand out, and I gently place the letter into her palm.
A humorless laugh slips from her lips. “Happy fucking birthday to me.”
“Is it your birthday?! I’m so sorry, I had no idea! We need to celebrate. Do something special.”
“Trust me, this is special compared to what my father had planned.”
Hearing that makes my blood run cold. What the hell had her father tried to do to her?
Silence floats around us for a while, but it’s oddly comfortable. After a few minutes, I scoot closer and lean my shoulder into hers. “So partner, what are we going to do for our writing assignment?”