Chapter 16 #2
I thought he was going to confess to killing Rebecca. But he merely has guilt about feeling happy over her death. Now I’m the one feeling guilty for ever suspecting it was him.
“Then that makes me and at least a dozen others bad people, Dandy. We’re all glad that bitch is dead. Don’t beat yourself up for being human. Rebecca was horrible to you for a very long time. No one expects you to grieve. I definitely won’t.”
Dandy sighs, but in relief this time. “So what happens now that your plan—”
“Has gone to shit?” I fill in the blank. “I honestly don’t know. But I’ll figure something out. At least one Bloom got what they deserved.”
“You should see the crime scene,” Dandy says in part horror, part humor. “It was online before the police even got there. Wanna see?”
It feels so sacrilegious, but I nod.
Dandy flicks through his phone, and when he shows me the screen, I stare, completely entranced.
Rebecca’s corpse lies in what feels like a pose with her hands folded across her chest and her hair spread around her. Her decapitated head sits a few feet away. Her eyes are open, and her mouth is cut into a macabre, forever-smiling grin.
“This was very personal.” It’s apparent the murderer wanted to embarrass her in death, perhaps the way she embarrassed them in life.
“Who do you think it is?”
I examine the photos for any clues, but the killer cleaned up after themselves. It’s a clean crime scene.
“Honestly, I think it’s either Jack or Jupiter.” I risk a glance at him. “Don’t hate me, but I had my suspicions it was you.”
Dandy’s mouth drops open in shock, but his expression quickly shifts. “Well, I guess I’m flattered you’d believe I had the balls to do that.”
Soon, we’re both laughing.
This has been a truly traumatic day.
I send Kit a quick text, letting him know Dandy is okay and I’ll be home soon. Dandy and I stand, both exhausted. But Dandy takes my hand.
“Spaghetti arms,” he says, reciting another classic line from Dirty Dancing. “You’re not leaving until we have one last dance.”
I don’t know why that sounds so final.
But Dandy takes my hand, and we dance like we’ve done a thousand times before. I lose myself to the music. And I can only hope for a better tomorrow because today fucking sucked.
Once we’re done, we’re both feeling better. It’s amazing how this one thing between Dandy and me can make us feel better. It’s confirmation that he will always be my ride or die.
We walk down the stairs and toward the garage, as Dandy has offered to drive me home. I haven’t heard from Kit, which troubles me. I thought he would text back. We’re driving past a motel along the highway when I see his red truck parked out front.
“What’s Kit doing there?” I turn over my shoulder, and when I see a blonde woman enter through the doorway he’s standing in, I almost give myself whiplash.
Dandy mutters under his breath, confirming my fears. “Fuck.”
I don’t like the way this is going.
“Dandy, pull over!” I order, but he doesn’t.
He keeps driving.
“Dandy!”
When he continues to ignore me, I unsnap my belt and open the door, ready to jump out. My phobia of cars is long gone.
“Hallie!” he screams, looking between me and the road. He soon pulls over when he realizes I’m serious.
“What’s going on?” I demand, turning in my seat.
“Hallie, it’s not what you think.”
“No, it’s exactly what I think. Why is your brother meeting up with some woman at a secret rendezvous? Tell me it’s not what I think it is.”
Dandy clenches the steering wheel, clearly wrestling with what to do. “I can’t—”
Fuck this.
I open the door and run toward the motel. Dandy chases me, calling my name. But I’m not stopping. Not until I find out what’s going on.
I don’t hesitate and burst through the motel room door, breathless and nearly hysterical.
“Hallie?” Kit says, clearly startled he got caught.
The woman stands and backs away. She senses I will rip out her hair if I uncover what I hope isn’t true.
“Who’s this?” I ask, my gaze never wavering from the terrified woman.
“This is Franny. She’s my ex-girlfriend. But it’s not what it looks like.”
Dandy comes through the door, panting and attempting to catch his breath. This would be comical if not for the fact I’ve just caught Kit with his very pretty ex.
“I have a baby,” Franny confesses in fear, which doesn’t clarify what’s going on.
“Hallie.” Dandy grips my arm and gently pulls me back. I didn’t even realize I was advancing.
Kit walks forward, hands raised in surrender.
“I believed for a long time that I was Franny’s baby’s father, but she wanted to meet with me in person to tell me that I’m not.
She took a paternity test when I asked, having my doubts that she was faithful throughout our relationship.
The calls I received were from Franny. I just needed some time to think over things.
I’m sorry for keeping this from you, but please trust me—nothing else is happening. ”
I can’t tear my gaze off Franny. She’s beautiful, more beautiful than me.
“So you spent time with me as your final fling before becoming a father? Is that it?”
Kit shakes his head. “Hallie, no. What I feel for you is real. Everything we’ve been through has been genuine.”
“So genuine that you omitted the tiny little fact that you might be a father!” I cry, angered and betrayed. “You know all my secrets, yet you couldn’t tell me yours?”
Kit lowers his eyes, ashamed. “I’m not perfect. I fucked up. And I’m sorry. There was so much going on, I didn’t want to add to the shit pile. Besides, there was nothing to tell as I wasn’t sure.”
Franny reaches for her bag, desperate to escape.
But I yank my arm out from Dandy and block her exit.
“I don’t want any trouble. What Kit says is true.
He’s been nothing but supportive of me throughout my pregnancy and after, even though I cheated on him when we were together.
I owed him an explanation in person, not over text.
It’s the least I could do. He’s a good guy. ”
I don’t sense any deceit in her admission, but I want to tear her apart, limb from limb.
“He doesn’t want me…he wants you,” she says with sadness, clear she’s still not over Kit.
“Hallie—” Kit’s voice does nothing to soothe me like it once did. All I hear is lies and more lies.
I don’t know who to believe anymore.
I feel betrayed.
I’ve told Kit every single thing about me, and he couldn’t tell me this one thing?
A thought occurs. Did he not tell me that in case he was the father and intended to live his happily ever after with Franny and his baby?
He never wanted forever. I was something to keep his mind off his own shit. A project he could fix.
“Come on, baby girl, let’s get some fresh air,” Dandy says, taking my hand.
But Dandy knew what was going on. I know that he did by his response in the car. It feels as if everyone I’ve trusted has just betrayed me. I know I lied to Kit at the beginning, and that is hypocritical, but feelings of worthlessness and fear grip me.
Kit shouts, “Hallie!” just before my eyelids flutter, and then everything fades into darkness.
“Where am I?” I groan, covered in sweat.
“You’re safe.”
It’s Kit who answers, but I soon remember I hate him.
Opening my eyes, I see that I’m still in this shithole motel.
Franny and Dandy are gone.
It’s just Kit and me.
Normally, I would be thankful, but now, I just want to be sick.
I come to a slow rise, leaning against the headboard. Kit sits in a chair at the foot of the bed. He’s leaning forward, hands interlaced, deep in thought.
“You have every right to be angry with me. I lied to you. But just as you lied to me, you weren’t ready to tell me the truth. That doesn’t make what I did right, but please try to understand I was grappling with the fact that I might have been a father.”
“That’s what you meant about you being in Flat Planes?” I ask, remembering Kit mentioning he needed to get away.
He nods slowly. “I wanted to tell you, but being with you, Hallie, it felt like we were living in our own little world. I could escape reality, and we could just be us, without our pasts ruining our happiness.”
I take in what he told me. “You lied to me. I can’t help but think you were dishonest because you planned to abandon me if the test confirmed you were the father. Abandonment issues, I know, but every person in my life has done this to me. Why are you any different?”
Kit shoots up, shaking his head. “I understand why you think that—”
“Why are you different?” I repeat, kicking off the sheets and standing.
It’s the ultimate standoff because this is it. Our perfect world has shattered.
Kit’s pain is reflected all over his face. I want to believe him, but it looks like I’m not as brave as he once believed me to be.
“I need some air.”
Kit doesn’t stop me as I leave the room.
The night air is cool, which is what I need. My footsteps are heavy as I amble down the walkway.
Am I overreacting?
There’s a vending machine ahead. Even though my appetite is shot, I could use a drink. I’m running on empty. The flickering fluorescent bulbs hurt my eyes, and combined with the buzzing noise, I suddenly feel like I’m going to faint.
I grab the vending machine to steady myself, but seeing someone behind me in its reflection makes me lose my balance.
Jupiter grabs my arm to keep me from falling.
She’s here. She’s really here.
“Hallie, I hate to say I told you so, but—”
“Shut up,” I manage to push out between breaths.
I don’t want to hear it. Now or ever.
Shrugging from her grip, I spin to face her. “What are you doing here? Have you been watching me?”
She’s wearing denim overalls and her hair is styled into two plaits. She looks innocent, but we both know how far from the truth that is.
Jupiter laughs, but there’s a bite to it. “I’m always with you, Hallie. I remember a time when you liked us being inseparable. But now, you look at me like I’m nothing but a stranger. That hurts. I was there for you when no one else was.”
Instantly, I feel like the world’s most horrible person. She’s right. Everything she says is right.