24. Emmy
“Have you figured it out yet?”
I stare at the maniac standing in the doorway at the address I was given. I’m still in my car with the window down two inches so I can talk to him. He’s tall and lanky, and slightly familiar, but I can’t place him. I’m not about to tell him that though.
“Where’s Steph?” I ask.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
Dammit.
“Where’s my friend?” I repeat.
“Get outta the car, come inside, and find out for yourself,” he taunts.
There comes a point in a person’s life where they’re at a crossroads. For some, it’s related to their career, while for others, it’s family. For me, it’s whether or not to get out of my car to face this psycho. Most people would make a list of pros and cons, they’d weigh their options carefully, or they’d use plain ol’ common sense.
Well, this is my crossroad, and I do none of those things. And common sense definitely doesn’t factor into my decision.
I leave the engine running, just in case, as I exit the Jetta. I wish I’d thought to look for a weapon at the clubhouse before I took off, but hindsight is twenty-twenty and all that.
“I must admit, I’m surprised you listened and came alone.”
“You didn’t leave me much choice in the matter.”
“True. But you’re a stubborn one, Emmaline Daniels.”
“How do you know me?” I finally ask when I reach the steps.
“How do you not know me?” he counters. “After going through such a traumatic event together? You disappoint me.”
“Traumatic event?” I wrack my brain to figure out what he’s talking about, but the only trauma I’ve experienced is the fire.
No. Not, it can’t be.
“I can see things clicking into place,” he taunts.
“Josh? Josh Greene?”
“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner, folks.” He sweeps his arm to indicate the front door of the rundown farmhouse. “Come inside to claim your prize.”
“Why? Why are you doing this? We both survived.” I shake my head. “I don’t understand.”
Without warning, Josh stomps toward me and grabs my arm. “Come inside, and I’ll give you all the gritty details,” he snarls, no longer feigning a jovial demeanor.
I stumble as he drags me up the steps and through the doorway, and seconds after the door slams behind us, he shoves me to the floor.
“You were supposed to die!” he yells, spit flying from his mouth. “You were supposed to die with the rest of them, but he saved you. That stupid man saved you, and now you’re shacking up with his son.”
Oh, if only he knew the truth.
“That man saved your ass too,” I quip, scooting away from him.
“And because of that, my brother’s dead!”
“Your brother? What does your brother have to do with any of this? Wasn’t he in high school at the time?”
Josh’s expression morphs, and pure evil shines through his eyes. “Who do you think set the damn fire?”
Wait, what?!
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he set the fire with you in the building?”
I’m trying like hell to wrap my mind around what he’s telling me, but so far, he’s not making a whole lotta sense.
“Try and keep up, bitch.” Josh steps closer to me and leans down so he’s a mere foot from my face. “My brother and I had it all planned out. We spent months figuring out the best way to cause the most chaos. He started the fire, sure, but it wasn’t supposed to kill him. We were gonna meet at the soccer field across the street, but I didn’t show. He got worried and went into the school to try and find me. Little did he know, I’d already been carried out by Dean Haskins, the motherfucking hero of the story. And my brother died for his efforts.”
“I’m sorry he died, Josh,” I lie. “But that’s not my fault. Why are you taking it out on me?”
“Because you’re the only one left from that day,” he says matter-of-factly. “There’s no one else to make pay for my suffering.”
Josh Greene is delusional. He’s certifiable. Not only was he on his way to being a felon when he was in elementary school, but now he’s out for more blood. There’s no saving him. But I need to save myself and Steph.
“Where’s Steph, Josh?” I ask. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“Where’s Steph? Where’s Steph?” he mocks. “She’s in the bedroom upstairs. Want me to take you to her?”
“I’d like that, yes.”
He grabs me by the hair and hauls me to my feet. I try to keep up with him, but it’s difficult. My scalp stings, my stomach hurts, and my heart is pounding.
But he’s taking me to Steph, and as soon as I have her, I can work on getting us the hell out of here.
“I must warn you,” Josh says when we reach the top of the staircase. “Steph may not appear exactly as you remember her.”
I yank out of his hold, hair being torn from my head in the process. Shoving past him, I race from room to room, searching for my friend. Josh stands there, watching and laughing.
The last room is the only one that the door is shut, and I swallow past the lump in my throat as I grip the doorknob. I push the door open and immediately fall to my knees.
“Nooooo!” I wail.
“What’s wrong, Emmaline?”
Josh startles me, and I spring to my feet. Slowly, I walk toward the bed, my eyes raking over Steph’s dead body. I don’t know when he got her, but it had to be somewhere between the office and her apartment. Not that it matters.
She’s gone, and it’s my fault.
Fury slams into me like a freight train, and I whirl around, swinging my arms wildly at Josh. He does his best to ward off my blows, but I get some good knocks in.
Blood drips from his face and my knuckles, but I’m oblivious to any pain. All that matters at this moment is making him suffer for what he did to Steph. An image of her naked, bruised, and battered body flashes in my mind, fueling my actions, but somehow, it isn’t enough.
“You’re gonna pay for all of it,” he snarls as he manages to grab my arm and yank it behind my back.
I ignore the pain that I’m now feeling and try to break free, but my efforts are futile. He’s too strong, and I’m getting weak and tired.
Josh shoves me toward the bed and pushes my head down until the tip of my nose hits Steph’s bare stomach.
“This is on your head,” he screeches. “Do you hear me? Your fucking head!”
I continue to struggle, and all that does is poke the bear. Josh spins me around so I’m facing him, hauls his arm back, and punches me in the jaw.
My head whips to the side, and I end up splayed on top of Steph. Josh grabs my arms and ties them behind my back. Then he ties my ankles together. Once I’m bound, he starts to back away from the bed.
“It didn’t have to end like this,” he says, suddenly calm. “All you had to do was die back then, and Steph would be alive.”
“Fuck you,” I snap.
“We’ll see how tough you act when this house is burning down around you.”