Chapter 34
Lucy
Madeline takes a step backward and eyes the doorway behind Lucy.
“I knew this was coming but . . .” Madeline says shakily. Lucy can hear the fear in her sister’s voice, and this gives her
a little thrill. Not normal, she tells herself, but then again, Lucy has never been normal. She gently shuts the door, and
it closes with a soft click.
It was hard growing up with such a beautiful, accomplished sister. Stepsister, Lucy reminds herself. Though they weren’t related
by blood, they were undeniably connected to one another. Lucy’s father forced Madeline and Madeline’s mother on her, and that
was just the way it was. No one asked how Lucy felt about their new domestic situation; there was no consultation, no discussion,
but eventually the kid grew on her.
And now she’s going to be a mother. She has all the things that Lucy wants—or thought she wanted. When Madeline came home
last month, Lucy saw the bruises. She saw firsthand what Wes was doing to her little sister. Then she saw the pictures hidden
in Madeline’s file drawer, the horrid bruises, the dead look in Madeline’s eyes as she stared into the camera. Lucy would
never let a man do to her what Wes has done to her sister.
“Let’s do this, Madeline,” Lucy says, reaching into her pocket and pulling out Madeline’s new cell phone. “First of all, is Mellie gone? I need to know how quiet we need to be. Madeline, is she gone?”
Her sister nods. “Do you want to send him the text, or should I?” Lucy asks. When Madeline doesn’t say anything, Lucy presses
the phone toward her. “It’s really best if you do it.
Type this.” With shaking hands, Madeline takes the phone.
“It’s over, you fucking asshole. Do not come home tonight, or I’ll call the police,” Lucy dictates.
“Now hit Send.” Madeline doesn’t. She just stands there, trembling. Lucy sighs, pulls the phone roughly
from Madeline’s hands, sends the message, and tosses it onto the bed. She crosses the room and steps into the closet. “Wow,
Mads, you have a lot of shoes.”
“Lucy, please,” Madeline says, her voice pleading.
Lucy can hear the fear in her voice. She knows she should feel sorry for her sister, but the only thing she feels right now
is disgust. How is it that Lucy is flat broke, divorced, and practically disinherited by her own father? Life isn’t fair.
She plucks one of Madeline’s cowboy hats from a shelf and places it on her head. It’s a ridiculous-looking thing—pink and
embellished with crystals arranged in the shape of stars. She turns her attention to Wes’s side of the closet and his array
of leather belts. She lifts one from its hook. “Nice,” Lucy says. “Is this mother-of-pearl?” she asks, rubbing the belt buckle.
“Oooh, and amethyst?” She lifts it to her nose and breathes deeply. The scent of leather reminds Lucy of her father, and a
sudden bullet of regret pierces her, but she tries to pocket it. There will be time for regret later—but only if she doesn’t
get away with this.
Lucy steps from the closet, the belt dangling from her gloved hand, passes Madeline, and moves to the window. It’s fully dark
out now, the mountains a mere smudge.
“Now we wait,” Lucy says. Minutes pass, and Lucy occasionally looks over her shoulder to see if Madeline decides to try to make a run for it.
She doesn’t. Finally, two headlights puncture the night, and Lucy watches as a truck pulls onto the property.
Wes is back. She closes the curtains, the only light in the room coming from the closet, then turns to face her sister.
“Lucy,” Madeline says fearfully, eyeing the swaying belt in Lucy’s hand and backing toward the door.
“You knew this was coming, Madeline,” Lucy says, surprised at the calm in her voice. She watches as her stepsister looks wildly
around the room. For what? An escape route? It’s too late for that now.
Madeline shakes her head, her pretty eyes filling with tears.
“Now, hush,” Lucy soothes, drawing the belt tight with her gloved hands and moving toward her sister. “It will all be over
soon.”