13. Leo
CHAPTER 13
Leo
I fly down the stairs but stop my speed as I enter the kitchen. Scanning the room, I find Myles talking with some of his work buddies. His eyes find mine and fill with questions as he sees the rage on my face.
He says something to his friends that I can’t hear over the conversations and music. My eyes stay on my best friend as he lightly pats a man on the shoulder as he leaves him.
Myles places his beer bottle, which is still half-full, on the counter and comes to me. His mouth opens, about to speak, but I shake my head and nod towards the back of the house.
Myles dips his head in understanding and follows me towards the French doors leading to their back deck. The sun has set completely, turning the sky a deep blue.
Although the night sky has darkened, the stringed lights around the porch illuminate us. They are hooked on the side of the house, taking a perfect path above us to line up with the wooden railings.
I pace toward the far edge of the deck, my hands running through my hair that was once put together. Now, it has come undone, just like myself.
“Shit. Was she that bad?” Myles breaks the silence with his question.
“Have you met her?”
“Once, and it was brief,” he responds, leaning back against the rail. “We ran into her when we were cake tasting. Chloe introduced us, and they began a conversation. I didn’t really care for whatever they were talking about, so I went back to tasting the cakes. I was the one who chose the flavor, by the way. Hope you like red velvet.”
“And she hasn’t been at the house?”
“I mean, she has, but it’s on days that I’m not home.”
That’s not shocking. I think to myself before I say, “When you met her, did anything seem… familiar about her?”
“As I said, man, it was a brief introduction, and they don’t really hang out whenever I’m home.” He shrugs before backtracking. “Wait. What would have been familiar about her?”
“Camille isn’t who she says she is,” I tell him, which only twists his face in more confusion.
“What do you mean?” That puzzled expression soon turns to a wide smile. “Is she a spy? Working for the government? Oh shit… Is she working undercover for the prison to keep an eye on you?” he questions, then laughs when he jokes, “You little criminal.”
I roll my eyes, not in the mood for his jokes tonight.
“No. I mean, she is undercover in some way, but not for those reasons.” I inch closer to him, dropping the volume of my voice. “Camille is Veronica.”
His eyes search mine, waiting for me to continue the sentence with a sike or got you! But I don’t. I stay silent while waiting for the knowledge to hit him, but Myles's expression turns to pity instead of the expression I was hoping for.
“Leo.” He sighs. “You’ve been through a lot, and I won’t say I understand because I don’t, but… do you think that maybe everything you endured might make you a little paranoid?”
“How therapist of you.” I narrow my eyes at him.
“Learned from the best.” He lifts his shoulders in a shrug. I know he doesn’t mean me. He might have, but it was primarily because of my mother. She was always the one to give him the best advice.
My heart twists at the hidden mention of her. “I’m not paranoid. Look, I know she is Veronica because she was stupid enough to visit me in prison. And the woman who showed up was Camille.”
“I don’t know, man…” he says in disbelief.
“Jesus Christ.” I huff out an aggravated breath and grab his arm. If he isn’t going to believe my words, then I’ll have to make him see it.
Tugging him from his comfortable spot on the deck, I drag him through the back door, and he only stops when we are standing in the kitchen doorway. Chloe stands there talking to Veronica, the latter laughing.
“Look at her. Really look at her.”
I gaze from the woman to Myles, who is squinting his eyes as if it will help him see her better. After a few moments, his eyes widen when the recognition hits him. “Holy shit.”
“Told you I’m not paranoid.”
“So you are saying that the crazed woman I met at Black Lake has been hanging around my fiancé… your sister, for months ?”
Well, there is my reassurance that Veronica was telling the truth. “She said she came back for me. I didn’t give her much time to explain herself, and why should I?”
“I know you love her or whatever, but you have to call the police.” Myles looks at me. “She needs to be locked up back in that place. Or prison.”
My head turns toward her, and I watch how she interacts with my sister. A beautiful smile shines on her face as she pretends to be the person she wants my sister to see because that’s what Veronica does. She becomes a different person to trick others into giving her what she wants.
I know it all too well.
“I don’t love her anymore.” I shift my eyes to Myles.
“Great!” He fishes his phone from his pocket and brings up the numbered keypad. His thumb hits 9, and I snatch the device straight from his hand before he can finish dialing the three-digit number. “What the hell!”
“We are not calling the cops.”
“Are you insane?” he hisses through his teeth. “She shouldn’t be walking around free after what she did to you. And she sure as hell shouldn’t be around Chloe, who is pregnant, in case you forgot!”
I step back into the hall, taking Myles with me. “I agree. She shouldn’t be here, but I’m not calling the police. Veronica lied to me, let me fall in love with her, and betrayed me with a knife to my stomach! She doesn’t deserve to be put back into the safety of the walls of the asylum or be trapped in the quietness of solitary confinement they’d throw her in if she were sent to prison. She deserves way worse.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I’ll handle her. I won’t let anyone get hurt in the process.”
“What are you planning?” he asks with caution.
“The revenge she deserves.”