Chapter 11
“Oh, Olivia, this is incredible,” says Sister Francine, peering down at the prayer booklets I’ve put together for All Saints’ Day Mass.
The sisters usually put off that tedious chore until the last minute.
I was up early.
Not because I couldn’t sleep.
For the first time in ages, I finally felt rested.
It could be because three cups of coffee and adrenaline fuel me, but last night with Kit changed something in me I thought was broken.
We connected in a way I didn’t think was possible, especially because of my past.
His confession about his father and Dandy changed everything. Before the revelation about Dandy, the thought of returning to Hollow Banks did cross my mind. But now, it almost feels like I don’t have a choice.
I feel like I owe it to Dandy—he saved me once. It’s now my turn to save him.
But how do I do that without revealing who I am?
You could always tell the truth, my subconscious suggests.
But it’s not that easy.
I’m afraid Kit won’t look at me the same if he learns the truth about me—but more so, I’m worried that my lies are unforgivable.
This feeling is like a drug. I am addicted to the taste, and I can’t give it up.
It’s time to come clean.
Yet I don’t know how I’m going to do it.
But I do know it must be soon.
If anything were to happen to Dandy and I could have stopped it…
I now have some small understanding of how Kit must feel about his dad. I won’t let him experience the same heartache over his brother.
“Oh, Mother Superior, Olivia has put together all the booklets for Mass. Isn’t she an angel?” says Sister Francine, snapping me from my thoughts.
However, Mother Superior’s stiff upper lip suggests otherwise. “Leave us, Sister.”
Sister Francine looks confused, like she’s said and done something wrong. But that would be me. Mother Superior is here because of me.
Sister Francine looks at me with a sympathetic look before heading out the door.
It’s just Mother Superior and me. I wait for her to address me.
“Olivia, I’ve received an alarming email this morning from an anonymous sender.”
I gulp past the lump in my throat as she passes me her phone. It’s a picture…a picture of me in a black wig. There’s a man tied to the bed with a ball gag in his mouth.
His name was Henry Withers. And his hobby was drugging young girls and raping them.
Jupiter fed him his dick before slashing his throat.
I don’t remember her taking any pictures, but she clearly did. How many others does she have? And did she take them as collateral?
Did she know that one day it would be me versus her?
From friends to enemies…who doesn’t love that trope?
Well, this is completely fucked.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, Mother Superior. But I can assure you that was taken somewhere else and not here. I would never—”
But she won’t hear it.
“Your personal life and choices are yours alone, but you must understand the concerns I have with you being around the children. This is a perversion in the eyes of the Lord. And I cannot expose these innocent children to such depravities.”
This can’t be happening.
“Please, Mother Superior—” I jump up, interlacing my hands in forgiveness. “I would never harm the children. I love them.”
“I can see that, but I must speak with Father Justin, and we will decide what the best outcome is. Until then, I think it’s best you find other lodgings.”
My heart sinks.
“I understand,” I say sorrowfully. “Again, I am so sorry you had to see that.”
Mother Superior looks at me like I’m some harlot who deserves to be stoned to death. “The Lord works in mysterious ways. Perhaps it was His way of exposing who you really are.”
She’s right.
No matter how hard I try to explain, that picture speaks a thousand words.
I can’t say anything else. I’ll respect whatever decision they decide upon.
Mother Superior nods and leaves me alone in the library with a severe case of whiplash. I was on top of the world five minutes ago, and now, all I want to do is hide.
There’s no coming back from this. Jupiter and I are done. A part of me felt guilty for speaking up, but now, I want the bitch to fry.
Not once did I ever think of turning Jupiter in.
But now, it’s game on.
It’s either her or me.
She wants to play dirty? Well, now the gloves are off.
She’s attempting to ruin every part of my life. If she believes I’ll just accept it without a fight, then she doesn’t know me at all.
She’s the one who’s always called the shots.
I didn’t mind. But now, I do.
I have to catch her in the act, and to do that, I must set a trap.
I need bait.
And that is Kit.
Jupiter is unpredictable. I don’t know her next move. But what I do know is that she wants Kit. Stalking him at the garage is proof of that.
I want to protect him, but how?
Perhaps I can entrap her. But for her to be punished, she needs to be caught committing an actual crime. And unlike me, Jupiter doesn’t leave evidence behind. She’s like a ghost.
I can’t risk Kit.
Though the plan seems solid, Jupiter is clever and will realize she’s being framed.
I feel sick that it’s come to this.
Disappearing back to the place I ran from is nothing short of insanity. But there’s more reason to go than stay. Being here doesn’t make sense anymore. It’s far more dangerous than going back to Hollow Banks—the place that has haunted my dreams since I left.
Or I can do the right thing and turn myself in. I can confess to everything.
It’s time to take the power back, whatever route I choose.
So I decide to send Jupiter a simple text.
You win.
She won’t respond, but she’ll understand.
I’m done playing her game. We are both guilty, and even without proof, my confession will be enough for the police to investigate. She won’t want that. So it seems we’re each other’s weaknesses.
Honestly, I don’t have a plan because this isn’t black and white. But what I do know is that I’ll do everything to protect Kit.
I’ll wait and see what Jupiter’s response will be and then plan my next move. Now, however, it’s time to pack up my things and find a place to stay. It’s probably for the best anyway.
Anyone close to me is in danger.
I pack my few belongings into a box, take a final look at the room where I once felt safe, and prepare to leave. It wasn’t much, but it was mine. The bed is stripped, and now, it can provide refuge for someone else.
I shut the door and head straight for the exit without looking back.
“Olivia!” Ronnie cries, hurtling through the door of the dining hall.
“Hey, buddy.” I place the box on the floor so I can pick him up.
Ronnie is a smart kid. When he notices my things in the box, his eyes widen. “Where are you going?”
I could lie to him. But one lie will just turn into two.
And then three.
I owe him more than that.
“I’m just going to stay somewhere else. But I’ll try my best to come and see you.”
“I want to come with you,” he demands, pouting.
“I wish you could, but you can’t. And besides, you’ll miss all your friends, and what about the sisters?”
“I don’t care!” he stubbornly cries. “I want to go with you.”
“I know that you do, but you can’t.”
My heart is breaking. I know how it feels to lose someone you love.
“Will you visit?” He senses my resolve, but still, he perseveres.
“I’ll try my very best.” And that’s the truth. I don’t know if I’ll ever be allowed back on the church grounds.
His lower lip trembles. He’s too young to understand. Perhaps when he’s older, I can find him and explain. But now, I just feel like I’ve contributed to fucking up his already fragile childhood.
“I’m sorry, Ronnie. I’ll always remember you.” I am trying my best to keep it together, but words escape me, and everything I say just sounds like excuses.
“No, don’t go!” he screams, and when Sister Jessie attempts to take him from me, he clings on tighter.
She’s clearly upset, but just following instructions. There are no hard feelings. I understand.
“Shh. It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”
“No!” he bellows hysterically.
I gently attempt to unlatch his fingers from around my neck. But he holds on tighter. Eventually, Sister Jessie is forced to pry him from my arms. He kicks and screams, desperate to break free.
“Bye, Liv,” she whispers, and when a tear trickles down her cheek, my invisible tears dance with hers.
I don’t prolong the inevitable and don’t wish to make more of a scene than I already have. I quickly punch in the code and storm out the front door, nearly hyperventilating. I feel the darkness chipping away at my resolve as I hear Ronnie screaming my name.
Not looking where I’m going, I bump straight into Kit, who stands at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hey.” He steadies me with his hands on my arms. “Where’s the fire?”
I know he’s trying to downplay my apparent distress.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you.”
“I doubt you’d see the Statue of Liberty with how quickly you took those steps. Is everything all right?”
He only seems to realize I’m carrying a box. And when he sees it contains my belongings, he frowns. “What happened?”
“Mother Superior asked me to find another place to stay.” I don’t elaborate, hinting I don’t want to talk about it.
He reads between the lines. “And where is that place?”
I shrug. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
He grabs the box and heads to his red truck, parked by the fountain. “You can stay with me until you work your shit out,” he explains as I look at him, lost in translation.
“No, no, no, I can’t do that.”
For so many reasons.
But when he waits for me to elaborate, I explain, “I don’t want to impose.”
“No imposition. Get in.”
There’s no point arguing as his mind is made up.
He holds the door open for me, making clear he’s not going anywhere without me.
“You’re so bossy,” I mumble under my breath as I get in.
“You’re welcome,” he responds.
I expect him to close the door, but before I have a chance to slip on my seat belt, he reaches for it and leans across me closely, snapping the buckle into the clip.
I hold my breath as he looks up at me. “Safety first.”
All I am capable of is nodding.
He smirks as he shuts the door.