Chapter 26 #2
“Bullshit,” he barks, cutting me off before I can utter those fateful words.
“I’m someone to pass the time, fill the void, remember?
Your words, Kiki. You know what isn’t fair?
I have loved you since practically the first day we met.
” He shakes his head, his breathing jagged as a serrated blade.
“I would have given you everything. Everything. But you didn’t want it. Didn’t want me.”
How many times did I dream of hearing those words from him? How many nights did I imagine a future that reality wouldn’t allow us to have?
The wall surrounding my heart breaks, and I collapse against the desk, sobbing. “Please, Eddie, you don’t understand.”
“Actually, I finally do. Don’t worry, Kiki, I don’t want to be your fucking friend, either. Guess that means we’re nothing. Do me a favor. We might have to work together, but beyond that? Stay away from me.”
I want to chase after Eddie. I want to dash right through the middle of Nolan’s fucking party, grab the man I love, tell him everything, and let the pieces fall where they may.
But I doubt Eddie would believe anything I say anymore. Why would he? In his eyes, I’m on a mission to rip him apart at the seams.
Instead, I track his retreating figure as he storms out the door and back through the party, hell-bent on putting as much distance between us as possible.
When did life become so damn complicated?
When you’re young, adults tell you that you’ll meet someone, fall in love and be happy. They fail to mention all the other shit that leaves you in a permanent state of purgatory.
But I don’t regret the few fateful moments where I belonged to him again.
In another life, it would be designated as the single hottest moment of my sexual career. Instead, it’s now a regrettable event Eddie wishes hadn’t happened.
My God, his face. The anger. The disbelief that I was actually breaking us again. There’s no coming back from this. Not this time.
Better get out there before anyone asks questions. That’s all Eddie needs is rumors churning about him and the pariah of Sparkwood.
I spend the next few minutes straightening my dress, blotting my eyes, and fixing my makeup until there’s no visible trace of the damage.
When I finally rejoin the party, Eddie is gone.
So I plaster on a smile and make my rounds, an excuse for his abrupt disappearance locked and loaded in my arsenal. Of course, Nolan and Romy both ask, concern creasing their faces.
I tell them Theo wasn’t feeling well. I hate using the little boy as a shield, but it’s something no one questions. It’s believable, and more importantly, it covers Eddie from prying inquiries.
Then I linger for the next hour, but I can’t focus on anything. Not the conversations, not the music, not the laughter.
My mind remains locked on Eddie.
The last time we ended things, there was pain simmering in his eyes. Raw and unfiltered. But this time… there was nothing but flat, unyielding disgust. Like I’d sucked the last bit of life from the ghost of our relationship, leaving nothing behind but a tattered corpse.
I have to leave. I can’t do this anymore. The air is stifling and the walls threaten to cave in, crushing us all.
Life is not a fucking party, Mr. Montague. In fact, it’s anything but fun these days.
After a few more minutes of forced conversation, I pass along my thanks, say goodbye to the few people willing to meet my gaze, and head toward the exit.
On my way out, I catch sight of Mr. Howard again, deep in conversation with a distinguished older gentleman.
I don’t need an introduction to know who he is. Uncle Ted, the all-powerful judge. A man who, with a word, could destroy everything Eddie has worked so hard to build.
My chest tightens as I tear my gaze away, forcing my feet to continue moving toward the door.
I really hope this is all worth it in the end. Because I’ve never felt this broken before.
I don’t bother showering or eating the rest of the weekend. I’m only out of bed long enough to let Gus out and toss some kibble in his bowl before crawling back under the covers and wishing I was dead.
And every time I wake up, there’s this small, stupid pang of disappointment, not that I actually want to disappear, just that I want all of this to stop. The pain. The fear. The loneliness. All of it.
Don’t get me wrong. I love life. Or at least, I did before it became a never-ending experiment in terror. But right now? Outside of my gentle old pup, I’ve got nothing.
Most of my family is gone. The few friends I have left are busy living their lives. The man I adore will never speak to me again.
And let’s be real. After this job, it’s not like there’s going to be anything else lined up for me in Sparkwood. Not when Eddie was the one getting me work around town in the first place.
I roll on my side, burying my face into Gus’s fur as he curls up beside me. “You are the only good thing I’ve got, Gus. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
His tail thumps lazily against the mattress before he leans in and licks my face, dragging a reluctant smile out of me.
“Humans will never be as cool as dogs. Not even close.”
I reach for my phone, squinting at the screen. 11:02 PM.
“Shit.” I push myself upright, groaning at the banging in my brain. “You’re starving, aren’t you, buddy? I am so sorry. God, I’m the worst mom ever. Your dinner is, what, five hours late?”
Gus perks up immediately at the mention of food and hops off the bed to escort me to the kitchen. I shuffle along behind him, to where he eagerly awaits his belated dinner.
He sets to eating before the bowl hits the ground, and I take a moment to glance around the cabin interior. Everything is the same and yet, something feels… off. Colder. More sinister.
Or maybe my brain has had enough of my shenanigans and is melting down as an act of resistance.
A knock sounds at my door and I jump, my entire body going rigid.
Who the hell is at my door this late at night?
I glance down at Gus, but he’s far more interested in his food. Yeah. That’s not reassuring in the slightest.
My mind immediately starts spinning theories and possibilities.
Maybe someone broke down? No. That doesn’t make any sense. I never see traffic up here, especially this time of year. The cabins are empty for the season.
Which means, there’s no one up here but me and the dog. Fabulous. Maybe it’s a serial killer come to murder me.
Seriously, Kiki. A serial killer is not going to fucking knock.
Another knock echoes through the house.
Okay. They’re not going away and my mind is not playing tricks on me.
I reach into the drawer and pull out a steak knife, even though I know full well that if I’m required to use it, I’ll likely miss, wind up stabbing myself and bleeding out right in front of the killer before he can do a damn thing.
Still… the feel of the handle in my hand gives me just enough courage to move.
I tiptoe toward the door, but make no move to open it. “Who’s there?”
“Kiki Wilder,” a man’s voice calls through the wood. “I need to speak with you.”
Okay, so he knows my name. A year ago, that wouldn’t have bothered me. Now, it’s terrifying.
“Tell me who you are and what you want.” For some reason, my voice sounds far braver than I feel.
A low chuckle sounds from the opposite side of the door. “I’m a friend of Drake’s and I’m not going to hurt you.”
Somehow, I doubt that.
“How do I know?”
Another laugh from the stranger. So glad he’s amused at my plight. “Ma’am, If I wanted to get inside your home, I’d already be there.”
For a second, I can’t breathe. Then a brittle sound rises from my chest, because I know the man is right. If he wanted access to my cabin, it wouldn’t be hard.
Not that the knowledge eases my mind in the slightest.
“I’m warning you, I have a knife.”
“Fair enough.”
I open the door a fraction, the security chain still in place. He’s a stranger to me. Mid-forties, maybe. Decent-sized guy. A little worn around the edges, like life’s taken a few swings at him. He looks like a drinker, though I don’t smell anything on him. “What do you want?”
He paces slowly across the length of my porch, as if he’s got nothing but time on his hands. “Just checking in, since the trial is coming up. You could be a really big help to all of us, and there are an awful lot of lives at stake here.”
All of them? How many monsters are there in Sparkwood? I shudder at the thought, but I refuse to let this man smell my fear. I can’t let these bastards win. Not this time.
I shake my head and sneer at him. “There were a lot of girls at stake, too. Remember them?”
He nods, unfazed by my false bravado. “There were and that’s unfortunate but you need to understand the truth. Drake got caught in the crossfire of a terrible situation. You don’t think he should spend the rest of his life behind bars for something he didn’t do, do you?”
A cold sweat breaks across my skin. I know what he wants, but he won’t get it from me, even if he kills me right here on the spot.
I sniffle, running a hand under my nose, fully aware I might eat a bullet for my next words.
“Actually, I think he should rot in prison. See, I knew Drake was guilty when he first asked me to lie for him and your visit tonight is further proof of that, because if he were innocent, he wouldn’t need people tracking me down to spin yarns on his behalf. ”
The man checks his watch, his face devoid of emotion. “Drake figured you might say that. Disappointing turn of events. But… I suppose that’s your right.”
“I suppose it is. Now get off my porch.”
He tips his hat as a sneer crawls across his wizened face.
Then he points up at the porch light. “You should have the wiring checked. I can tell it’s old.
You wouldn’t want anything unfortunate happening here, because these cabins are tinder boxes, and there’s no way a truck would get here in time. ”
I stand off to the side of the window, hidden behind the curtain, watching the man’s car back down the driveway.
A chill runs through me.
What if he didn’t come here just to talk? What if he planted something before knocking on the door? A camera? Hell, a bomb. Anything as a further incentive to bring me around to their way of thinking.
Maybe I should call the cops. Who am I kidding? That’s certainly not an option. It’s pretty fucking clear whose side they’re on, and I’m officially public enemy number one now.
My fingers tighten around my phone, flipping through my contacts before drifting to the one name I know I can’t touch.
Eddie.
God, I want him here. He’d know what to do, what to say, how to protect me.
Kiki, no. Absolutely not.
You don’t get to go near Eddie anymore. He’s not safe around you. And tonight is proof of that.
I pace from one end of my cabin to the other, my thoughts spiraling faster and faster. I’m exhausted and wired at the same time. My system doesn’t know whether to crash or run.
I feel like a rat in a cage, surrounded by hungry alley cats, their claws scraping through the slats, getting closer with every second.
One thing is certain. I’m not safe here now.
I call the motel in town, but it’s full. Some convention, the guy mumbles before hanging up mid-sentence.
Then it hits me. The only place I have left—the job site. The partygoers are long gone. No one is ever there. I should know, considering the long hours I’ve been clocking.
There’s a high-tech alarm system, a futon I hauled in for cat naps, heat and food in the fridge. It’s not perfect, but compared to here, it’s paradise.
I yank my suitcase from the closet and toss in some clothes and toiletries. Then I grab Gus’s things and motion to my pup.
“Come on, big guy. Let’s go.” He follows me down the drive and hops into the backseat. Dang dog loves going for car rides. Sadly, this one is not a pleasure cruise.
I scan the exterior lines of the cabin, wondering if this is the last time I’ll see it, especially after the man’s not-so-veiled threat about fires, and realize that if that’s the price of justice, then so be it.
At least I’ve got Gus.
“I’m going to get us somewhere safe,” I murmur, gripping the wheel. “As safe as anywhere is right now.”