Chapter 52 Beth
Beth
“What was that noise?” I ask Ryan.
“What?” he says. He’s still pushing me against the window, pressing my shoulder against the cold glass, texting someone on his phone. Finally, the sound of crunching gravel gets his attention. He looks over my head out the window.
“Oh, that was good old Amelia departing rather suddenly. She didn’t even say goodbye.
And from what I could see as I watched her hurry to her car and drive off, she left her pile of pink baggage behind, all of it—oh, and she left Brett,” Ryan says.
When he laughs a chill runs down my spine.
I used to like his laugh. I used to like him.
I am fairly certain he’s lost his mind. “She should have at least taken the body with her. I mean, she is the one who brought him here, and neither of them was invited. Rude, if you ask me.”
It’s official. He’s no longer the Ryan I knew. “So, that means the roads are clear now?”
“Maybe. Who knows,” Ryan says.
All I know is I’d rather take my chances out there in the desert than spend another minute in here with a madman. “Oh, great. We can leave too. I’ll be on my way,” I say. I’m nervous, sweaty. I try to wriggle out of his grip, but it’s not working. “Let me go, please.”
“You know, I’ll always remember that night with you,” he says.
He leans in close to my face, too close.
“Both because the sex was surprisingly good, and then, of course, the shame and regret because of Sunny. What if she had lived? What if she had found out about us? What would have happened? You tempted me. You were an untrue friend. It was all your fault that night, you bitch.”
“We would have told her we were drunk, and we made a terrible mistake,” I say, staring into his eyes. His eyes glisten with threats.
“Wrong answer. We never would have told her. She wouldn’t have gotten over it, ever,” he says.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Let me go,” I say.
He shoves his phone into his pocket and grabs my other shoulder, spinning me around so I’m facing out the window.
What, who is that? Standing on the driveway, her back to us, is a woman with long blond hair wearing a green dress.
I shake my head and close my eyes. When I open them, she’s still there.
She’s the woman on the postcard, the woman in the photos.
“Who is that?” I ask. My heart pounds in my chest. It can’t be her. She’s dead.
“My girlfriend. Sunny,” Ryan says.
As if on cue, the woman in the green dress turns around. She looks up to the window and smiles.
I’m shaking all over. I don’t know what this is, who she is, but I need to get out of here. I kick Ryan in the groin, bend my knees, drop to the ground fast, and dart away, running to the door.
“Stop, Beth, we’re not finished here,” he says, hobbling in pain trying to catch me.
I reach the door and pull on the handle at the same moment Ryan catches up to me. He grabs my hair with one hand and my waist with the other.
“I told you we aren’t finished,” he says in a growling voice.
“What do you want?” I ask. I feel his breath hot on my face.
“I want you to suffer. I want you to die alone,” he says.
“Sure, OK, it looks like that’s where I’m headed,” I say. “Not going to be a problem.”
“Promise me you won’t tell her about that night,” he says. “It will ruin everything we’ve built together. Oh, and don’t tell Roxy about Sunny. She’ll find out soon enough.”
That’s all? “No problem. I promise,” I say.
He lets go of my hair and takes his arm away from my waist. “I always did like you, Beth. I always did, until you tricked me, seduced me, that night. You are the one. Not me. That’s why I watched your girl, that’s why I’m taking her away from you.
Celeste will be a Gentry. You’ll be all alone, like you deserve. ”
“Uh-huh,” I say and grab my purse from the dresser, debating whether I should try to bring my suitcase with me too.
“Let me help you with your bag,” Ryan says, grabbing my suitcase, as gallant as if the past few minutes never happened. It’s unsettling how Ryan vacillates from livid to the perfect host at the drop of a hat. His shifting emotions are troubling.
I walk quickly down the hall and reach the front door, thrilled to be getting away from this place. I open the door.
“Mom, there you are,” Celeste says. She and Zach are sitting on a bench, suitcases beside them. Despite what he thinks, Ryan will not take my girl from me. Ever.
“Here I am. Let’s get going,” I say. I look ahead down the path, but there is no sign of Ryan’s girlfriend, thank God.
“Zach, are you leaving too?” Ryan says.
“Yeah, Dad, everyone is leaving. Mom already left with Jamie and Greer. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. I mean, there is a dead body in the living room, so there’s that,” Zach says. “Are you staying here?”
“Yes. This is my home,” Ryan says. I don’t have to look at him to know his eyes are darkening. “This is where I’m meant to be.”
“What’s wrong with you, Dad? You look weird,” Zach says. Celeste takes his hand.
“Let’s go,” she says. She looks at me, and I nod.
“Yes, let’s go,” I say. “I can handle my own suitcase.” I hope he’ll let us all leave. I hope his ghostly girlfriend doesn’t reappear.
“Safe travels,” Ryan says and hands me the suitcase handle. He leans in close and whispers, “I’ll be watching you, Beth. And Celeste too. As always. You will pay for what you did.”
A chill runs down my spine. He has been spying on us this entire weekend, I’m certain of it now.
And he’s been watching me for years, too, waiting to exact his revenge.
He blames me for the night we hooked up, when in reality he was the one who needed a place to sleep.
Why didn’t he go to the front desk and get another key?
Because the Desert Sunrise wasn’t like that, I know.
The night staff was gone by eight p.m. But that doesn’t excuse what he’s done now.
He had a plan to take Celeste from me, by introducing her to Zach.
Oh my God. I hurry down the walkway tugging my suitcase, with Celeste and Zach close behind.
We reach my car, miraculously undamaged by the windstorm, toss our bags in the trunk, and hurry inside. We are all spooked, I realize.
Celeste is in the front seat next to me, and Zach is in back.
I start the car and begin to drive away.
I look in the rearview mirror and Sunny’s there, with Ryan, standing on the driveway.
Zach is looking out the back window and sees them too.
They’re holding hands under the palms in front of a Desert Sunrise. I mean, no, it’s not her.
I need to get away from here.