An enterprising reporter will find me. I’m confident of that. I just need to wait. Patience never used to be my strong point, but times have changed, and waiting is about all that I’m good at these days.
If she is to come though...my eyes stray toward the doorway where I can see the haphazard pile of boxes I carried in and abandoned months ago. I should clean up and make this place look normal so she doesn’t think the recluse on the hill is actually a serial killer chopping up bodies in the basement. I only do shit like that in books. Honestly, maybe that’s my problem. I’ve lived all these lives in the pages of my stories, but I haven’t experienced anything real for the last decade.
I get to my feet. The reporter for Cherry Falls Gazette is about as real as they come. Once she arrives at my house, I’m not going to let her leave.
Chapter Six
Glory
“What are you doing?” I let out a scream, almost coming out of my skin.
“You scared the crap out of me!” My heart races. My mom steps into my bedroom picking up one of the books I have strewn all over my bed.
“No wonder.” She flips it over, scanning the back of the book. “Didn’t we already read this one a few years ago?” I take the book from her hand and put it back down. We did. Both of us are obsessed with the series.
“Yeah.” We’ve read every single book that Corby O’Neal has ever written.
“I could not read those and live alone.” Actually, now that I think about it, he hasn’t released a book in a while. The last one was before I moved out of my parents’ house to start my life. Not that I’ve really gone far. I now reside in the small apartment over their detached garage. It isn’t the grandest of accommodations, but it’s a start in the right direction.
“I wasn't reading them really. Just looking into some stuff.” To be honest, I’d fallen down a rabbit hole. There was a ton of information when it came to Corby O’Neal. Thousands of fan pages were out there. In particular there were so many conspiracy theory ones that caught my attention. So many people are wondering why the man hasn't popped out a new book in a while. I was surprised by the number of angry fans that were out there. But there were also some very invested ones.
“Are you hot on the trail of a story?”
“Something like that.” I’m really not sure what I’m looking for, but I know that there’s a story when it comes to Corby.
“Tell me. I brought food.” She turns, leaving my small bedroom to go back into the main living area of my place.
“You should really knock. What if I had a date up here?” My mom bursts into laughter. “Well, that’s mean. I could totally have had a date up here,” I mumble, sitting down at the small high top table I have set up in the kitchen. My mom starts to unload the bags she brought over. I must have really been into the article I was reading if I didn't hear her come in. It doesn’t surprise me; this is how I get when I’m on to something.
“I did knock,” she informs me. “So?” She hands me a Snapple from out of the bag. I take it. “The story. Let’s hear what you’re working on.” My mom is an English teacher over at the high school. I’m an only child and super close to both of my parents. I might be a little too close. I mean, look at me. I moved twenty feet from my childhood home.
“Corby O’Neal has moved to Cherry Falls.”
“What!”
I nod my head. “Don’t tell anyone! This is my story.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Fine, but that's a juicy piece of info. It’s probably the most exciting thing that’s ever happened here.” It is. Maybe this wouldn’t be news for a bigger city, but this is Cherry Falls, which makes it huge!
When word got around a few years ago that Nicolas Cage passed through town, people wouldn't shut up about it. Then I debunked the story, and well, everyone was pissed at me for a month for ruining it. I tried to explain that I was only doing my job, but no one wanted to hear it. I’ve learned to never let other people's reactions to my work get in the way of the truth.
“He’s really handsome.”
My mom stops unpacking the food she brought over. “How old is he?”
“Early thirties,” I admit. “Dad is ten years older than you.” I sneak that in there.
“I was just asking a question.” She puts her hand on her hip. “Why are you getting so defensive and comparing your dad and me to him?” I can feel my whole face flush knowing I’m busted. Now she’s definitely going to know that I’m crushing on him. “Wait. Have you met him already?” For one second, I think about not telling her, but I know she’ll see right through me, so I might as well spill it.