“My head is pounding and I’m hungry,” I answer truthfully, leaving out the part about feeling like a part of me is suddenly missing.
“What do you feel like eating?” he asks, and I feel his chin move against the top of my head.
“Soup.”
“Do you want me to bring it in here to you, or do you feel like getting up?”
“I’ll get up.”
“All right.” He touches his lips to my hair right before he stands us both up. Moving to the door, he stops me with his hand, taking mine, and I turn to look at him.
“Are you okay?” I ask when I see the worried look in his eyes.
“How much do you know about what happened with Kelly?” he asks suddenly, and I frown.
“Two agents from the FBI told me that she was murdered, but they couldn’t tell me much other than that.”
“I thought so.” He shakes his head while running his hand down his mouth in agitation. That’s when I realize there would be no way of him knowing that unless something else happened. I didn’t even think about the fact he had shown up here out of the blue, threatening to break down the door until now.
“What happened?” I ask, feeling my heart start to beat hard against my ribcage.
“Ashlyn was kidnapped in the middle of the night. She and Dillon had both been drugged. Dillon woke up when Ashlyn was being taken, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening, since he had been given some sort of muscle relaxer,” he explains, referring to his cousin, who is my close friend, and her new husband.
“What?” I press my hand to my mouth, and he pulls me against his chest. “Please tell me she’s okay,” I whisper against my fingers as my stomach turns, and a fresh wave of tears begins to fill my eyes.
“She’s fine. She’s in the hospital recovering. She got away, but not before she saw who she thought was you at the time, dead. That’s why the FBI was here this morning,” he says, right before his hand wraps around my jaw and he pulls me back to search my face. Staring blankly at him, his words settle over me, and I watch his eyes close as he shakes his head, muttering a quiet “Fuck.”
“Did she…” My eyes close, and then I open them back up slowly. “Did she talk to Kelly… before?”
“I don’t know, baby.” Dislodging his hand still holding my chin, I drop my forehead to his chest. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, and I do the only thing I can do, which is nod.
“Honey,” my mom calls as she knocks on my door a second later.
“Mom,” I cry, and Sage releases me. Rushing across the small space to her, I wrap my arms around her waist and tuck my face against her chest, where I start to cry again.
“Oh, honey,” she whispers, holding on to me. Then I feel myself being transferred and I smell the familiar scent of my dad’s cologne as I’m tucked into his chest.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says, rocking me from side-to-side, and I do the only thing I can do once again. I hold on.
Sage
TAKING OFF MY shirt and shoes, I drop my jeans to the floor and grab my sleep pants, putting them on before taking a seat on the edge of the couch. Rubbing my hands down my face, I yawn. It’s been a long few days, and it’s all starting to catch up with me. I rest my elbows on my knees and stare at the floor.
Six days ago, I convinced Kim to come stay with me. Since her parents are in town and she doesn’t have the extra room, she agreed, and since then, I’ve been sleeping on the couch, having given up my room to her and the only other furnished room to her parents.
Sensing movement behind me, I look over my shoulder and watch Kim start toward me. I love everything about having her here, but I wish the circumstances were different.
“You okay?” I ask when she finally makes it across the room and crawls onto my lap. Her parents went to bed about an hour ago, and she had said she was doing the same.
“I can’t sleep,” she whispers, tucking herself closer to my chest, and I lean back against the couch, wrapping my arms around her.
“Are you worried about tomorrow?” I question, and she stiffens slightly before relaxing once more.
“I’m relieved that Kelly will be put to rest,” she replies quietly, and my eyes close as the pain in her voice grates against my skin. Six days ago, the FBI and the police were still looking for Kelly’s body. Three days ago, they found her remains after apprehending the man responsible for Kelly’s murder and my cousin’s abduction. Two days ago, Kelly’s mom called Kim’s phone for the first time, asking Kim to help out with the cremation expenses—meaning she asked Kim to pay for the whole thing.