I let out a deep sigh, remembering I needed to catch up on things so I could to get back to writing. I had to finalize the house. I had to reply to emails, and I had to keep Brooke informed on my progress with the book.
Then, I realized I wasn’t even sure where my laptop was at the moment. After checking the bedroom and living room, I ended up finding it underneath a stack of papers on the kitchen counter. I had absolutely no idea how it got there. That had to be a bad sign.
Just a few short weeks ago, this laptop had been the center of my world. Writing was such a huge part of my life, and emails were second nature to me. Now, my cold laptop felt almost foreign. The thought quickly evaporated as soon as I fired it up and signed into my email account. I had tons of unread messages. I immediately dived right in and started deleting my junk mail. Then, I responded to emails based on urgency.
I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed at the halfway point.
The book seemed so easy to write compared to all of the extras that came along with it.
I kept chugging along, replying to email after email.
Feeling a need for a break, I decided to call Brooke. I frowned when I received her voice mail. I left her a quick message to call me when she had some free time. I missed her, and I wanted to catch up.
Next, I called the realtor, Elena, and told her we were ready to list the house. She scheduled me in for the next day, so we could complete the contract and officially put up a for-sale sign. I smiled to myself, knowing I truly felt ready to move on.
I suddenly had the urge to open up my manuscript. I was a bit nervous and excited. It was odd to feel that way, considering the story was mine, and I knew exactly what it said, word for word. My writer’s love instantly bloomed, and I couldn’t wait to hit the keys.
Oh yeah, this is exactly what I needed.
After an hour of backtracking through what I’d already written, I spent another twenty minutes writing as the words started to flow. It was as though my mind was on overflow. I smiled at the voices filling my head. They wanted to be heard, and their emotions needed to be shared.
When the doorbell rang, I let out a deep sigh. I opened the door to find A.J. smiling on the front porch. He was dressed in the same clothing he always seemed to wear. He was fond of his expensive-looking jeans and rolling up the sleeves of his collared flannel shirts.
“Hi, Lily.”
“Hey, A.J.” I smiled and opened the door wider. “You just missed the guys a bit ago. Do you want me to call them?” I asked. Then, it suddenly occurred to me that he wasn’t dressed to go out on the trails.
“Uh, no, I’m good.” A.J. laughed. “I actually came to visit you. Do you mind if I come in?” he asked kindly.
“Oh, of course.” I gestured him inside and shut the door. “Would you like something to drink or eat? I was going to make sandwiches for the guys, but I’m not sure how long they’ll be gone.”
“Jason said they were riding up to Tim Beckon’s house this morning. That’s pretty far, isn’t it?” he pondered out loud as we sat down together on the couch.
I was briefly surprised to hear how far they had gone. Jason hadn’t mentioned it. As I thought about it, I hadn’t heard from them in several hours. I hoped they were okay. I stood to grab my phone.
Maybe I should call. Better safe than sorry.
A.J. interrupted my thoughts. “I’m sure they’re okay. I talked to Jason about half an hour ago. They were still kickin’ up the trails.”
“Oh good.” I let out a relieved breath. “I was starting to get worried. I didn’t know they were going out that far.”
“Don’t worry,” A.J. reassured me. “You know Jason and Damon know those trails better than anyone. They won’t let anything happen to Kyle.”
“True.” I sat back down and looked up at A.J. “So, what’s up, A.J.? Is everything okay?”
“No,” he answered, letting out a troubled-sounding sigh. He closed his eyes as if he were in pain.
“A.J., are you okay? What’s wrong?” Feeling nervous, I stood up. “When Meg talked to me yesterday, she sounded so worried, and now, I’m freaking out. Is she okay?”
“I know. She’s having a rough time.” He sighed again as he ran his hands through his hair. “Look, can we talk? I need to show you something, and then maybe you’ll understand.”
“Okay,” I answered.
My heart was beating frantically in my chest. Something was terribly off. I could feel it. I could not take any more heartache. Meg had to be okay.
A.J. led the way to the stairs.
All the while, questions were running through my mind.
What could Meg have possibly gotten herself into? How does it involve me, especially when I haven’t been around for so long?
No matter what, I will not abandon Meg. Whatever she needs, I’ll be there for her unconditionally.
I pushed the thoughts aside as we reached the top of the stairs. My heart stopped beating when we paused in front of Annie’s bedroom door.
I couldn’t hide my painful expression as I turned to A.J. “Why…why do we need to go in there?” I asked quietly. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hear any more. My body trembled with a bad feeling.
“There is something in here I need to show you.” He offered me a soft, remorseful smile as if he knew I didn’t want to enter that room. “Once you see, I promise everything will make more sense to you.”
I nodded, unable to stop my fingers from shaking.
After A.J. opened the door and entered the room, I hesitantly stepped inside. He walked to the closet and bent over. His hands pulled at the carpet until the floorboards were revealed. A.J. tugged on them, and the sounds of the loose nails separating from the boards filled the air.
Secrets
. The air shifted in the room.
What could possibly be under there? Who needs to hide things beneath floorboards? Surely, Annie didn’t have dark secrets hidden there.
“A.J.? What are you—”
I stopped when he pulled out a box. My eyes instantly fixated on it. It was another keepsake box, and I had no doubt that Annie had decorated it. My knees wobbled, and I sank to the floor.
Another box? One I never knew about.
“I helped Annie hide this box,” A.J. confessed quietly while sitting down next to me. “I used to sneak in here when we were kids.” His expression was so wounded, filled with hurt and loss. It was an all-too-familiar look. “Annie was always afraid your parents would come up, so we would hide in the closet with flashlights and blankets. We’d talk for hours. Some nights, we stayed up together until just before sunrise.”
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. Words failed me.
Him and Annie? Annie and him?
A.J.’s eyes said it all.
Oh my god! I was so blind. His love is clear as day. How did I not see this?
A sharp pain sliced through my heart. Tears blurred my eyes as I choked back my cries. “She never even told me.” I slowly shook my head. “Why? Why didn’t she ever tell me?”
It was the only question that mattered to me. Annie was my sister, and I loved her something fierce. The bond between sisters was unbreakable, unstoppable.
How could she hide being in love with A.J.?
“She wanted to…all the time. I told her not to.” A.J. lowered his voice. “She promised me.”
“Why?” I croaked.
He let out a deep breath. “Your dad caught us making out one night. I mean, we were heavily making out under the sheets when we were camping out. Your dad was hysterical. He flipped his shit, Lily. Threats were made, things were said, and that was it.” A.J. shrugged. “He thought I wasn’t good enough for her, and he did everything in his power to keep Annie away from me. So, we made a promise…”
He seemed to be lost in his thoughts, and I waited for him to continue.
“It was one that I now know she always kept.”
Always
ran loud and clear in my head. I connected the dots quickly.
The baby.
The room started to spin. My body felt heavy yet weightless. “Oh my god…you were the father.”
While processing the new details of my sister’s life, I managed to keep my eyes locked on A.J.’s, but they didn’t hold the warmth or affection that belonged to the A.J. I knew. They were dark, filled with pain and loss and hatred.
And something even worse.
Revenge.
“Have you figured it out yet, Lily?” A.J.’s tone was filled with venom and disgust.
It was truly the most frightening thing I had ever heard.
The letters. Oh god, the letters. No…it can’t be him.
“No! No…please,” I whispered, shaking my head in denial.
It can’t be true. I grew up with A.J. He’s not capable of such hatred.
“Yes, Lily,” A.J. bit out. “You not only took Annie away from me, you also fucking took my child!” His hand came out like lightning, striking me hard across the face.
My temple forcefully hit the wall. I outstretched my hand to steady myself, my fingertips grasping the door frame of the closet.
“A.J., oh god…I’m so sorry,” I cried, trying to ignore the throbbing on the right side of my face. I was truly sorry…so, so very sorry. “I-I never meant for this to happen. It was an accident.”
“An accident?” A.J. screamed, throwing his hands up. “You fucking killed them, you bitch! You took away the only person I have ever loved! We were having a baby for Christ’s sake!” He kicked the box toward me. “Open it.”
Tears were rolling freely down my face. I didn’t want to see what was in there. I didn’t want to see what I had taken away from Annie. My heart was breaking. I felt empty and shattered and completely hollow. I had worked so hard on mending myself the last few weeks, and it was all gone in an instant.
I shook my head while silently praying for Kyle and my cousins to return. I didn’t even know what time it was or when they were coming back.
“Open it!” A.J.’s voice reverberated off the walls.
He picked up the box. His knuckles turned white from his tight grip. Filled with anger, he launched the box at me. It landed on my chest, knocking the air from my lungs.
I whimpered, soundlessly praying for help. I wished for someone to take me away from this room before I could open the box. My wobbly hands lifted the lid, and I dropped it by my side.
Looking down, the first keepsake gutted me. It was an ultrasound picture with Annie’s name written across the top. In the center, I could see a round head and tiny limbs that were starting to form. My breaths came out in gasps. I pleaded for air as the overwhelming sharp pains stabbed the center of my chest.
I took this from her.
“Annie was so happy. She loved that baby so much, but she was terrified to tell your family that I’d gotten her pregnant. We came home that weekend to tell everyone. Annie had said she wanted to wait until Sunday, so we could just leave if she felt uncomfortable.” He paused, tears forming in his eyes. “I loved her so damn much. I was going to ask her to marry me the night before she told everyone. I wanted her to know that no matter what, we would still be together. I was going to take care of her…forever.”
A.J. yanked the ultrasound picture from my grasp. He leaned forward until he was inches from my face. My breathing became labored in complete fear of his proximity. Panic pumped my blood hard throughout my body.
He was dead silent for a moment. His eyes were lifeless, black as coals.
“You fucking took away everything good in my life in the few hours she was back in town.”
I tried to scoot back on my haunches, trying to put distance between us. I vaguely recalled A.J. having a temper when we had been kids, but I had only seen it once or twice, and this was much worse. Every nerve ending in my body urged me to get away…now.
A.J. grabbed my wrist and gripped it painfully until I cried out.
“No! I don’t want to see any more!” I cried, straining to fight and pull away.
I tugged my arm back and flailed my legs out from underneath me, but his hold was too strong. Unwilling to give up, I drew in one leg and then kicked out with all my might. I laid a side blow to his ribs.
I had a split second to free my wrist, and I frantically rose to my feet. I took off and made it to the door frame. A.J. caught me by a handful of hair, and I screamed out. Twisting me around to face him, he raised his elbow and struck me in my jaw. My head flew back and crashed into the door. I hit the floor, hard. A sharp pain radiated from my head as blackness loomed over me. I inhaled deeply, fighting for oxygen, as I ignored the horrible pain radiating from my temples.
As I lifted my head, A.J. grabbed my leg and jerked me across the hardwood floor. I thrashed around wildly while my hands tried to find anything I could use to fight him off. When we reached the middle of the room, A.J. stopped. He stood over me and then sat on my stomach. All the air left my lungs as he pressed his weight into me.
“Revenge is a wonderful thing, Lily. I’m going to enjoy it.” He leaned forward and wrapped his fingers around my throat.
When I felt him squeezing, my eyes widened in terror, but my body’s natural defenses kicked into gear. I surged my hips upward in an effort to buck him off. He was heavy, but my unknown inner power was able to lift him. His hands loosened, and he tried to balance himself. I scooted down, attempting to free myself from between his thighs.
“You’re not going anywhere, Lily. If Annie and my baby can’t be here,” he said, pinning down my shoulders and repositioning himself back over my abdomen, “then neither can you.”
His hands clenched around my neck once more, and I gasped for air as I anxiously lifted my hands to flex them around his wrists. I tried to pull his hands away from me, but his grip was relentless. His raw strength overpowered mine.
My pulse sped up…and then slowed. Spots were dancing in my vision. My eyes were beginning to feel heavy, my fingers started tingling, and my lungs were pleading for air. The pain was too much for me.
“You killed her, Lily,” A.J. cried. “You took her away, damn it! The one person I loved.”
His voice seemed distant now. Everything in sight blurred, revealing a dark cloud that showed no light. Just as I was about to close my eyes and let darkness consume me, I heard his scream.