Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
The bell behind me chimes, and I glance over my shoulder to see a trio of women coming into the café, their chatter filling the peaceful space. My body immediately stiffens as recognition floods me. I know those faces. Those are the faces of my high school bullies. It was bad enough that they picked on me relentlessly, but the fact that they are still here, still clinging to each other, is like a nightmare come true.
The sharp gaze of Esmerelda, always the group leader, pins me, and her mouth drops open. She knows me, and I see the moment that recognition dawns on the remaining two by her side, Charlotte and Harriet. I turn quickly, but it doesn’t stop the sound of their whispers and gasps as they come to terms with the fact that I am here, in town.
My quiet entrance isn’t going to be so quiet after all.
My heart pounds as I step up to the counter and quietly order a coffee, praying they say nothing and wondering how I can escape this place without a confrontation. The very second I step aside, Esmerelda steps up to me, her expression a mix of curiosity and the same smug look she carried around when we were younger.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mera Sloane," Esmerelda announces, her voice carrying an edge that draws the attention of nearby patrons. "We were certain you left town for good. What brings you back?"
I fight to maintain composure, swallowing down a sassy response. I’m not here to cause trouble, I’m here for answers, and starting something with her right now will just draw unwanted attention.
“Visiting,” I say, my voice calm, my back straight as I refuse to allow her to have it over me the way she did before.
Charlotte snickers. “Visiting, huh? You should know that nobody around here wants to see your face after what your father did.”
I clench my jaw, pinning her with my gaze. I might have been quiet and fragile back then, but now, I’m done being pushed around. "Why I’m here is none of your fucking business, now back up.”
Harriet tilts her head, a feigned innocence in her tone. "Now, now, Mera. We’re not here to cause you trouble. We just didn’t expect you to come back, you know, considering the mark you left on this town.”
“I didn’t leave a god damned thing,” I say, taking a steady breath. “Now, if you’ll excuse me ...”
Esmerelda smirks, though there's a flicker of hesitation. "Well, I hope you’re not expecting to be welcomed back with open arms. People around here aren’t so forgiving, and they certainly haven’t forgotten what your father did.”
“I’m not here to be forgiven.”
Taking my coffee, I turn and leave the café before another word can be spoken.
The moment I’m outside and the warm air is tickling my skin, I close my eyes and press my back against the wall.
This isn’t going the way I planned.
I’ve been here less than half an hour, and already I want to turn and run.
I can’t though.
I made a promise to myself that I would find answers.
And I don’t break promises.
STEPPING ONTO THE FAMILIAR street, my legs feel heavy as each step takes me closer to a past I have no choice but to confront. As I near my old neighborhood, the sight of my childhood home stirs a deep feeling of fear and emotion in my chest. The house I once loved has been abandoned, lost to the elements, nobody ever having taken it over.
Nobody wanted to live in a home where a murderer spent all his time plotting to torment the entire town.
The once stark gray paint has faded and is peeling off the walls, the garden, which my father cherished, is overgrown and full of weeds and trash. I hesitate as I force myself to move closer, passing the mailbox that is broken and tilting on an angle. Graffiti lines the walls as I step onto the porch, and my stomach twists as I read the words.
Murderer.
Killer.
I don’t blame people for feeling the way that they do. My father took so many lives, and he did it in a gruesome, cruel, and awful way. If those were my family members, I too would be driven to say and do crazy things. Hell, I’m the child left behind, and lord knows I have made my fair share of mistakes.
“Mera?”
A familiar voice has me turning, my body jerking as I take in the man standing behind me. Gone is the boy I once prayed would notice me, and in his place, a man. Jace still has the same sandy blond hair and piercing blue eyes, only now he is tall, muscled, and terrifyingly beautiful.
“Jace?” I ask, my voice soft.
He steps closer, staring at me as though time has stood still and he’s trapped in an old memory. “I heard you were back; I figured this is where I’d find you.”