Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 179189 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 896(@200wpm)___ 717(@250wpm)___ 597(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 179189 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 896(@200wpm)___ 717(@250wpm)___ 597(@300wpm)
“Seriously?” I say as we walk out of the club.
“Honey, I need sex. I don’t care where, but if I’m not getting any, at least let me watch someone else get it. Okay?”
“We could watch porn,” I say.
She opens her mouth but then closes it again, her brow lifting curiously. Then she nods slowly and smiles brightly. “Good idea, let’s do that. I call dibs on James Deen!”
Chapter 5
Hailey
Later that night
I open the door to my mom’s house and find her lying on the floor near the couch. A puddle of blood pools around her head, and her eyes are wide open. I run to her as fast as I can. “Mom!” I shout, but she doesn’t respond.
Her body is lifeless as I pick her up and hold her close to me. Tears run down my cheeks, and when I look at my hands, they’re soaked in blood. My breathing stops the moment I see the gaping hole in her heart.
A door to the left slams open and in comes a man carrying a rifle. “What are you doing here?”
He holds it up and points it at me.
A scream as loud as the gunshot that follows erupts from my lungs.
I sit up straight in bed. Heart pounding, I have sweat dripping down my forehead.
I touch my skin, but there’s no hole. I look at my hands and see no blood.
Then I touch my face … tears all over.
“What’s wrong?” Lesley asks, as she gets up from her bed and sits down beside me. “Are you okay?” She puts her hand on my forehead. “You’re burning up.”
“I’m fine,” I lie.
I’m not.
I’m not fine at all, but what am I supposed to tell her?
They’re just nightmares. That’s it.
“You were dreaming again, weren’t you?” she asks.
I nod slowly, and she grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly. “If you wanna talk about it, I’m here.”
“I just … keep seeing him,” I say, biting my lip to test if I’m really awake.
“Your mother’s new boyfriend?”
“Yeah, but he’s holding a shotgun, and—” I choke up.
Lesley grabs me and pulls me toward her, hugging me tight. “It was only a dream. Just remember that.”
“I know, but what if it becomes the truth? What if these are all warning signs, and I’m ignoring them?”
“You’re not psychic, Hailey. No one can predict the future.”
“But I can’t let anything happen to her.”
She pushes me away so she can look me in the eye. “She’ll be fine. She’s a grown woman; she can handle it. And if you’re unsure, call her.”
I take in a breath and then grab my cell phone and dial my mom’s number. “Mom?” I say as someone picks up.
“You again?” It’s him. “You dare to call us after leaving your mom like that? No. You show your face first, then we talk.” Before I can reply, the phone’s cut off.
I pull the phone away from my ear and stare at it like I can’t believe he just did that.
“What happened?” Lesley asks.
“He picked up,” I say.
“Oh … fuck.”
In a fit, I throw the phone. It ends up against the wall, probably broken to bits.
“Damn, Hailey.” Lesley picks up the phone and shows me the screen, which is cracked. “Why’d you have to do that?”
I shrug. I don’t wanna think. I don’t wanna know. I just want to disappear.
“Hailey?” She snaps her fingers. “Earth to Hailey.”
I get up from the bed. “Let’s just get ready for class.”
That’s the last I speak of it.
Every time she brings it up, I change the subject until she understands that I really don’t wanna talk about it. I don’t wanna make her feel bad, so I don’t tell her directly. I know she cares about me. There’s just no way she, or anyone else, can help my mom or me.
I have a few options, and one of which is ignoring it until the pain goes away.
I always choose that option. It seems like the easiest one.
That, or getting wasted.
Just as long as I can forget.
* * *
Years ago
I stare at the bird in the tree, chirping as hard as he can. I wonder why he does that. If he feels lost. If he’s alone and afraid. Like me.
The grass tickles my toes as I inch closer on my flip-flops, trying not to scare it. I just wanna have a closer look, that’s all. I love staring at things, animals in particular. They’re so vibrant, so alive. Unlike me.
Unlike everything I’ve experienced recently. I wonder if Mom feels the same.
“What are you looking at?” Mom shouts, interrupting my thoughts.
“Shh!” I whisper, turning my head toward her. “You’ll scare it away.” I slowly point at the bird as she comes to stand behind me.
“A bird?”
“Yeah … it’s constantly singing. Why do you think it does that?” I ask.
“Maybe it’s looking for a mate,” my mom says, chuckling.