Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
We sit down on the steps, and he gives me a coffee and a beautiful chocolate cake from the bakery in town. We eat in silence, mostly because I’m starving and this coffee is a god send. Once my veins are flowing with caffeine, I finally turn toward him. I still haven’t decided if I even like the man. I mean, he’s friendly and all, but he really does not seem like the kind of guy I’d go for, but in saying that, I haven’t even given him the chance so I should at the very least wait until we’ve gone out before deciding.
It's a pity my vagina is too busy thinking about the ignorant biker next door.
“You said your aunt left you this place,” Anthony says, glancing around. “Did she not live here?”
“Not for a while. She left town after a bad breakup and the house sat abandoned. I’m just here to fix it up.”
“You going to sell it?”
I nod. “Yeah, I think so. I’m not sure what the market is like around here, but I’m hopeful once it’s cleaned up I might get some interest.”
Anthony nods. “You should do well, things around here have skyrocketed in the last few years. You should sell it for a pretty penny. What are you going to do once you’ve finished?”
I shrug. “I’m not really sure. Probably travel, maybe settle down somewhere new.”
“Well,” he says, smiling at me, “I had better convince you that this place is worth staying in.”
I laugh. “I doubt you can do that, but I’m flattered all the same.”
“I have to get back to work, I just wanted to remind you who I am,” he says, playfully. “Would you consider coming to dinner with me?”
I nod. I said I’d give him a chance. Fair is fair. “Sure. When?”
“Saturday?”
“Sounds great. I’ll text you right now with my number.”
He laughs and stands. “I won’t hold you to it.”
I smile as he disappears to the car parked at the beginning of the driveway. I watch him go, giving him a small wave, then I get back to work. I finish up the first coat in the living area by the time the sun sets, and once the builder has gone and I’m finally alone, I drop the brush, exhausted. I have a long, hot shower, get into my pajamas, and then relax in my fresh room.
It smells of paint, but I’m just glad I can sleep without fear of rats crawling all over me.
Lying back on the pillow, I dig into a bag of Cheetos as I scroll mindlessly through my phone. A message appearing on my screen has me sitting up. An unknown number followed by words that I know, means he has managed to get hold of my number and is no longer leaving notes. I don’t stop to think about where he might have gotten the number, because the words on the screen are enough to capture my attention.
Unknown – I’m growing tired of this game. I want what I deserve. She owes me. You want to know the truth about the monster you loved so dearly? Check the back of her dresser. You might find something interesting. Tick tock, time is running out.
Oh and P.S – I wouldn’t walk alone at night. You never know who might run you down.
Bolting upright, I push to my feet and scramble around for a flashlight. I rush out the door and down to the barn where I begin frantically pushing furniture around to find Chloe’s dresser. There were two in the main bedroom—both were moldy and damaged, so I just dragged them out. I never thought to look through them. I opened the drawers of course, but they were mostly empty, aside from a few items of old clothing.
Stumbling across the dresser, I pull it out and then jerk the drawers out, tossing them onto the ground. I search around behind it, but there is nothing. Then, I get to my knees and look into the hollow where the drawers were, and right at the back, there is a little tote bag. I reach in, pulling it out, and I can feel something inside. Opening it, I tuck the flashlight beneath my chin as I dig out the contents. The moment my hand curls around the item, I know what it is.
A diary.
The black, faded book sits in my hands, and, for a second, I’m afraid to open it, scared about what might be inside. Is this where the truth lies? Is this what she was running from? Why did she leave it here? Did she want someone to find it one day? So they could know the truth? My mind is spinning as I shove it back into the bag and then stand, rushing out of the barn and back into the house.