Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
“Elena, I know I was wrong; I know I fucked up, but that’s why I’m here, to make amends. Half of that stuff I didn’t even remember until lately. And when I remembered it all, I stayed away because I wanted to make sure that I could do better this time around. I wanted to come back to you whole.”
“Come back to me? You climbed into bed with those people, Satan’s bed wench and her plastic Barbie trophy daughters that she pimps out at whim, not to mention that charlatan you call a spirit guide; he’d put Rasputin to shame, by the way, if what you wrote here is true,” I held up the notebook, “and now you expect me to take you back?”
“They’re never going to let you go; they need to keep you as one of their puppets; I guess some demon somewhere needs a host.” I was feeling mean as hell, and even though it had been years since these things had happened, it still hurt like it was yesterday because it was all new to me.
As much as it hurt, I couldn’t help going back to reading the rest of it. “What is this about, Missy?” For the first time, I felt my heart drop. Why were these people talking about my little sister? “Ryder, what is this?”
“I didn’t want to tell you. I…”
“Tell me.”
“When I said they planned to destroy you, that is what I meant. You know that your sister is friends with one of Mary’s grandkids.”
“Yeah!”
“They were going to hurt her and make it look like an accident while she was over there for a playdate.”
“You…what? She would’ve only been three back then. Oh my, oh no, what the hell kind of people are they? My sister? My baby?” I had to sit down before I fell over. I could deal with the threats against myself, but not that child. What’s worse is, it was me who introduced her to that family, me who had been suckered in by them when I was too young and naïve to recognize what they were.
It never crossed my mind, even after all that they’d done, that they would stoop to this. In fact, I was never really sure about Mary’s part in all of this until today, until his big reveal. I just thought she was a crappy mom with daughters of questionable morals.
But even then, I didn’t understand the evil that she truly was. “They were going to harm Missy? I have to call Mom.” I got up to grab my phone, but the room started spinning. “Ryder, I need some water, please; I’m going to pass out.” He rushed to get me a glass of water and held it while I drank like my life depended on it.
It was taking everything in me to sit still because I wanted to be halfway across town, where my mother lived with her husband and my baby sister. That little girl has been my only solace, my only rock through all this, and to think that I could’ve lost her was more than my poor heart could take.
“I have to call Mom and Missy right now. I can’t wait until the morning. You should go to another room, or better yet since you’ve done what you came for, you should go.” I glared at him to show my displeasure, even though I didn’t really want to be alone.
For the first time, I felt real fear, and being alone was the last thing I wanted. Even if the only available company was my snake of an ex. The fact that I felt safer, more comforted with him here was to be ignored at all costs. I won’t be following my stupid heart ever again where he’s concerned. The stupid thing had already done me wrong once.
“I’ll be in the next room; call me when you’re done.”
“Fine, but don’t make so much as a peep. If Mom finds out you’re here, she’d call out the National Guard.” Though I should probably let her.
I waited for him to leave, then made the call, choosing to FaceTime instead so I could see for myself that they were both okay. It took monumental effort on my part not to show the fear and angst I felt or to mention any of this to my mom, but I got through it fine once I convinced my mom that the late-night call was just me missing them.
Knowing how close Missy and I were, Mom bought the story, and I was able to get off the call without being found out. Ryder appeared as soon as I hung up, and I hated how at ease I felt with his presence.
Sometimes it’s hard to separate the man he’d become from the boy he’d once been. It’s that boy, that sweet, adorable boy who’d won my heart that I still see when I look at him. It’s those memories that I still hold so dear because I’d known him before the industry turned him into just another clone like so many before him.