Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
I locked the door firmly behind us, shaking off the unease that clung to me. “We’re fine,” I told myself and him, giving him a quick scratch behind the ears after I unclipped the leash. He padded off seemingly unbothered now. I stood there for a few minutes longer, chewing on my bottom lip as my eyes scanned the darkness outside through the windows. I felt stupid when I finally turned away and went to wash my hands.
“Are you good?” Cherish’s voice startled me as I reached the sink.
I hesitated, debating if I should say something or not. “Yeah. I just… I don’t know. It felt like someone was watching me out there.”
“Do you want me to send the guys out to check?”
“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “No, I didn’t see anything—just trees. Probably nothing. I had Moose out there with me.”
The voices of my friends and the music playing carried through the house, and I let the sound pull me out of my head. I dried my hands and Cherish passed me off a fresh drink.
“I made this while you were out there, figured you’d be ready for the next one.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip.
The burn of the alcohol was a comfort as I followed her back into the dining room, where Daniella was already shuffling the Uno cards with a wicked grin plastered on her face.
We were well into the game, the sound of drunken laughter and slurred insults bouncing off the walls.
I wasn’t sure whether my vision was blurred from the alcohol or from the tears that kept coming as I laughed at Cherish’s attempt to cheat her way to victory.
It took my alcohol-muddled brain a few seconds to register the loud knock that echoed through the house, cutting through the music and conversation. We all exchanged uncertain looks.
“What the hell?” Liza slurred. “Did we order food?”
“No, Miss Piggy,” my sister teased, poking her side and earning a playful swat.
“I’ll see who it is,” Gabe said, pushing back his chair.
“Hold up,” I called, patting my lap to call Moose over. He trotted to my side, his tail wagging lazily as I grabbed his collar to keep him from running toward the door.
Another knock came louder this time, and Naija crept up behind Gabe as he headed for the foyer.
The dining room was tucked away, so none of us could see the door, only hear the knocks as they reverberated through the space. I heard the lock turn and then Gabe’s voice.
“Uh, hey. Can I help you?”
“Is Kristy home?” someone responded, her tone emotionless.
“Kristy? I think you’ve got the wrong house, sweetie,” Naija answered.
Silence followed.
Then, without another word, Gabe shut the door and locked it. They both returned to the dining room, Gabe shaking his head as Naija looked back over her shoulder.
“That was weird as shit,” she said, sliding back into her seat.
“Who was it?” Ryan asked, setting his drink down.
“Some woman,” Naija replied, then frowned as if considering something.
“What did she look like?” I asked, my stomach twisting with unease.
Something about the voice had stuck in my mind, a faint familiarity I couldn’t quite place.
Gabe shrugged, looking as unbothered as ever. “...A woman?”
I rolled my eyes. “Wow, thanks for the vivid description.”
Cherish snorted, shaking her head. “You’re an idiot, Gabe.”
“I don’t know what she looked like!” he defended himself. “She was just… a woman.”
“Helpful,” Daniella said dryly, shuffling the cards in her hands.
I tried to focus on the game again, but my mind kept circling back to the voice.
It had sounded so familiar. The unease lingered, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. I didn’t realize my hands were gripping the table until I caught Ryan’s tipsy gaze across from me.
His expression mirrored my own unease, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as though he was trying to piece something together.
He leaned forward slightly, and before he even opened his mouth, I knew what he was going to say.
“There’s no way it’s her,” he stated. “That place was like… hours back.”
“Who?” Daniella asked, her curiosity piqued as she glanced between us.
Ryan hesitated, and when I didn’t respond fast enough, he filled in the gap. “That girl from the gas station. The one who was creeping around the back.”
“But it did look like her,” Naija replied slowly.
Liza shook her head, her blonde hair bouncing as she dismissed the idea outright. “Can’t be the same girl. No way. Why would she be all the out here?”
“Right,” I said, more to reassure myself than anyone else.
“Let’s just finish the game,” Jason chimed in, clearly wanting to keep things light.
He grabbed the deck of cards and began shuffling, but even with alcohol, my nerves were already shot.
CHAPTER NINE
Another twenty minutes passed, and just as I was beginning to let my guard down, the knock came again. This time, it was sharper. Louder. I jumped, my heart racing as I stood up. Before I could even think of going to open the door, Cherish’s hand shot out, gripping my arm.