Secrets in Oak Creek by B.K. Stubblefield

Author:B.K. Stubblefield
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: B.K. Stubblefield
Published: 2021-03-16T20:24:02+00:00

Chapter 15

At seven a.m., Bentley whined and shoved his muzzle into Emily’s side. Her eyes flew open with a scream lodged in her throat. Unable to move, her heart pounded against her ribcage with the force of a sledgehammer. Her hair, drenched with sweat, was plastered to her pillowcase. Bentley had dragged her out of a nightmare.

Emily had gotten little sleep since she’d slipped into bed at midnight, haunted by images she couldn’t quite grasp, spinning and twisting her dreams like dark clouds on a stormy night.

Exhausted, she threw back the damp, tangled sheets, sat up, and reached for the bottle of water on the nightstand. Struggling to shake the haunting dreams, she slowly sipped the lukewarm liquid and buried her hand in Bentley’s long hair, squeezing him even closer. Relief and distress rushed through her as she stroked his broad head and neck, glad he’d pulled her out of the darkness over the horrible things she’d discovered on Millie’s computer.

She pulled her sweaty tank top over her head, slipped into a baggy t-shirt and shorts, and wrestled with her walking boot. With the final Velcro strap tightened, she shuffled into the bathroom. After two weeks, the bruises from the accident had faded, but this morning, dark shadows circled under her eyes. Sweet Jesus, she looked like the living dead—and felt like it, too. No amount of cold water splashing onto her face would erase the ghastly reminders of a dreadful night.

Emily washed her face and brushed her teeth, feeling slightly better. Sleep-deprived, with a nagging headache, she opened the medicine cabinet, searching for aspirin. “Oh, thank you, Millie,” she uttered when she spotted a bottle between her aunt’s prescription medications. Back in her bedroom, she lifted the half-empty bottle of water to her mouth and washed down the tablets with a large gulp.

Picking up her phone, she checked for new messages and emails. One text from Ryan sent at 1:07 a.m. Seriously? What could have been so urgent in the middle of the night? Emily’s pulse picked up as she flopped onto her bed to read his text message.

He’d asked her to go to lunch with him … TODAY. Not trusting her eyes, Emily read the message twice to make sure she read it right the first time. She twirled the phone in her hands and glanced at Bentley.

“What do you suppose this means?” she asked the dog, who cocked his head as if contemplating what she was talking about. Emily debated if it was wise to accept his invitation, knowing deep down she’d already lost the battle with her inner self.

She typed nonchalantly, not wanting to sound too eager. Her pointer hovered over the send button before she pressed down.

Hey. I’m up. Call any time.

As if he’d been waiting for her response, her ringtone belted out as she slipped the phone into her short’s pocket. A glance at the screen confirmed the sudden flutters inside her chest. Emily let out a slow breath, steeled her nerves, and answered the phone.

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