She Didn't Die by D. L. Sletten

Author:D. L. Sletten [Sletten, D. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: D. L. Sletten
Published: 2024-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Cassie went inside her mother’s house as the sun set. She headed to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. She’d stopped at the liquor store after the funeral and reception and bought a bottle of chardonnay on impulse. Now, after her long day and after having talked with Aaron, she definitely needed a glass to relax.

Today had been a long, tiresome day. Planning the funeral had been hard, but sitting through the service and having to speak with each person who’d attended had been excruciating. Cassie had been shocked by how many people had attended the service. It was nice that they wanted to say goodbye to her mother, but it had been difficult for Cassie. Each person was curious why they hadn’t seen Cassie in years and blatantly asked her personal questions that she didn’t feel comfortable answering. She knew they’d all meant well, but it had drained her completely.

As she sipped the wine, Cassie’s phone rang. She answered right away, thankful it was her husband.

“How was the funeral today?” he asked gently.

Cassie sighed. She missed her home so much and wished James was sitting with her right now. “It went well. There was a big turnout, and people had a lot of nice things to say.”

“That’s good,” he said. “Did anyone pry?”

He knew her so well. “Yes, but I gave vague answers and turned to the next person. I think a lot of people thought I didn’t get along with my mother, and that’s why I never came home. But the people closest to my parents knew that they visited me often and we had a good relationship. Still, it was a trying day.”

“I’m sorry,” he said gently. “I wish you’d let me come there and help. You still have the house to pack up, and that’s a big job.”

“I know. But honestly, I don’t want this town and my bad memories of the last night I lived here to taint your life. Once the house is packed up, I’m gone for good.”

“Okay. I’ll do things your way. But if you need me, I can be there on the next plane,” James said, sounding concerned.

Cassie took a sip of wine, then said, “Aaron came to Mom’s funeral. And I talked to him this evening. I’m trying to process my feelings about him.” James knew Cassie’s story, so he knew how much strength it had taken Cassie just to talk to Aaron.

“Do you feel safe there?” he asked. “Would any of them ever hurt you again?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “Aaron would never hurt me on purpose, and I’m not getting close enough to him for anything to happen. And I’m keeping my distance from the worst one of all, Jason.”

“That’s smart. Just finish what you need to do and get out of that town,” James said.

“It’s all almost over. And I can move forward and truly put this place behind me for good.”

After hanging up, Cassie wondered why she hadn’t told James that two of the men were already dead.

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