What Fear Knows by McGinty Nicole C

Author:McGinty, Nicole C.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Third Virtue, LLC
Published: 2023-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

14

Cypress Bend, Louisiana

Present Day

Shae was sitting on the couch in the living room, a magazine spread across her lap, when we came to tell her she could go home. It was after breakfast, and I just didn’t know how to say her house belonged to her again. I didn't know how to answer the questions I'm was sure would follow. Andy and Elliott kept throwing looks my way, wondering when I would break the news.

“Look, if you don’t want me here. I’m sorry. I’ll go to a hotel or something,” she said, hurt in her voice, and shame in her eyes.

“No, that’s not what we mean. You could stay here as long as you wanted,” I told her as I sat down next to her. “But, your boyfriend is gone. He’s not in the house anymore. He won’t be bothering you again.” At least not for a minimum of five years, I thought to myself.

“How?” she asked, her eyes wide and full of hope and disbelief.

“He was arrested last night. Whole bag of meth,” Elliott said from the doorway, annoyed from waiting so long to break the news to her.

Shae stood up, and then sat back down just as quickly. The magazine she had been reading slipped to the floor. She opened and closed her mouth several times, like a fish, before she finally asked, “He was?”

“Yes. He was. He’s not getting out any time soon based on the amount he had on him.”

“How did they catch him?”

Andy took a deep breath, “Bad trip or something. He drove himself to the police station and turned himself in.”

Shae laughed out loud and clapped a hand over her mouth. She was like a kid on Christmas morning who had gotten a new bike, and a puppy. It was a flurry of activity after that. She ran upstairs and grabbed her garbage bag, throwing her stuff back into it at record breaking speed. She hugged us all, even Lily who had no idea what was going on. We would have to fix that later, but for now we saw Shae out, awash in her excitement. When we walked her to her car, she was smiling so much, I knew it had to hurt her bruised face, but the pain had been forgotten.

I didn’t know how long it had been since she could safely return to her house, but based on the speed she left Andy’s, it had been quite some time. She was tired of waiting. The four of us waved at her as she made a one-point turn to leave the driveway. As I watched her leave, I made a silent wish she would stay safe. The others returned inside, but I stood there, rooted to the spot. Something nagging at me from deep inside. Phobos had not made an appearance during my goodwill mission, and that had never happened before. I did not know what that meant, but my hackles were raised, and my suspicions were piqued.

***

Lily said nothing as she stared down at the spaghetti in front of her.

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