I wouldn't say I was depressed. Honestly, I was quite content with how my life turned out. My perspective was a tad skewed, leaving me realistic about the world and how dangerous it really was.
My upper lip tucked into a smile as the waitress came by to offer us coffee.
“Black, please, and whatever he wants to eat.”
My fingers drummed on the table, waiting for him to recite the same order he’d been getting since we started coming here.
“I have money on me.”
“I wasn't asking if you had money. Order something. I got it this time,” I replied, folding up the menu after placing my order.
A double cheeseburger with everything on it, a side of fries, and a piece of apple pie. My mouth was already watering. I hardly went out to eat. It was more manageable for me to meal plan and stick to the routine I’d made for myself.
My eyes were trained on the wall behind Marco, lost in the decision I’d made only about an hour ago. I couldn’t chicken out now. It was now or never. His voice was muffled, and I blinked my thoughts away to answer the mystery question.
“Huh?”
“I said, I know that face.”
“Oh, yeah, know yours too.” I smiled awkwardly.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Why?” I snorted. “It’s the holidays, Marco. Why did you ship her off to be alone?”
“Sam. Leave her be, alright?”
“Lucy is up there by herself with a storm coming, M. Unless you plan to put one of those bullets between my eyes, I’m going,” I warned, daring him to stop me.
I was silent, staring daggers at him. The tension was so thick a knife could shred right through it. He caved eventually, rubbing at the back of his neck in thought.
I knew he was warring with himself and losing. I smiled when his fingertips brushed over the pen and notebook he pulled from his pocket. He was going to let me go to her, and, by the way he stared back with blazing eyes, I knew this was my only chance.
Marco’s aftershave engulfed my senses as he handed me the paper. “Don't make the same mistake twice. Here’s the address. Just in case you didn’t remember where it was.”
The paper crumpled in my fist as I slid out of the booth, throwing down the cash and heading out the door. If it were my sister, I would feel the same as Marco. Honestly, I wouldn’t have given myself the address.
I slid into the driver's seat and keyed the address into the GPS, while my thoughts raced. She had no idea what was coming. I hoped she wouldn’t push me away. First, I had to go home and pack.
There was absolutely a storm coming. My heart tightened with the hope that we would come out of this together, but I also accepted that it may be too late for us.
The quaint house came into view as my tires crushed the wet snow beneath it. It wasn’t too far of a drive, which I was thankful for. I hated driving and walked whenever I could. Being in vehicles, I never had so much hate for an inanimate object in my life.
Running my hand through my hair, I sighed, trying to breakfree of the memories. I could hear the bullets ricochet off the buildings. The explosive sound they made as they whizzed by my head and hit the wall behind me. I just wanted it to stop. I needed a distraction, and this was it. The addiction I could never be rid of. This weekend, she would find out how deeply rooted my devotion was, no matter the price.
The car jolted as I threw it into park. I hopped out quickly, making sure to grab my mask from the passenger seat and slip it on as I headed for the cabin. It was nothing much, and kept me warm. Just a simple skull-faced mask with a soft interior, built with enough room to put my goggles or sunglasses on when needed.
It was cold as a bitch, and I looked forward to the warmth that radiated in the cabin.
“Shit,” I muttered as the stairs groaned under my weight.
The cabin door was shut, and I could see the glowing red of the security panel from the window. It looked like I would have to do this the old-fashioned way.
Knock.
My hand hovered over the door when a soft whimper halted my actions, and I wanted to listen in and figure out what was going on.
The only way I could do that was to get sneaky. Slowly, I knelt to the ground, balancing on the balls of my feet and careful not to alert her of my presence.
