My panic heightens as I scream, “No, don’t.”
“Ew, it’s naked pics.” He makes a gagging noise, and I don’t deny it. As long as he doesn’t see the photograph of our dead mom, I don’t care what he thinks of me.
“Give them here,” I beg. “I will tell you if you don’t let him see them.”
Zachary laughs, “I don’t want to. Trust me.”
“Why would you want to see your mother like this?”
“There’re of Mom?” Zachary gulps.
Son of a bitch. “I can explain if you stop waving them around.”
Zachary being taller than me makes it easy for him to snatch them away. Horror masks his face as he views them. “You’re carrying around pictures of the wreck? What a fucking freak. It wasn’t enough to be there. You want a souvenir too. Fucking sick.”
Zachary throws them at my feet and hurries out of the room.
I collect them off the floor. “He shouldn’t have seen her like this.” No one should.
“Then you should’ve burned them.” Dad seizes them from me then rips both into pieces. Why does that upset me? Why did I keep them? I am sick.
“If I find another picture like that in this house, there will be hell to pay. It doesn’t matter how much you screamed that you were sorry and needed her. It was too late. She was already dead.”
“What did you just say?” I gasp.
“She’s dead,” Dad yells.
“No, you said I was screaming that I needed her and was sorry. How would you know that … unless you were there?” I ask.
“I wasn’t,” he quickly retorts.
“Were you? Did you do it?” I heave in a lungful of air before I ask, “Did you kill Mom?”
He steps to me. “No. I was at the casino.”
“Then how did you know that?”
“You must’ve told me. Besides, it was all in the report so don’t think too much into anything.” There’re tears swelling in his eyes. “She’s gone.”
I drop on the side of my bed, replaying every detail of that night and when I woke up. Everett said they couldn’t reach him. Was he at the casino or was he up to something sinister?
57
IVY
It’s been four days, and I’ve made no progress. Everett won’t answer my calls. So, now I’m desperate and show up on his doorstep. After I knock, his mom opens the door with a bright smile and pulls me into a hug. “Ivy, I’m so happy to see you. It’s been too long.”
“Me too,” I reply honestly then ask, “Is Everett here?”
“No, he’s at the field. They’re practicing for the big game tomorrow. I hear the opposing team is your new school. He sure does miss having you around.”
Obviously, Everett hasn’t relayed any of the latest to his mom.
“Thanks, I’ll head to the field. I just need to ask him a few questions.”
“Sure.” She pulls me into another hug and squeezes tightly. “Don’t be a stranger.”
I’ve never felt more like one. “Yes ma’am.”
