Tonight, despite the calming effects of the brandy, I lay awake listening to the wind against the house. Will is sound asleep, has been since he put his head on the pillow. There it is: the sound of the front door opening.
I slip out of bed, gently, so as not to wake Will. I go down the hall to check on Maggie—sleeping soundly in her crib.
Could have been the wind that blew it open. That’s what Will would say. What any sensible person would say.
But I know it wasn’t.
chapterthirty-one
June 22, 2019
There was a hand on my arm, rubbing gently.
You’ve gotta stop thinking so hard about what’s real and what isn’t, Jax.
I was afraid to open my eyes. Afraid that she’d disappear. Surely, I was dreaming again.
I opened my eyes and found my father looking down at me. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he said. “You planning to get up today?”
I blinked at him. “What time is it?”
“Nearly two in the afternoon.”
Pig was curled up at the foot of the bed.
I sat up, reached for my phone on the bedside table. He was right, though I had trouble believing it. Ineverslept in.
“Your aunt sent me up to make sure you hadn’t escaped out the window or anything. You slept through breakfast.” My father smiled. “I brought you coffee.”
“Thanks,” I said, reaching for the cup, taking a sip. Cream and four sugars—just how Lexie liked it. I preferred mine black. I sipped gratefully anyway.
My father took a seat on the edge of my bed. “Listen,” he said. “I’m sorry about last night. Sorry for throwing you under the bus, not believing you.”
“It’s okay. I know how crazy it sounds.”
“No crazier than cooking for your dead daughter,” he said. “Maybe Diane’s right. Being here isn’t good for either one of us right now. The house… the pool. They mess with you. It’s good that we’re both out of here tomorrow.”
I nodded, sipped at my overly sweet coffee.
“We’ve got sandwich stuff downstairs. Or I could make you some eggs if you want.”
“A sandwich sounds great. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
I went down and had lunch. Diane had a Scrabble board set up at the table. “I thought maybe we could play a game.”
I smiled. “Sounds great.”
We spent the afternoon playing Scrabble and drinking tea, my aunt watching me like a hawk the whole time. I felt like I was under house arrest.
“What would you like for dinner?” Diane asked, getting up to check the fridge. “We’ve got ground beef, some vegetables, stuff for salad.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said, flashing another agreeable smile. “Anything’s fine with me.” I stood up, stretched. “I think I’ll go start packing. And maybe take a shower.”
“Sounds good,” Diane said. “Your father and I will figure out dinner.”
Ted jumped up and started looking in the cabinets. “How about spaghetti? I make a terrific Bolognese sauce.”
Upstairs, I looked at the boxes full of my sister’s things. I felt unsettled. I couldn’t just leave Sparrow Crest without knowing the truth.
