“Of course,” I reply, happily walking to the backseat door and letting both girls in. I have a feeling they’ll feel more comfortable sitting together instead of being split up between the front seat and the back.When both are settled, an uncomfortable silence choking the confines of the car, I pull out onto the road.
We drop Sophia off first, who exits the vehicle with an impressive cache of threats, all of which are aimed in my direction. I believe her final words were “I’m tracking her, you pig.”
I think I like her.
When I pull out of the driveway, Cassandra’s still sitting in the backseat of the car, face frozen in an unreadable expression. I keep my eyes trained on her through the rearview mirror as I pull back onto the street.
Surprisingly, she’s the one who breaks the silence.
“I guess you remembered.”
“Remembered what, Menace?” My eyes meet hers in the mirror before they flick back to the street.
“Lavender. Thesmelly shrubs.”
“Ah. Actually, it’s growing on me.”
She snorts, head turning to look out the window. “Oh really?”
“I won’t lie, I killed the first pot I bought, but it seems like I’ve finally gotten the hang of it. I guess I’ve got something of a green thumb.”
Her face flashes, eyes finding mine once more. “You’regrowingit?”
“Don’t look so surprised.” The corner of my lips lifts.
The drive goes by way too fast, and before I know it, I’m pulling into her driveway. Tension lines my bones. Here comes the hard part.Leaving her.
I pull to a stop, watching her hand hover on the door handle.
“Thanks.” She whispers, and then she slides from the seat, and the door clicks shut. A strange combination of joy and sadness overcomes me as I watch her walk up the steps to her porch and disappear inside.
Cassandra
My heart thumps against my ribcage as I come to a clear realization of what I’m about to do.
“We’re just gonna take this in baby steps, Cass. I’ll be here the whole time.” Sophia pries my clenched fingers open, slipping her hand into mine and interlocking our fingers.
My jaw clenches. The painted wood of the closet door looms in front of me, taunting me with its dull, steady presence. Suddenly, I’m not sure why I thought I’d be able to do this. The idea of walking in there tenses every muscle in my body. Vomit crawls its way up my throat.
“Hey, look at me,” Soph whispers from my side.
I turn my head, seeking out her calm, steady gaze.
“It’s just a dumb closet. And your stepfather? He was just a pathetic man.”
Dumb closet. Pathetic man. I chant the words in my head like a mantra, nodding in self-reassurance.I want this. That’s why I’m doing it. I need this.
“Okay.”
I suck in a breath. My nails claw around Soph’s soft skin.
In synchrony, we both take one tiny step over the threshold.
The sudden darkness layers dancing shadows over the revealed skin of our arms and faces. My eyes prick with the threat of tears, the memories crushing against my mental dam.Just a pathetic man. It’s just a stupid closet.I strengthen my fortitude, carefully elongating my breaths to prevent them from speeding up, just like Soph and I talked about beforehand.
The waves keep crashing over me, each colder than the last. The memory breaks down into an olfactory nightmare, each phantom scent rushing into my nostrils. Sharp cedar. Moldy wood.
Kind fingers squeeze my hand, disbanding some of the terror.When I was in there, I was all alone. But I’m not alone anymore.
