While she was up, she noticed Fin had taken off his shirt and lost his blanket to the floor, so she threw it back over him. His tattoo did indeed stretch all the way up his arm and over his shoulder, but in the dim light, Hailey couldn’t make out the intricate shapes or intertwining letters, and she gently pulled the blanket over them.
Except for Fin’s two bouts of sleep talk, it was another night spent staring at the door in silence until the coffee pot clicked on. Just as Hailey stood up, she heard some shuffling on the porch. Her heart swelled.
It was Holly—she was sure of it.
Hailey bolted down the hall and reached the entryway just as a key ground in the lock. She snatched the handle and flung open the door, smiling and thanking God, ready to hug her sister forever and ever and never let her go—
Morning sun bulldozed into the house, and her hand shot up to shield her eyes. Squinting around her fingers, she saw four people standing on the doorstep. She craned her neck to find Holly among them.
“Where’s Holly?” she asked Pix.
He bowed his head.
“Uncle Pix…?”
“Oh, Jesus,” he said, letting out a sob.
Wimp squeezed his shoulder and coaxed him inside.
“Where’s Holly?” she asked again, more urgently.
Uncle Pix grabbed her hands and looked at her sadly, his eyes swollen, pink, and misty.
“Hailey, dear…” He cleared his throat and started again. “She’s with your mum, dear,” he said gently. “She’s in Heaven—”
“No, she’s not!” Hailey yanked her hands away from her uncle. “She can’t be, she’s coming home…”
It felt like someone was pulling her under water, and she stumbled back. Fin caught her just as her legs crumpled, and the world went dark.
Hailey woke up on the couch, which smelled like Fin’s cologne. It was nauseating. With blood swishing in her ears, she desperately tried to blink away the blackness. Fin was sitting close and moved to steady her as she sat up.
“Take it easy,” he said with a foreboding voice. “You look pretty pale.”
“Where’s Holly?” A pit opened in her stomach.
Wrapping his arms around her, Fin hugged her tight. “They—your uncles found her last night,” he said softly, and he held her tighter.
“Where is she?” She drew a sharp breath as her eyes welled.
He didn’t answer, and Hailey pushed him away.
“Tell me where she is!”
Fin shook his head.
“Hailey…” he sighed heavily. “They… found her inside a mausoleum.”
“Where is she now?”
“Hailey, she’s—”
“Is she dead?”
Fin pressed his lips together and nodded, avoiding Hailey’s eyes.
“Wha—” Hailey’s throat closed and she struggled to breathe. “I’m gonna be sick.” She tried to stand.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Fin said. He threw her arm over his shoulder, gently rushing her to the toilet as she tried not to heave. Kneeling next to her, he held her hair back while she cried, retched, and spit. When she was spent, he handed her a cold washcloth.
