I rip it open knowing it’s another letter from my grandmother.
Welcome home, Marly.
This is my favorite place to be, it always has been and I’m sad I couldn’t share it with you while I was still alive. You will love it here; I know because you’re so much like me.
I am proud of you.
You’re only here because you have taken a stand against the impossible system your father has created and that takes courage, Marly.
The fight may be over, or it could have just begun but use that courage, be brave, Marly, it’s time for their tirade to end.
I love you.
Grams.
I wipe at the tears rolling down my cheeks, the salty wetness stinging the cut my mother inflicted but then I roll my shoulders, and I go and explore my new house.
Chapter Forty-three
Icut across the lawn, staying within the shadows until I make it to the bottom of the trellis and don’t wait a single second to start climbing. I’m frantic to get to her, frantic to see her face. I haven’t slept for even an hour since I left her at the track, so perhaps I’m feeling a little manic but fuck, I can’t breathe.
I need her.
I need to beg her for forgiveness, explain it to her, show her that I didn’t mean it. I can’t live without her. Shit.
Finally making it to her window, I tug on it only to find it locked, the curtains drawn back to show an empty room. An empty room that has been completely trashed. The mattress lays half on, half off the bed frame, the drawers overturned, all her makeup thrown across the room along with her clothes and boxes upon boxes of random items. The lamp is smashed to pieces, the art on her walls destroyed and lying in the middle of the room is my Sinclair Motors shirt.
Fuck, what happened here? Where is Marly!? Panic makes my heart speed, my hands become clammy with anxiety, and I have to go slower back down to avoid slipping and falling. The last thing I want to do is be found injured on the Winchester’s property.
Sneaking around the side of the house and staying out of view, I notice Liam’s Porsche parked out front, his two front tires slashed and blocking the garage. Marly’s Mercedes isn’t here.
I have to find her. Cutting back the way I came, I scale the wall and sprint to my jeep, throwing myself inside as I reach for my cell and dial her number. I didn’t call before since I didn’t think she’d pick up and I wanted her to listen to me before she cut me off but now, I have no choice.
It rings and rings…
“This is Marly,” Her voice filters through the speaker, like a balm to my soul, “I can’t get to the phone right now, leave a message and I’ll get right back to you!” Her voice cuts off with a beep and I hang up, calling again.
I get the voicemail again.
“Marly, princess,” I breathe, “Pick up, baby, please. Where are you? Please call me back.” I rush out the message and dial again and again until it stops ringing at all. She shut it off.
My heart cracks just a little more.
No. No this can’t be how it ends. I go into my contacts and dial Jake who answers on the third ring.
“Shit man,” Jake answers, “Where you been!? We’ve been looking for you!”
“Do you know where Marly is?” I rush out, ignoring his questions.
“Marly? No, why?”
“I’m at her place, her room has been trashed and she isn’t here.”
“Marly’s missing!?” Jake curses. “Fuck.”
“You don’t know where she is?”
“Why would I know, River?” He snaps, “I haven’t seen her since you left her at the track!”
