Once my awkwardness passed and I let myself be in the moment, I found that I enjoyed talking to Parker. He was playful and charismatic, making me laugh a few times to my surprise. Being in Oakland Ridge felt so foreign—a new place with new people. However, I could see myself building a friendship with Parker. It seemed like he wasn’t giving me much of a choice either way.
Arriving at the estate,we each headed to our rooms after saying goodnight. What I needed was a shower and some sleep. I felt like we had been on the go nonstop since we arrived. The room was just as I had left it, except for the closet full of clothing that was now bursting with cocktail dresses, designer jeans, skirts, and blouses.
I've never been around so many designer clothes in my life. While I wouldn't wear all of them, the pieces were beautiful. I looked through all the new items, taking note of what I liked, until I finally found some satin pajamas. I quickly grabbed them and a pair of underwear I had bought at the superstore, then went into the large ensuite bathroom.
On the shelf in the bathroom were now a face wash, moisturizer, body lotion, butters, and other toiletries. A bonnet hung on the hook next to the shower, along with a shower cap. Whoever had been in here had thought of everything. I felt a small tinge of excitement at trying all the new products. Cellie would have loved all of this. She used to go to these beauty expos and sample sales a few times a year. Celeste would return home with tons of samples, and we’d spend the next day trying them out together.
I try to just be in the moment like my therapist would suggest. As I start to fill the bath, I pick up the Lavender soap and pour a little into the tub. Once the tub is filled, I slowly sink into the steaming water. The hot water warms my body and sends a calm over me. I release a heavy sigh of relief and close my eyes as the muscles in my body relax.
The sound of my phone roused me out of my sleep. The water has run cold, and the bubbles have fizzled out. I go through the motions of draining the tub and starting the shower so I can wash off. Once I’m clean and dry, I help myself to the coconut almond scented body butter on one of the shelves. Catching my reflection in the full-length mirror and I pause, looking at the myriad of scars that litter my body. It took me a long time to get to this point. The first year without my sister, I removed almost all the mirrors from the house, and I would get dressed in the dark. Seeing the scars on my body didn’t remind me of the pain I endured. It just reminded me that for every scar I received, Celeste received twice as many.
My scars reminded me that I couldn’t protect the one person I loved most. They were ugly, and they were plentiful—part of me believed I deserved them. The other part of me, the one supposedly in herhealing era,knew that Charles would’ve done what he did regardless, even if I hadn’t initiated the reunion. He didn’t plan on letting Celeste go.
After a beat, I dressed in the burgundy satin pajama short set and turned down the bed. Almost forgetting I had received a notification, I reached for my phone and got myself settled under the sheets.
It was an email. Someone gifted me an article fromThe New York Times.Weird. I tapped the link and waited for the page to load.
“Missing New Jersey Financier Found Dead In Hudson River Park”
My hands shook as I scrolled through and scanned the article for anything that might seem familiar. A scream caught in my throat when I scrolled to the end of the article and saw the photo of the man. Staring back at me was a photo of Rico Clemente. My sister’s last boyfriend. A memory rushes to the forefront of my mind. The pieces were coming together one at a time. It never made sense why Rico disappeared without so much as a call or text. He was smitten with my sister, and I couldn’t blame him; she was just so easy to love.
Flashbacks from that day at the salon struck my mind.
“They touched what is mine.”
Slash
“They could never love you like I do.”
Slash
It’slike I was stuck in time. I struggled to close the article, tears blurring my vision. When I try to stand, my legs buckle beneath me. My ears rang as I clawed at my chest, begging for the air to return to my lungs. I tried to remember everything I’ve learned from my therapist. The tools to break myself out of this panic attack, but I can’t. My mind is blank except for the images of Charles and Celeste, that salon, and the blood-smeared knife.
Chapter 16
Charles
Then
God, I fucking hated this place.
It smelled like piss, and I always felt like the stench stuck to my clothes when I left.
I grabbed my lantern and went down the stairs of the narrow hatch underneath the floor of my uncle’s cabin.
The steps groaned as I descended into the small cellar. Rico sat in a wooden chair, his arms and legs tied, blindfolded. He was still asleep.
Good.
I loved waking them up. It was always the same spiel.
Where am I? Why are you doing this? Please don’t hurt me.
Boo fucking hoo.
They always found out sooner or later.
Celeste was mine and mine only. Rico was supposed to be a little dalliance and nothing more. But then he was always there. Always showing up with his flowers and whisking her off for weekend getaways.
