Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
“Oh, I remember her alright.”
My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat. “You do?”
Gray nods. “That day they caused such a scene. They came in all happy and lovey, had some lunch and took photos, and then this argument broke out. I don’t know what it was about, but he was yelling at her and telling her that he couldn’t keep doing this, that she was too much, and he wasn’t ever going to give her what she wanted. There were a lot of tears, and then she stormed out.”
Halo glances at me, her eyes sad.
“Do you happen to remember what he looked like?” I ask.
Gray thinks on it. “To be honest, not really. I remember he had dark hair, but that was about it.”
“Did she say a name? Do you have a booking?” Halo questions.
Gray nods. “Let me check.”
He flicks through the bookings in a large book at the front counter and runs his finger down the page. “This was them, Alice and George.”
I frown. Fake names. Of course they were using fake names, they didn’t want anyone to know who they were.
Fuck.
“Was there anything else that stood out, anything at all?” Paulie asks, smiling as he leans against the counter staring at Gray.
“He was really cold to her when she started getting upset. She was crying, and he just kept yelling at her and telling her to calm down, but he showed no compassion at all. It was like he was ashamed of her and just wanted to get her out of there. He kept pulling and urging her to leave.”
Because he didn’t want anyone to recognize him.
It’s something, but it’s just not enough.
No name, no defining features, it feels like we’re back to square one.
Still, I guess at the very least we are on the right track.
We thank Gray and leave, heading back to campus. Once we arrive, we go our separate ways, and I go to my room to gather my things to head home. I want to make it before the kids go to bed. I miss them like crazy.
Unlocking my door, I step inside and gather my things, then I head straight back to my car. I’m gone for no more than half an hour, but something has changed. I know it the second I get closer and see the slip of paper under my windshield wiper. My heart skips a beat as I rush over, pulling it out to reveal a note. Opening, I read the messily scrawled words inside.
You will never be her. She deserved to live. You deserve to die.
What the hell?
My heart skips a beat as I frantically look around, hoping to see something, but the place is empty. Nobody is here. I’m the only one in the parking lot. The letter doesn’t make sense to me. I didn’t kill Alyssa, and even if I did, why would I want to be her? It’s almost as if they think I took her from them because of jealousy.
It just doesn’t make sense.
I’m missing something, I know it.
Heart racing, I get into my car and start it.
Then, I pull out, desperate to get home.
The campus road leads straight out of town and being a quiet day, I get out as quickly as I can. I’m distracted, which is probably why I don’t notice that my brakes feel a little sluggish. It’s only when I go to slow down at a stop sign that I realize my car isn’t slowing the way it should. My heart leaps into my throat as I slam my foot on the brake, over and over, but the car isn’t slowing down.
I’m getting closer to pulling out onto a busy highway and if I don’t stop, I’ll probably die.
A fear unlike anything I’ve ever felt rips through me as I continue to try and slow down, but nothing is working. Making a split-second decision, my babies faces flashing through my mind, I turn the car toward the side of the road at the same time I pull on the handbrake. A frantic yelp escapes my mouth as the car screeches, the tires locking as it spins out of control.
There is nothing I can do but hang on.
My car plummets off the side of the road and slams into a tree, sending me hurtling forward. My head bounces off the steering wheel, and I cry out as pain explodes in my head just as the airbag is released and pushes me back. Head spinning, it takes me a moment to realize what has just happened. My brakes stopped working. They stopped working, and I had an accident.
Blood trickles down my forehead as I try to gather myself, pushing the airbag out of the way and shoving the door open. My head spins a little, and I’m not certain it’s a good idea for me to move, but I have to get out of this car. By the time I have the door open, a man has rushed down and is desperately shoving the airbag away to help me out.