AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He gives me a cold smile. “I don’t need to track anyone down. The Drumville police just updated me on Olivia’s case. An arrest was made this morning.”
A shock of adrenaline rushes through my veins, making my heart pound. “Who?”
“Drake Van Koch.”
From the look on his face, my father knows exactly what that name means to me.
Icy cold rolls down my spine. “That’s a lie.”
“A signed witness statement was provided to the police this morning. Mr. Van Koch was apprehended when he attempted to flee across state lines. Obviously, he was hoping to return to South Africa before the authorities caught up with him. They won’t extradite their own citizens.”
My hands are trembling. No, my entire is body is trembling. The room spins around me, fast enough that I think I might actually pass out. “This is wrong.”
“Actions have consequences.” My father says with a sigh. “You should have told me what you were planning. It didn’t have to end up like this.”
His words are distant, with a strange echo, like I’m hearing them from another place and time. It feels like swimming against an undertow pulling me out to the ocean, but I force myself to return to the present and focus on him.
I don’t need to be reassured by anyone that Drake is innocent. Nothing is going to convince me that he is capable of doing this. Whether it’s trumped-up evidence or crooked cops, these accusations cannot be real.
Which means there has to be a way to fix this.
“Who is the witness?” I ask, hating that my voice breaks.
“You are.”
My shocked gaze flies to his face. “Excuse me?”
“Olivia Pratt is the witness,” he clarifies. “I apologize, this is all just so confusing.”
“What are you—”
“You can come in now,” he calls.
But he isn’t talking to me.
My father steps aside as the door opens behind him.
For a breathless second, I convince myself that I’m looking into a mirror. But the girl in front of me isn’t a carbon copy. It isn’t quite the same person who stares back at me.
Her hair is darker, similar to the way mine used to look before I washed out the temporary dye and let it go back to its natural blonde. Her baggy sweater is cropped at the waist, revealing the small diamond shimmering in her naval piercing. Low-slung joggers and a colorful pair of sneakers complete the streetwear chic outfit.
I recognize the clothes because they belong to me.
This reflection is of the girl I used to be before I came to St. Bart’s.
My voice is barely more than a whisper. “Olivia.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Hey, sis.”
* * *
TO BE CONTINUED…
