Page 155 of No Greater Oblivion

I left because I wanted to. Please don’t come after me this time.

-Dahlia

Call. Voicemail. Hang up. Redial.

Call. Voicemail. Hang up. Redial.

Call. Voicemail. Hang up. Re⁠—

A knock on the door. A sliver of light from the hall. Footsteps. My sister sits in the seat across from my desk.

“You’ve been in here for hours,” she whispers.

Call. Voicemail. Hang up. Redial.

She swallows and moves to the edge of the seat, keeping her voice gentle. “You still have blood on your hands. Please, let me⁠—”

“Give me your phone.”

She blinks. “Why⁠—”

I extend my hand. Lettie realizes it isn’t worth the fight so she reaches into her robe pocket and extends it to me.

I search for Dahlia’s contact.

Call. Voice⁠—

“Hello?”

Answer.

“Where are you? Don’t hang up.”

I hear her sigh through the phone.

“I don’t want to talk to you. In case the hundred unanswered phone calls hadn’t made it clear.”

“Are you at Alyssa’s? Marcia’s?” I finish what’s left of my drink and set the empty glass down. “I’m coming to get you.”

“Are you drunk?”

“No. Yes. Numb, I think. My head feels like it’s ticking.”

A pause. And then a whispered, “Please don’t call me again.”

She hangs up. Lettie reaches across the desk and snatches the phone before I have a chance to redial. “What’s the matter with you?”

“You and my traitor brother are what’s the matter with me. Driving her to the airport…” I reach for the decanter and pour myself another glass but there’s barely enough left to fill the cup halfway. “Now she’s there…and I’m here…”

“If Dahlia left it’s because you pushed her to it. Don’t blame Diego and me for your own negligence⁠—”

My left hand thrashes out, sending the now empty decanter and the contents of my desk to the floor. Glass shatters and a loud bang causes her to startle, sending my sister back several paces.

“Tell Diego to go get her. Or he’s never stepping foot in this house again.”

“Tell him yourself,” she snaps though there’s a quiver in her voice.

“I told you to do it.”