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Chapter 2
Kalili Jewels, the shop that was owned and operated by my best friend, looked the same as it did when I left. Same back deck overlooking the ocean, same dark shingles and white painted window sills. I’d bet money that it smelled the same, too, like lavender and incense.
A knot formed in my stomach as I realized how long it’d been since I last saw my best friend. Simone came to visit me in New York once or twice, and we kept in contact with calls and texts, but life has a tendency to get in the way, priorities get screwed up, and I had spent the last six months living in fear and looking over my shoulder. It was a constant fear, and now that the worst had happened, I was beating myself up for not coming home sooner.
It started off sweet enough with what I thought was a secret admirer who would have flowers delivered to my house once a week. I was naive enough to think it was harmless, naive enough to think it would stop there. But soon enough strange things started happening; notes taped to my front door and flowers on my welcome mat every night. It was like clockwork. The last three months was when it became unbearable. Instead of flowers I was getting dead birds and mice. Love notes on my door were replaced by explicit death threats. Of course, I contacted the police and showed them every note and every dead animal I received over those few months, but all they had as proof was the parking garage surveillance cameras and even then the man always wore a hood. He was always turned just enough away to avoid showing his face as though he knew where ev
ery camera was.
A hand came down on my shoulder and I screamed and shoved myself away, landing on my ass in the sand.
Robbie stood over me with his arms up, his palms open and facing me. “Whoa, hold up. I’m sorry, Abby. I… I didn’t-”
“It’s fine,” I said harsher than intended. Taking a deep breath, I sat there for a moment and told myself to breathe, to relax, it was just my brother.
He’s not here, I thought as I tried to grasp what little sanity I had left. He can’t hurt you. My ribs ached as I stood and I hated every second of it because it felt as though my own body was betraying me.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly as I brushed sand off my bare legs. “I don’t… I just don’t like being touched right now.”
He nodded his head. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ve got you.”
I stood up straight and ignored the cramp in my side. Jesus, I was so embarrassed I could scream. The panic attacks were after effects of the attack and though the family therapist prescribed me something for it I never took them.
“I’m a mess,” I gave a hollow laugh.
He shook his head and scooped his hair back before tying it into a bun. “You’ll be alright. You’re an Ashford.”
We walked up the wooden back stairs that led to the open deck. On nice days, Simone would sit out and make her jewelry until the night arrived, and even then she’d keep going, lighting candles and bringing out oil lamps as a light source.
I heard my best friend before I saw her. Her screech started inside and worked itself closer and closer until all I saw was inky black hair and a bright orange dress flying towards me.
Still loud as ever, I thought wryly. She was always yelling when she was too excited, too angry, and too sad. Best friends since the age of five, Simone was front and center for every major thing that happened in my life and vice versa.
She slammed against me and I winced, wrapping my arms around her. “You’re home!” she yelled in my ear, jostling me back and forth. “You’re hurt!” she shrieked even louder, jumping back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to jump on you. I’m just so excited.”
“Don’t be sorry, I missed you so much!”
Simone ran her hands through her hair and shook it out. It was long and shiny and beautiful compared to my shoulder length, blonde mess. Makeup free as always, her almond colored eyes were bright and lively. Being half Hawaiian left her with a perpetual summertime glow which was yet another thing that my pale, milky self was envious of.
“I have a great witch hazel remedy that will clear that black eye right up,” she waved her hand frantically, silver bangles clinking. I quickly came to the conclusion that she hadn’t changed a bit and still wore the long, flowy dresses and talked about how she was trying to spread love through her jewelry. “What happened?”
“Take a deep breath, Sim,” Robbie laughed.
Sim? When did that happen? I wondered as Simone brought us into her shop. She babbled as I looked around, taking it all in and once again finding myself overwhelmed with familiarity. The white walls were covered with black and white photos and cloth hangings of half moons. High end pieces that she spent hours, maybe even days, on were locked in glass cases. They were all absolutely stunning.
“Looks like business is going well,” I remarked as she led us up the stairs to the office she also used as her apartment.
“Business is booming. But I don’t want to talk about that. Are you okay?”
I wanted to tell her the truth, that I wasn’t sleeping and I was terrified. That I was constantly looking over my shoulder and my panic attacks were becoming a daily occurrence. Robbie and Simone looked at me with dual expressions of concern and I wanted to tell them both how scared I was. But instead I smiled, nodded and said, “I’m fine.”
“Liar,” they said in unison.
I didn’t protest and rolled my eyes instead, not trusting myself to speak. They knew me better than anyone. Well, mostly anyone.
After a little bit of the three of us playing catch up, Robbie stood and jerked his chin in my direction. “Listen, I need to run some errands and finish something up for work. Do you want to come with me so you don’t have to walk home?”
Walk home? Alone? Knots were already forming in my stomach. “Um, yeah. I- I can walk home. No problem.”
