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“I… I don’t know.” A second gunshot cracks through the air, and now there are two dead bodies at my feet.
Four more to go.
“Next.” I step to the left and fire another shot when I get the same answer. And again. And again. Finally, the sixth useless piece of shit is dead, the garage is full of bodies, and I’m no closer to finding my wife.
Prince’s high-pitched whistle stirs me out of my rage. “What next?” he asks. I appreciate his lack of surprise at the bodies, their blood now mingling and congealing on the concrete floor.
“Get the car,” I mutter, staring down at the carnage Alicia caused. “There’s only one place she could go.”
21
ALICIA
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe they’ll put that on my headstone one day.
Here I am, the only place I could think to go. At first, I figured I would come to school where I knew there were security guards, someplace I didn’t have to feel completely exposed and endangered. I thought once I got here, I’d be able to sit down and think about what to do next. All that mattered was getting away from the house, or so I told myself.
Seven hours later, I have no more of a clue than I did when I first got here. I’m too tired to think, exhausted, practically swaying on my feet. My hand has been wrapped around the straps of this tote bag so tight I wonder if I’ll be able to loosen my fingers and let it go when the time comes. I wonder what people would think if they knew what I’m carrying around. Hey, see that strange, bleary-eyed girl wandering around? She’s got thousands of bucks in diamonds in that bag!
I need to figure something out; that much is obvious. I can’t hang around here forever, going from one building to the other, trying to sneak in a nap before being asked to leave. I don’t have any friends, nobody I am really acquainted with except for Elena. I can’t even call somebody up and ask to stay in their dorm room for a night.
I only thought I understood how isolated my life was before now. It’s almost embarrassing how alone I am as I sit on a bench outside the Activities Center. I was hoping to go in and grab a snack, but of course, my stomach is churning thanks to morning sickness. All I can do is hope I don’t have to throw up. That would make this already miserable experience even more painful. There’s a trashcan next to the bench, so at least I’m covered if nausea wins out.
I wish I had never left the house. Enzo is bound to know by now that I’m gone, and I have no doubt he’ll come looking for me here. After all, it was the only place I could think to go for a reason. I don’t have a home anymore. I don’t have family to turn to. There are only so many options here.
So now, he’ll find me and drag me back to the house, and life will be just a little worse than it was before. He might go back to locking me in my room after this.
And once again, I know I can’t tell him the truth. That I left because my heart was broken. That he hurt me so much last night by not coming home. That I was disgusted and insulted and in tears at the thought of him being with another woman. I’m sure he would think it was hilarious, the idea of him meaning anything to me—either that or he would figure it was all a lie because that’s all he thinks of me now. I’m a liar, a traitor, all of that. He’s determined not to believe anything I say, so it would be a waste of time. I’d only end up hurting worse than before after he dismissed me or laughed at me.
And here’s everybody walking around me, living their normal lives. To think, I used to resent them before. I used to wonder why my life couldn’t be normal like theirs. Why I had to struggle while they got off easy. I only thought I had problems back then, and it’s enough to make me laugh at myself. I do, too, softly. I don’t need anybody noticing and thinking a crazy homeless girl is hanging around campus, clutching a tote bag to her like her life depends on it and laughing at nothing but the voices in her head.
I should go someplace else, somewhere less visible. Somewhere Enzo won’t be able to find me right away. Or should I make it easier, so he won’t be as pissed off when he finally catches up to me? I’m frozen with indecision.
And then I see her when I look up at the students walking in and out of the building. She’s coming out, holding an iced coffee from the café inside. “Elena,” I breathe as my pulse quickens. She looks like she’s on top of the world, and why shouldn’t she be? She’s always had everything going for her, from her looks to her family connections.
But when she sees me, her face falls, even if she tries to cover it at the last second. She’s not fast enough. I saw it, but that’s not going to stop me when she might be my ticket to getting out of this without Enzo breaking my neck for running away.
“Elena!” I’m off the bench in a second, fatigue and morning sickness forgotten. “I’ve been wondering about you!”
“Hey, girl.” She tries to sound sunny and enthused, but it falls flat. “I’ve been meaning to text you.”
Yeah, right. I’m sure she has. I keep smiling like there’s nothing wrong. “Where have you been? I was hoping I could catch up with you after class sometime, but you’re always in a huge hurry—when I see you there,” I add. I have to remind myself to sound concerned, not annoyed.
“Things have been kind of crazy. I was sick for a little bit, and it was just a mess.” She starts walking, and I join her without asking if it’s okay because I might never get an opportunity like this again. She’s wearing the look of somebody who wishes they had decided to skip the iced coffee this morning.
“Hey, I heard a rumor about you,” she says with a grin, elbowing me. “It’s crazy, but I see that ring you’re wearing, so I guess it must be true. You got married?”
“Oh, yeah,” I confirm with a shrug. That’s not exactly what I want to talk about right now, or ever for that matter. After all, I have her to thank for it in part. “It was sort of a crazy, whirlwind kind of thing.”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard. I didn’t even know you had a boyfriend.” Meanwhile, I’d like to know who told her. Who would care or know me well enough to spread rumors? Maybe somebody overheard us in the office when we came in to talk about me staying enrolled.
Or maybe she heard it through her family. I doubt she’d admit it if that was the truth.
“I didn’t,” I admit with a shrug. “It’s like they say: when you know, you know. I always thought that was bullshit, but now I understand.” I wish it was true. I really do. The ache in my chest is excruciating, but I smile my way through it.
“That’s really cool. You missed a lot of school, though, didn’t you? You just kind of fell off the face of the earth for weeks.”
“I worked something out. I can make up all the assignments I missed as long as I have the work finished by the start of next semester.”
