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But Carla was a fighter, and when I wrapped her arms around me, she slammed her tiny fists against me. “It’s okay,” I said, whispering the words into her hair. Carla sobbed, but eventually, she relaxed. The fight began to fade out of her. “It’s alright,” I said once more. “I’ll protect you.”
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
“Mama?” I walked back into my house, surprised by how dark it was. The smell of cookies greeted me, and I smiled. But as I walked further into the house, I was surprised that no one came to greet me. “Angel?”
My sandals slapped against the marble flooring. The knot in my stomach tightened. The warm smell of cookies started to fade, and I as I continued further inside, I realized that the scent hid something stronger. Cooper.
The scent of it was so heavy in the air that I swore I could taste it on my tongue.
“Don’t go further.” Turning, I was shocked to see my twin.
“Carina?”
Her small, frail hand reached towards me. “You don’t need to go further.”
I looked towards the porch. “But Mother?”
“She’s not there.”
I smiled at Carina. Surely she was mistaken. Must have been all the drugs from her treatment. If Mama wasn’t home, who made the cookies? They were her special ones.
“She’s on the porch,” I said, squeezing her hand. “Come on, we can go see her together.”
Carina slipped her hand out of my own, and she shook her head. It was weird to see her blonde curls. When she died, all of her hair had fallen out. The sight of it had made my mother cry, and it took everything in me not to shear my own hair off.
“Please, Carla.” Her voice was small. “Don’t go.”
But I didn’t listen to Carina and walked forward, ignoring the thick, sticky blood coating the bottom of my shoes. That was the smell that hung in the air.
“Mama.” I reached out and took her by the shoulders.
And when I saw her face, I screamed.
* * *
“It’s okay,” a deep voice called out. Warm arms were around me, and for a moment, I struggled against them, screaming as I tried to get out of the iron-like grip that held me down.
“Carla, it’s alright.”
I felt nauseous. “I’m going to be sick.”
The arms didn’t let up, but I felt my body being turned slightly. When I looked down, I noticed a small, black trashcan. The sight of such an innocuous object caused me to blink several times as I came out of the nightmare that held me in its grips.
“Oh God.”
The alcohol that I’d ingested was sloshing in my stomach, but now that I was not struggling against anything, it was starting to settle.
“Are you alright?”
Sitting up, I groaned at the sight of Eli. His dark eyes were wide as they looked at me.
“Here.”
A bottle of water magically appeared in front of me, and I grabbed it graciously. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and my head was pounding. Despite all that, I couldn’t shake my nightmare.
“What happened?”
Eli’s face was stern as he watched me down half the water bottle, but his eyes were kind.
