AllFreeNovel
Share Us
26
Fast As You Can
Christina
“Christina?” Big brown eyes stared up at me. My sister huddled in front of my door, her shining hair plastered to her face and shoulders. On her knees. No coat.
I dropped down in front of her and took her by the shoulders. “Baby, what’s going on? What are you doing here? You’re a day early.”
She shookher head from side to side, a deer in the headlights. Alexis wasn’t supposed to look so scared and be so silent. I gave her a little shake. “You’re soaked.”
“I’m cold,” she whispered. Her perfect eye makeup was smeared.
“Let’s get you inside. Where’s your coat? Did you drive here straight from law school?” I tried to hustle her to her feet, but she didn’t move.
“I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to get away.”
“Do what? Get away from what?”
She bent her head, hiding her fairy-tale beautiful face. Mascara blackened her eyelids. “I thought maybe you’d understand. You’re so confident. You’re always yourself.”
“Me? God, Alexis.” My voice broke. “No, I’m not. I’m a fucking mess.”
Her eyes focused for the first time. “Honey? What’s wrong?”
Swiping a traitor of a tear from my cheek, I squeezed her shoulders. “Not important. Let’s take care of you. Come on, inside.” I hauled her to her feet. “How long have you been here? Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting long.”
She shrugged. “A few minutes? I don’t know.”
I checked my watch. I’d been gone an hour and a half. Waiting for nothing outside Patrick’s door, keeping Marcus’s futon warm.
“It’s okay,” I babbled, unlocking the door and tugging her inside. “We’ll get you all dried off and into some warm clothes. You can tell me what’s going on, though I have a guess. I got kind of a weird phone call from that fiancé of yours today, but don’t worry, everything’s going to be all right—”
Next to me, Alexis flinched. I took her arm to reassure her and stopped in place.
The hall light was on. I was sure I’d turned it off when I left the apartment. I’d practiced getting over my fear of the dark, these past few months; for some reason, this light filled me with more worry than my dark apartment ever had.
“Amelia?” I knocked on my roommate’s door. No answer.
A sudden hiss came from the living room. Petal shot out of the darkness, skittered between our legs, and scratched on my bedroom door.
“What’s happening, kitty?” I whispered. “Is someone in there?”
Patrick? My heart jumped before it sank. No way he could have gotten in. And Petal wouldn’t react this badly to him.
Alexis gripped my arm. All her poise and polish was gone. She was dazed, and not about to take control of the situation.
I took a broom from the closet, crept to the door, and opened it. Petal dashed in, yowling.
My room was turned upside down.
My cheerleader uniforms were tossed on the floor, along with the gowns I’d worn to college formals. My closet was a mess. The drawers were yanked out of my desk and upended. Clothes spilled out of my open dresser, and makeup was smashed and scattered all over the top. A crimson lipstick scrawl slashed across my mirror:WHORE
The broom fell from my hands and crashed to the floor.
My sister’s hands flew to her mouth. “Christina, oh my God,” she whispered.
“Go out in the hall, Alexis.” My voice shook.
