AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stood taller, accentuating every word, “Are you threatening me?”
“No, baby.” He snidely smiled, backing away slowly, never breaking his predatory stare from mine. He had the last word, spewing, “That’s a fuckin’ promise.” Turned and left.
“I hate that motherfucker. Why did you date him again?”
“Because I didn’t know any better.”
It was the truth. I was so young when we first got together. I was blinded by my friendship with him, thinking it was love, when it was nothing more than lust.
“You alright?”
I spun, looking at him. “I don’t know anymore.”
“Camila, you gotta do what’s right for you. Fuck Sean.”
“And Bailey? What about her?”
“I think it’s time you find out the truth, don’t you?”
He was right.
The time had come.
There was no way around it anymore, not with the way I was reacting to him. If she was alive, there was only one thing left for me to do. It would be the right move, even if it killed me not to see those kids anymore.
I had to quit.
20
CAMILA
Now
I walked into the Pierces’ home bright and early the next morning, a false sense of security following me. As soon as I stepped into their house, there was this eerie presence all around me.
I took a deep, sturdy breath, grounding myself. The sensation of being watched was very much alive and present, much more than it had been before.
For the life of me, I couldn’t shake it.
Maybe because I was now convinced there were cameras, or maybe I just had a sixth sense for these sorts of things. Or it could have been as simple as I was starting to lose my goddamn mind. I hadn’t slept all night, thinking solely about the Pierces. The image of their father breaking down in front of my eyes was a vision I couldn’t forget.
The more I looked around his house, the more I saw her, the more I felt her, the more she presented herself to me.
His wife.
Bailey. Beauty. Mrs. Pierce.
I didn’t know a damn thing about her, but she was everywhere. From the floor to the ceilings, in every crevice of every room, in every inch of the open space, in every way, shape, or form. This was her home.
Her sanctuary.
Her place of peace.
Her safe haven.
Where I suddenly felt unwelcomed. An intruder, a woman who wasn’t supposed to be raising her kids. The more I looked around her home, the worse I felt. It was a continuous, unforgiving impression in the pit of my stomach, as if I had done something wrong and it was about to catch up with me. The confusion and unanswered questions pegged me as I moved through the house, picking up after the boys like I did every morning.
Except, this time…
