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It’s not bad enough it tastes like shit, now it has to give me third degree burns, too? It’s lucky I have other shit on my mind, otherwise I’d destroy that machine.
My laptop dings, letting me know the file I’m downloading is finished, and my heart leaps. I rush over, putting the coffee down next to my laptop, and open the first file.
When I glance at the screen, my eyes widen in horror and shock. NO!
“Motherfucker,” I growl.
I reach out to grab my phone to ring Cole, and then Allie. I’ve been ignoring her calls and texts all day, but she needs to know about this. My fingers brush my screen, but before my call can connect to Cole, something bounces off the side of my head. The pain knocks me to the floor, my hand going to my wound.
What the fuck?
I land on my knees with a sickening thud, my vision blurring from the pain it causes. Warm liquid runs down the side of my face, and when I pull my hand away, it’s covered in blood. I fall to my side, looking up at my attacker.
My eyes narrow into dangerous slits, and a murderous rage builds up inside me.
I’m going to kill that sick son of a bitch.
“It’s you,” I growl.
A creepy smile spreads across his face. I’m so stunned, so angry, that I don’t get a chance to move before his foot comes down on the side of my face, knocking me out completely.
Allie!
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ALLIE
PRESENT
The storm is rolling in quickly, the rain already pouring down on my windshield, making it hard to see. I slow down to a stop when my sat nav announces I’ve reached my destination. It says the house should be here, but I’m driving down a dirt road with banks of trees on either side.
“Where the hell am I?” I whisper. I check my phone, but with the storm and tree coverage, there’s no signal.
I check my mirrors before pulling off down the road. Either the address Tina gave me is wrong, or my sat nav needs rebooting. It’s not the first time she’s given up on me or steered me in the wrong direction.
Whenever Alex talked about his home life, I pictured him living on a busy street. Not in the middle of nowhere nearly an hour away from the university. How the hell does he commute to Whithall every morning? I’ve never seen him drive, but then again, I’ve never really asked how he gets from A to B.
I hate driving down roads like this. They’re thin and have barely enough room for two cars, which is why they have little dips at the side for you to pull into. I’m always afraid a car will be driving too fast and hit me head on.
Another road splits off to my right, and without thinking, I turn onto it, hoping for the best. I’m driving back on myself now, but as I follow the road for a few minutes, a house comes into view. I relax into my seat, pulling up outside next to an older car.
I pull my hood up over my head and grab my umbrella and phone. My body starts shivering the second I open the car door and get out.
I rush up to the house as fast as I can go without hurting myself. It appears old and could do with a lick of paint and new windows. They’ve got cracks in, some even covered with plastic.
As I knock on the door, white paint peels off, and I wince, stepping back guiltily. I rub my arm, and bounce on my feet to keep my blood flowing. I should have brought a coat with me, but I wasn’t really thinking. I didn’t think it would rain, either.
I knock again, louder this time, hoping someone is in.
Maybe his nan was taken to the hospital, which is why no one is answering.
“Come on,” I whisper, my teeth chattering.
I’m about to give up when I hear a voice call out, “Coming.”
The relief I feel at knowing his nan might be okay, relaxes me. The door opens, revealing an old lady, who I presume is his nan, Jessica. She’s bent forward, barely holding herself up.
She looks startled to see me, so I put on my best smile, hoping to ease her worries. Her hair is as white as snow, her face wrinkled and sagging at the cheeks. Her glasses sit on the tip of her nose.
