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17
There's knocking on my door, and I look over my shoulder with a frown as I wash the dishes. When they don't just come in, I shake off my hands, grabbing a rag off the counter to dry them. There's another knock before I get there, "Hang on."
Swinging the door open, I blink at Kyler. "What are you doing here? How did you even know my address?"
He shifts in front of the door, looking over my shoulder into the house. "Can I just come in? I just want to talk."
"What is Vickie out of town?" I step to the side, opening the door further for him. "If you came here to fuck, I'm not interested." He shakes his head, walking past me, and I shut the door behind us. He stops in the living room, awkwardly looking around. "Well? You wanted to talk, so talk."
His hand raises to his hair, shaking the dark brown strands anxiously through his fingers. "I just... I'm just worried about you, Hadley."
I huff, crossing my arms over my chest, watching his fingers nervously fidget. "Over what? We aren't even friends, Kyler."
"Don't act like that. I've known you since my freshman year at University, Hadley. We might not hang out all the time or talk as often as we used to, but I obviously care about you."
"Yea, whatever. Get to the point, Kyler."
He looks away from me again, eyes falling on my Nana's wind chime. "Were you at the nursing home when the fire alarm went off?"
I run my hand down my arm, frowning at his question. "Yes? Why?"
"Did you do it?" He turns to face me after he asks, his face blank of emotion that I can read.
I scoff, shaking my head at his ridiculous question. "What? No! Why would I do that."
His tongue comes out to swipe over his lips, hand brushing down his face again, "Are you taking your meds?" My lips pinch at his question. The words sinking in my gut. "Don't look at me like that, Hadley. Just answer the question."
"It’s none of your business. It wasn’t your business when you filled in for one of your dad’s pharmacists, and it’s not now. But yes, I am."
He laughs like he doesn't believe me. "I don't know that I believe you. Dad said, you haven’t been by the pharmacy in a while."
I shake my head, heart thumping beneath my ribs as I walk back into the kitchenette. Dunking my hands in the soapy dishes, I start washing again. "It doesn't matter what you believe. And it’s gross and creepy of your dad to be keeping such tabs on me. If all you did was come here to yell at me about something I'm already doing, then you can leave."
"Who's Rhys, Hadley?"
My hand slips on a plate, and I almost drop it. "We already had this conversation, remember?"
"I remember. I want you to remind me, though, where is he now?"
I shrug, dropping some silverware into the clean side of my sink. "How would I know? I don't have a tracker on him."
He walks past me, grabbing a black hoodie Rhys left last time he was here that's off the hook to holding it up. "Is this his?" I don't answer, and he grabs a pair of sneakers, "Are these?"
Setting more dishes into the sink to rinse, I shrug again. "Yea, they look like his."
He blinks at me, carrying them over to me in the kitchenette. "This is an extra small hoodie and size seven shoe. You think these belong to Rhys?"
I stare at them, my eyes shifting from the things hanging from his fingers and his face. "Guess not. We wear similar things."
He tosses them on the couch, shaking his head like he doesn't understand how I'm not getting what he's trying to say. "Remember when you started running? And I made fun of you for it, saying only losers ran? Why'd you stop running, Hadley? Weren't you driving all the way on the other side of town to see some girl? Why'd you stop seeing her?" He grabs my arms across the counter, and I freeze, my heart pounding harder with each question. He looks worried as his dark browns search my face, "Did you kill them, Hadley?"
I jerk back from him, water splashing onto the floor. He walks around the counter, moving to stand in front of me. "Who's Rhys, Hadley?"
Just as her eyes flutter open under my gaze, I slam her face back into the ground, watch her nose crunch, and lips split even more.
I step back from him, and he follows, matching my step. "Who is Rhys, Hadley?"
Her movements are slowing, her limbs looking heavy and weak, but her eyes never close. Those beautiful minty greens stay locked on mine as her arms drop into the water, and the last air bubble leaves her parted lips.
