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And from the time she was murdered to when her body was found, she had just been killed, according to reports. She was alive that entire time, until she was killed.
And they never found her killer.
For the longest time, I blamed myself. She was getting off work early to come see my little league game. If she hadn’t left work early the day she was taken, maybe she would still be alive. She would’ve gotten to see me play professionally.
I would have taken care of her like she had taken care of me.
Maybe that’s why I’m protective of Raelyn. Why I will go to the ends of the earth to take care of her and make her comfortable. To help her in her time of need.
And why it angers me that Cam has been a total asshole to her.
I want to beat him to a bloody pulp.
“Are you okay?” I hear Asher ask her, and I turn to look at Raelyn.
“Um, yeah. No. I don’t know,” she stammers as I walk into the kitchen.
“Do you want to rest?”
“No. I need to get out. I need air. I need space. I’m feeling confined,” she offers honestly. “I-I feel conflicted.”
“What do you mean?” I hear Drew ask her as I take a deep breath.
When I glance back at her, Raelyn runs her fingers through her long brown hair. “It’s like two of me live inside my body. I want to run and hide, ignore the world, hope no one sees me. But the other half, my actual self, is fighting to get back. With my memories coming back, I feel more like my old self. It’s conflicting. It’s suffocating. I need to get out.”
“Then let’s go out.” Tristan stands up. “We can go to the nightclub.”
“The nightclub?” Raelyn repeats, face scrunching in confusion.
“Level Seven,” I respond, and all eyes turn to me. “Tristan’s family owns it. Probably a good place to go. We know the security there, and it’s a safe club. We can even get a private booth.”
“Level Seven…” She hums for a moment. “That name sounds familiar. But I don’t know where I’ve heard it before.”
“It’s pretty popular out here,” Drew answers, glancing between us. “Maybe you heard one of us mention it.” He shrugs.
“Possibly.” Raelyn bites her lip. “Can we get something to eat first?”
“Absolutely. I know of a good restaurant near it.” Drew smiles.
“Vertigo?” I reach into the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water.
I hear Drew call over from the living room to confirm, “Vertigo.”
“What kinda food is there?” Raelyn tilts her head to the side when I walk back over.
“Sushi,” I answer her. One of my favorite foods of all time.
She squints for a moment. “I’ve never had sushi before.”
I chuckle. “Well, you are about to have the best sushi in the world for your first time tonight.” I offer her a wink.
“Guess I’d better go get ready.” Raelyn turns on her heels and heads toward her room.
Once she leaves, I look at Drew. “Dude, what the fuck is with Cam?”
“I was just gonna ask the same thing,” Asher says, leaning back on the couch with a sigh. “His reaction is over the top.”
“He’s pushing her away,” Tristan grunts.