Page 116 of Mr. Edwards

“When I stopped off to grab us a coffee this morning, you’ll never believe who I ran into.”

I inhale a sharp breath as my entire body goes rigid.Oh God, no. I knew this would happen;I knew it.

He opens his mouth to continue and my eyes are silently pleading with him to stop.Please don’t say it… please don’t.I know exactly where this conversation is heading. Bile rises in the back of my throat, and sheer panic takes over as I brace myself for the clusterfuck that’s about to unfold. The next thing out of his mouth has me feeling faint.

“My Uncle Jason,” he says, beaming. “Can you believe it? He laughed at me when I told him I was taking your little ninja class as a way to win you back.”

The world around me stops as the realization settles in.Everything I’ve done over the past few years… all the heartache, has been for nothing. He continues talking, but his words don’t register.

Fuck.

I feel my body sway in my seat.

“Shit, Carlee, are you okay? All the color has drained from your face.”

My hand is trembling as I reach for my phone that’s lying face down on the table. “I need to go.”

“Carlee, wait.” I stand, and Grayson follows. “Did I say something to upset you?” The poor clueless fool has no idea what he’s done.

When my phone vibrates, I hesitantly turn my hand over so I can see the screen. The moment I read the text message that just came through, I’m consumed with dread.

Unknown: I warned you! He’s next.

I do the only thing I can in this moment, I turn and flee.

I vaguely hear Grayson calling my name as I rush for the exit and race toward the gym. Thankfully, it’s less than a block away. I’m sprinting so fast, I make it there in no time.

Bursting through the front doors, I go straight to the reception desk. “I need Reece’s car keys,” I say to Michelle, holding out my shaky hand. “Hurry, it’s an emergency.”

“Is everything alright, you’re trembling?”

“Just give me the damn keys,” I snap. I’ve never spoken to her so harshly before, but she has no idea how dire this situation is.

“Fine, geez,” she says, retrieving them out of the top drawer and handing them over. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to get Reece?”

“There’s no time, I have to go now… I need to check on my mom.”

“Your mom?” I hear her screech as I run back outside to where Reece’s car is parked.

That message came from an unknown number, it could’ve been sent to me by mistake. A bizarre coincidence possibly, but in my heart, I know it’s not. I know exactly where it came from.

“Carlee, wait,” I hear Grayson call out from somewhere behind me, but I ignore him as I unlock the driver’s side door and climb inside. My fingers fumble with the key as I desperately try to slide it into the ignition.

Glancing over my shoulder to make sure it’s clear, I don’t even indicate as I pull out of the car space and do a U-turn, zooming in the direction of the trailer park.

Pure terror is surging through me by the time I arrive; I’m not even sure how I got here in one piece.

I drive down the long dirt path that leads toward the place where I grew up. I’m going so fast, that thick clouds of dirt engulf the rear of the car, blocking my view through the back windscreen. I’m unsure if Grayson followed me here, but that’s the least of my worries right now. Unless the monster is still here.

Shit. Could this be a trap?

I push that alarming thought from my mind. My only concern right now is the welfare of my mother, I’ll deal with the rest, if and when, I have to.

It’s been years since I’ve been back here, and that thought fills me with regret. Despite everything Roxy has put me through, a part of me still loves her. She’s my mom, she gave me life.

Granted there have been times I’ve wanted to strangle her with my bare hands, but there’s also been moments when I’ve just wanted to hug her. To tell her she deserves so much more than the life she was handed.

In hindsight, kicking me out was the best thing she could’ve ever done for me. It may not have felt like it at the time, but it gave me a chance… a future, which is something she never got. She was a product of her environment, and although she could have done better for herself, the reality is she didn’t know any different.