Page 110 of My Girl

I straighten my stance. Rae is small on the closet floor, like a doll waiting for someone to play with her. A daughter waiting for her daddy to tell her what to do.

This last month hasn’t been easy, keeping her locked inside of a small house. Rae understood that it was for the best. Keeping her in the closet. Both of us sleeping in that enclosed space, hiding her from the world.

We’ll get rid of Penny eventually. Right now, I have other things on my mind.

The imbalance lingers, filtering through my veins. Especially now.

In this world, I’ll always be the one others trust. Men trust other men; they will believe me over Rae. And physically, I’ll always be stronger than her.

It can’t stay like this forever. The power dynamic is too simple. Boring. Predictable. And I like it better when things are interesting.

I grab my duffel bag from the top shelf of the closet. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Chapter35

Rae

We usecash to move across the country. Eventually, we end up at a motel a few miles away from the family theme parks in Kissimmee, Florida. The irony isn’t lost on me—being in such a popular family vacation spot with my father—but neither of us has any interest in roller coasters or meeting cartoon characters. Our thrills lie in the darkness.

A knife rests on the nightstand next to me. It’s the same one he used to kill my hookup. The same one we both held as we killed my look-alike. It’s a good luck charm that helped me embrace my true self.

The television chatters through commercials. I sit cross-legged on one of the queen beds, eating a sandwich from a grocery store. Crave slouches in the motel chair. His eyes scrutinize me.

His widow’s peak. His dark eyes. His lips pursed.

Since the day I showed up at his rental house asking for help with Ned’s body, it’s been strange. At first, I thought it was just me getting used to the idea that Officer Gaines and Crave were the same person. Now, I know it’s more than that. There’s something bubbling up inside of him, and with each breath, it increases in power.

He turns off the television. The room falls silent.

I wrap up the rest of my sandwich. “What?” I ask.

“You’re always going to be weaker than me,” he says.

His voice is low and measured, like he’s waiting for me to react to his words. Another test.

I’m done with games.

I roll my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re a stupid, weak little girl.” He points to the knife resting on the nightstand. “Can you even use that without my help?”

I grit my teeth. “You know I can.”

He shakes his head. “You poisoned Ned. You needed me to help you stab that girl. You didn’t kill her yourself.”

“So?”

“You can’t hurt anyone, can you?”

“I did,” I snap. “You watched me do it.”

“You let the poison do the work with Ned. You forced me to stab that girl.”

My lips pull back. “That’s like saying the match burned the house when I’m the one who lit the fire.”

“You’re weak,” he says. “Helpless. So fucking small, it’s pathetic.”

My vision turns red. What is he getting at?