Page 90 of My Girl

“You’re not mad because it’s me,” I say. “You’re mad because you know I’m right. We’re the same, Rae, and it’s always been that way.”

She squints at me. She doesn’t move.

I walk up the stairs.

In the parking lot, I contemplate going back and killing her. But that would be too easy. I could also chain her up and brainwash her the good old-fashioned way, forcing her to accept who we are. Neither of those options are as enticing as the new challenge in front of us right now.

Rae will accept her need for me, and it will be of her own volition. I’ll make sure of that.

I take my knife to her tires and pierce the rubber. The act is on the security cameras. I don’t give a shit; I’ll erase the footage like I always do. For now, Rae will be stranded in Pahrump, chained to this stupid fucking town, like I am.

You did that to save me,a woman’s voice pops into my head.You don’t want me to run away.

It’s not Mrs. Galloway’s voice this time. It’s Rae’s.

My hands curl into fists. Is she replacing that old cunt inside of my head?

I turn toward the Galloway House.

“I’m going to kill you one day,” I growl.

Then why don’t you do it now?her voice taunts.

I smash my fist against her car’s windshield. A spiderweb cracks along the glass. My knuckles bleed, the tiny cuts pooling like syrup.

I punch it again. And again. Until it shatters, leaving an opening for me.

I pull the DNA tests from my pocket. I use the blood from my knuckles to write a note on top of one of the results.The name is listed as John Doe. She won’twantto believe who it really is, but she’ll finally know the truth.

I didn’t kill her father. Not like she thinks.

Chapter28

Rae

Crave’s footstepsecho through the house. Each step above me is like another cinder block smashing my chest.

I don’t move.

Glass crashes outside. His distorted voice ricochets across the parking lot, like a crow cawing into the bleak desert.

I’m sitting at the bottom of the stairs with a million steps to climb. In a basement where I’ve seen him kill people. A masked killer that blended in with the rest of the people at the mall.

I need to leave. I need to run far away from here.

Ten minutes pass. Finally, I stand on weak legs. Put my clothes back on.

At the top of the stairs, I take off running to my car. I hold my breath.

The tires are flat. The windshield is shattered.

A headache screeches across my temples.

Am I upset that Crave is Officer Gaines?

Am I disappointed?

Or am I relieved? Relieved that he’s been with me this whole time, even when I thought I was alone?