Page 38 of Stained In Sin (The Twisted Trilogy #1)

Evelyn

I storm inside Astra’s house and head to her room. I open the door quickly, but the room is vacant. Her bed isn’t made, and she left her blinds open. It looks like she just left without a word.

I go into her father’s office and poke my head in. He greets me with a smile.

“Hey, is Astra here?”

He gives me a confused expression.

“She took off about four hours ago. Said she had plans with you.”

His eyebrows pinch together. My heart sinks as I open my messages, making sure I haven’t overlooked any.

Nothing.

“I…. I haven’t talked to her today.”

He slams his hands down on his desk, sending a deafening slap through the air.

“SHIT!”

He storms past me, and I follow quickly behind him.

“W-where are you going?”

“I’m going to look for my fucking daughter.”

He grabs his keys off the hook, stopping to look at me one more time .

“She’s back on the pills, Evelyn. If you have any idea where she would go, please tell me.” He places a hand on my shoulder, imploring me to give him any information I can, but I don’t. I don’t know where she could be.

“I-I don’t know, but I’ll try to find her.”

He nods at me and storms out of the front door.

The tears swell in my eyes as I walk back to her room, looking for anything that would tell me where she would be.

I check her bed and find nothing. Nothing in the trash, nothing in the closet. Fucking nothing.

I sit on the bed and try to call her again. “Please answer, please answer, fucking please,” I whisper to myself through my tears.

The bed vibrates underneath me.

I stand up and rip the blankets off the bed. Nothing. I press call again as I try to locate where the vibration is coming from. I slip off her sheets. Nothing.

I take her mattress and pull it off her bed. There it is.

I swipe her phone off the box spring and grip it tightly.

The tears stream down my face. Why would she leave us? Why?

I can’t lose her. She seemed so happy yesterday. We laughed and shared some drinks. We were okay. I sob as I stare at her phone.

I unlock the screen to get to her messages. Maybe she told someone she was leaving, but I pause when I see a message she received from an unknown number.

We know who killed your sister. Come alone. No devices.

Symphony Hills Park. Mile marker 3 on the North Bend Trail

4 P.M.

She went to find out who killed her sister without telling me. Guilt swims in my stomach like a school of sharks circling their prey.

I know who killed her.

The sobs flow out of me as I break down on the floor. She isn’t suicidal. She is just looking for closure. How could he take her from us? You need to find her. Why isn’t she back yet? What if she is next?

Panic consumes my body as I scramble out of her room. I run into her kitchen and take one of the largest knives I can find. I don’t know if she is safe. I just hope I don’t have to use it.

I get in my car and take a deep breath, preparing myself to go find my friend. I refuse to lose her, too.

I can’t let Dante find me. He will force me to come back. I can’t. He ruined my best friend’s life. He is ruining my life. No, he’s not. He’s yours. He makes you feel alive.

I open my phone and turn off my location settings. I’ll never be with a man who killed an innocent woman.

I speed my way to the park. It’s just after 7 P.M. and darkness rules the sky. I know the park, but no one goes there. It is pretty unkempt. Most of the trails are also not maintained.

I park my car and step out. Letting my eyes adjust to the dark. I don’t want to use my flashlight in case she isn’t alone. I slowly approach the path she should be on and walk quickly, scanning the woods as I work my way through them.

The sounds of crickets and crushing leaves fill the air. My feet are moving quicker the further in I get.

They told her mile marker 3. I am almost there. I sprint to the mile marker. My heart is racing in my chest.

I stop in front of the marker, scanning the woods around me. I’m alone. She’s not here. The tears roll down my cheek as defeat washes over me.

I pull out my phone and turn on the flashlight. I point it left to right, seeing nothing, hearing nothing. I point it down at the trail and I see drops of blood on the path.

I follow the small splatters and walk off the main path.

I hold my flashlight up, scanning the dense forest.

My body stiffens when I see a pile of clothing lying next to the tree. I rush over to the shredded clothing. They are Astra’s. I empty the pockets, removing her keys and a wad of bills. I move on to the other pocket and remove a plastic bag. Her pills. Her dad was right.

I shove everything into the pocket of my sweatshirt and continue scanning.

I see her platinum blonde hair a few yards away. She is on the ground, naked. Her arms and legs are bound together with rope, and her face is bloodied and swollen.

I rush up to her, pulling her off the ground slightly, and I see the source of the bleeding. She has a knife lodged into her back. Her chest rises and falls slowly.

The tears fall down my face.

“Astra….. please…”

“Please… don’t die….”

Her heavy lids flutter open. Her cracked lips part as she whispers, “He killed her.”

I shake, holding her in my arms.

“I-I know…..” I cry harder as I hold her.

Her eyes close, and my chest feels like it is caving in on itself.

I pull out her phone and call the police. I can’t let her die.

It’s all my fault. Everything is my fault. Maybe everything would be better if I just fucking died.

* * *

I watch the paramedics speed off with her body. They are going to try to save her, but they said she had lost a lot of blood. They aren’t sure if she will make it.

She was lying there for three hours with a knife in her back. I called her father to let him know. He thanked me for finding her, but he wouldn’t have had to look for her if Amara hadn’t been killed.

It’s all my fucking fault. Everyone you love is dying. They are in danger. You are in danger.

I run my fingers through my hair, trying to erase the pain filling my head.

I walk to my car on autopilot. I don’t want to live anymore.

I drive slowly back to my parents’ house.

Thinking of all of the memories I have made in my life.

All of the things I got to experience and try.

What about the things you haven’t done? You’ve never been to Europe.

You’ve never been skydiving. You’ve never gotten married. You’ve never had children.

I cry softly in the stale air in my car. I look down into the passenger seat. The answer is right there. I can end it all if I want to. It would be better for everyone. What about your mother? Your father? Astra might still be alive. You can’t give up now.

I pull up the driveway, taking a deep breath before I go inside. I don’t know what I am going to do.

I open the bag and take one of the pills in my fingers. I roll it between them, feeling the round blue pill. The texture is soft. Astra loves them. She says they make her feel nothing. She feels at peace. That’s what I want. Peace.

I drop the pill into the bag and shove it into my pocket as I slide out of the car. I walk up the stairs, taking in the night sky.

I’ve always loved the darkness. Maybe it’s time I let it welcome me for eternity.