Page 17 of Where Daisies Breathe (Star Meadows #2)

AVA

B y the time we make it out of the woods, the last of the sunlight has slipped away into the bleakness of the night. My nerves are humming because of that, but once I’m in Ellis's SUV, I settle down a bit.

But it gets woken up again when, right as he’s about to pull onto the road, his headlights shine across two women walking up the side of the road, heading in our direction. The instant the light hits them, puzzlement creeps through me.

Because the two women are my mother and my aunt.

And it looks like they’re heading towards the path we just left.

When the spotlight casts across them, they freeze—my aunt, the timid woman that she is, inches behind my mother.

I’m not sure what she’s afraid of or why she believes my mother will protect her, but regardless, my mother appears annoyed.

“Is that your mother?” Ellis asks with his gaze trained on my aunt and mother.

He has stopped the SUV and left the headlights blinding them.

“Yeah, and my aunt.” I shake my head in confusion. “I’m not sure what they’re doing out here this late at night.”

“They look suspicious walking around in the dark without a light,” Ellis mutters, then drives forward, pulling out onto the road and leaving my aunt and mother in the darkness.

“You’re just going to drive away?” I question, surprised.

“Nope. I’m going to drive around, park the car, get out, and follow them.

” He does exactly what he says, parking the car down the road on a turnout.

He silences the engine and shuts off the lights.

“Are you okay sitting in here by yourself for a minute?” he asks as he grabs a flashlight from out of his backpack.

I want to tell him no because I don’t want to be here, sitting alone in the SUV so close to the woods and my haunting childhood home. But I also know he needs to do this, so I nod.

Sensing my hesitation, he tells me, “There’s a taser in my glove box. If anything happens, use it. And then call me.” He waits for me to nod, then climbs out, locks the door, and closes it.

Moments later, he’s gone, slipping into the night. I wait in utter silence, constantly scanning the darkness around me. Every so often, I swear I see shadows creeping around me, but it could just be my paranoia.

I hunker down in the seat to avoid staring out at the field beside me. The stillness in the air feels eerie, like it’s a quiet warning that something bad is about to?—

A knock on the back window startles the shit out of me. I reel around, hoping to god it’s Ellis. But in the back of my mind, I think I know that Ellis wouldn’t knock on the window like that. I can’t see anything through the back other than the faint outline of the trees in the distance.

I turn around and check that the doors are locked before I glance around at the surroundings outside. Just as I start to question if I even heard the knock, I spot a person in the distance, a ways into the field.

The person is dressed in a white dress, which is the only reason I can see them. They’re standing motionless, staring at the SUV. My heart hammers in my chest, erratic beats that cause my breath to hitch. I can’t see their face, but their blond hair is like a halo against the moonlight.

Dread slithers down my spine.

I don’t know what to do.

Should I call Ellis?

Should I get the taser out of the glove box?

I’m not sure. I don’t feel super threatened by them, which is strange considering the circumstances.

The person suddenly takes a step toward me.

My breath gets stuck in my throat as I watch them take another.

The shadows outside occasionally block out my view, but it always returns once the moonlight reaches them again.

They’re getting close enough that I can almost see their face.

I hold my breath for longer, in the back of my mind, wondering…

Is this Clover?

It’s an insane thought, but the blonde hair looks so similar. And those daisies I received earlier?—

The doors unlock and the driver’s door opens, causing me to jolt and hurriedly reach for the glove box. But before I can even get it open, Ellis is sliding into the passenger seat.

His hair is sticking up all over the place, and pieces of leaves and twigs are stuck in it. He slams the door and turns to face me. He takes one look at my face and worry consumes his features.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, locking the doors.

“There’s someone out there…” I trail off as I point at the field in front of the car that is now empty. “Or there was someone out there.”

“Shit, really?” he asks, and I nod. “Do you know who it was?”

For a brief moment, I hesitate, wanting to say: Clover. But that’s crazy, and I’m crazy for thinking that.

“Not that I could tell, but I couldn’t see them very well,” I say instead. “It looked like a woman with blond hair. She was wearing a dress. That’s about all I could see.”

He stares out the window as he rakes his fingers through his hair. “I must’ve scared them off, but where the hell would they go?” He starts up the engine and flips on the headlights, revealing the field in front of us.

“Maybe they went into the woods with my aunt and mother?” I suggest. “Did you find out what they were doing?”

“Not completely. I lost them in the dark. But I do know they headed into the forest—not on a trail either. And before I lost track of them, they were talking about your dad’s will.

From what I understand, some of his belongings are missing, like this trunk that he seemed really worried about finding. Do you know what that could be?”

I shake my head. “Not that I can remember, but who knows. Let me think about it, and maybe a memory will return to me.”

“Okay, but don’t push yourself too hard.” He reaches for his seatbelt. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. I don’t know if it’s all the people we’ve seen or just the bad vibe of the woods, but I have this feeling we’re being watched.”

During the drive back to town, Ellis and I discuss the things we learned today.

He said that while he can’t be certain, it kind of seemed like my aunt and mother were heading toward the cabin in the woods.

Neither of us is surprised by this, considering the memories I have of my uncle and father discussing it.

But we still need proof in order for Ellis to attempt to get a search warrant.

When we arrive in town, we grab some food before heading to his hotel. He asks me to come inside for a bit so we can talk about my memories that have been surfacing.

I don’t want to.

But I need to.

Be brave, Ava, for once in your fucking life.

I agree to do it. We settle in the room with our food; I sit on the sofa while Ellis gets situated on the bed.

The dried-up daisies are sitting in a vase on the dresser, haunting us like a ghost from the past, whispering to figure this out.

I keep thinking of the woman I saw standing in the field who I thought could be Clover.

But it’s an insane idea. I need to stop thinking that. This town is just messing with my head.

“You said you couldn’t remember who did that to you… In the woods, I mean,” Ellis starts as he stuffs a fry into his mouth. “Has that changed? And if I cross a line at any time while we’re talking, you can tell me.”

I unwrap my burger, my fingers trembling.

“I can’t remember any faces. But the voice I hear is familiar and…

At times, I’ve wondered if it was Trystan.

After what I overheard him say today when he was snooping through my stuff, I’m pretty convinced it was him, but I can’t remember any specific details that’d link him to being there that day.

” I take a bite of my burger and chew as I sift through my mind for something—anything that could give us an answer.

Ellis reaches for his drink and takes a sip. “I’m wondering if maybe it’d be beneficial to have a psychiatrist work with you to see what you’ve blocked out.

A shiver rolls up my spine at the thought of a person digging around in my mind, plucking things out that I’ve blocked for a reason.

“You don’t have to, though,” he hurriedly adds. “It’s just a suggestion.”

My stomach is a raveled vine of thorns. “I’m just afraid of what will happen if I remember everything.”

Will it break me?

Break what’s left of me?

What will I be then if not even pieces of me exist?

“You don’t have to decide tonight.” He takes a bite of his burger and sets it down. Then stands up and collects his laptop, which is on the table beside Clover’s diary. “Let’s do a search to see who owns that house in the middle of the woods.

As my veins flood with anxious energy, I get up from the sofa. One single thought is plaguing my mind: what if the house does belong to someone in my family? What will that mean not just for the past, but for the future?

Seeking a distraction, I wander over to Clover’s diary. “Is it okay if I read some more of this?” I ask Ellis as he opens his laptop. “I read through some of it a little bit earlier, but I’m wondering if I should’ve asked first.”

“You’re fine,” he tells me as he clicks a few keys. “I’ve skimmed through it a bit too, but it definitely needs to be examined more thoroughly. Just let me know if you read anything that could be a clue to what really happened to her.”

Nodding, I pick up the diary and sit back down.

Then I begin reading from where I left off.

Like before, the sullen mood of her words is heavy to bear.

Still, I push forward, turning another page.

Over and over again, I read about my friend’s struggle that I wasn’t aware existed.

I had suspected it on occasion, but I never did anything about it. Per typical Ava, I remained silent.

Afraid.

No, more., Ava. Be brave.