“Would you prefer us to take you to dinner?” he mocks. “Do you want us to be your dates at silly school dances? Or would you like to introduce us to your family? How about your best friend, Mia? Do you think she’d like to meet us? How about a double date?”
They know everything.
My silence is the only response he needs.
“I thought so,” he says smugly. “We’re your dirty secret. A secret that no one would believe. If you told anyone, they’d think you’re crazy, just like your sister.”
“My sister?” I ask, instantly forgetting everything else. “What do you know about her?”
“You’re not ready yet,” he says. “Don’t you remember what we said before? We see everything.”
“What do you know?” I grab his arm to stop him from leaving. “If you know something about Sarah, you have to tell me!”
With a fling of his muscular arm, he sends me flying across the slippery floor. I skid, falling and landing on my knees, while he storms away. I scramble to get up and dart after him. By the time I reach the hall, it’s already empty.
What do Eli and the others know about Sarah? My stomach lurches at the sinister thoughts and images I can’t shake. What if the man who ate my pussy had something to do with her disappearance?
CHAPTER
TWELVE
ERIN
Mom hurries to my side.“Where did you disappear to?”
“I was helping Ms. Moldova fill vases,” I say. Well, that’s half true. “You said you wanted me to help.”
She frowns, but doesn’t question me. Maybe that’s a consequence of her being married to Dad for all these years—believing everything she is told. I’d like a time machine to go back and see what she used to be like. Was she a rebellious teenager like Sarah, or quieter and more reserved like me? Either way, that person is long gone. Her spirit was crushed by him long ago.
“Well, we better go inside,” she says. “The auction is about to start.”
We file into the main auditorium, where parents are handed bidding paddles. I scan the sea of faces. Most belong to students I recognize and families I know, but there are some I don’t. I look at every man’s face, wondering whether he’s one of them. Is that a thought that’ll ever go away? Am I going to look at every stranger who fits their rough sizes with suspicion from now on? I’d like to think I’d recognize them. The men who sprayed cum over my chest, tasted me, and watched me sleep. They’ve seen me in my most vulnerable states. Surely, that has to leave aninvisible mark? Yet, as I inspect strangers’ faces, I realize it could be any of them. There is one thing I know for sure, though. They’ll be watching. They are here. As they said, they live in the walls.
“Stop daydreaming.” Mom nudges me, while smiling politely at the other parents. “You’re holding everyone up. Look.” She points. “Two seats next to Mia and her mom. Let’s join them.”
While Dad makes his disapproval of Mia clear, Mom has a soft spot for her. I’m not sure whether it’s because she actually likes her or is relieved her daughter isn’t a total social pariah. In her glory days, Mom was the prom queen, the top cheerleader, and the Stonybridge ‘it’ girl. Although she left during college and in her early marital years, Mom grew up here in Pasturesville. Many others have stayed in town, and her high school popularity has carried over into adulthood, giving her an elevated status. You can see it in the way she’s treated by other parents who knew her then. Husbands ogle her, and their wives eye her clothing enviously. Perhaps that’s why Mom enjoys attending functions so much. She can reclaim her youth and cling to that part of her life.
“Having fun?” Mia asks, raising an eyebrow sarcastically when we sit down.
“Ignore her,” Ms. Moldova says. “She’s grouchy.”
“I can speak for myself, Mom,” Mia grumbles.
“Oh, I completely understand, Kim,” Mom says, like the two of us aren’t standing here. “Erin is always sulking. It must be their age. All the hormones. I remember what it was like in my day.” She gets a misty-eyed look. “We were?—”
Mom’s nostalgia gets cut short by Principal Wire taking the microphone.
“Evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he says, voice booming. “Thank you for joining us in the wake of a tragedy that occurred in our community. On behalf of everyone here, I would like toextend our well wishes to the Holt family. All the proceeds from tonight’s auction will go toward rebuilding their home.”
Applause erupts. I clap half-heartedly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
“We have very generous donations from friends of Stonybridge Academy coming up,” he continues.
Another round of cheering follows.
“If they clap this often, we’re in for a long night,” Mia mumbles under her breath, earning herself a reproachable look from my mother.
I zone out halfway through the auction. Mom wins a case of wine from the local vineyard for an eye-watering amount. Goods are auctioned away: monthly muffin baskets, spa days, a cabin retreat, Botox injections, a day with the principal, a private half-hour concert with Ms. Moldova, and more.
