Lex cackles while Aiden’s lips curl, and he drops his hold. Eli slumps onto the chair opposite me, hurt flashes in his eyes as he hurls a clean pair of socks in my direction. They’re three sizes too big and will come halfway up my shins, but they’ll keep me warm at least. I open my mouth to speak, but Eli sharpening a knife tells me not to waste my breath. He’s pissed. The scraping noise puts my teeth on edge, like sharp nails dragging down a chalkboard.
The truth is, I’m not sure what I want our relationship to be. Do I want to be someone they listen to? Someone who has their approval? More than just an object of their fascination, who gets picked up and down whenever they please? However, admitting I might want more means facing feelings I’m not ready to…
Aiden slaps the evidence bag he acquired from Blackwell on the grubby table with a flourish. My throat constricts. A worn red notebook with doodles adorning the front cover sits insidethe plastic. I go to grab it, but Aiden slams his hand on top of mine to stop me, like a gavel crashing on a judge’s podium.
He tsks. “Not so fast.”
My heart thunders. “But it’s Sarah’s.”
She didn’t know I knew about her diary. A few weeks before she disappeared, I found it hidden in her closet when I was looking for a shirt. I only peeked inside the pages for a second before putting it away and feeling guilty, even though I didn’t read it. Dad already invaded our privacy enough. When she went missing, I told the police about it, hoping it might give them some clues. But they didn’t find it when they searched her room, or so I thought…
Lex rolls his eyes, always three steps ahead of me. “Obviously.”
“I need to read it,” I insist. “If there’s something in her diary that will tell me what happened, I have to know.”
“Poor Little Ghost,” Aiden says. “Are you really still clinging to hope that your sister is alive?”
All the air zaps from my lungs. Although I can’t see myself, I imagine I’ve turned a ghostly white as blood drains from my face.
“N-n-no,” I gasp, as if I’ve been doused with a bucket of ice water. “She can’t be. She ran away. She left home. I…”
“Your sister is never coming back,” Aiden says bluntly, devoid of any sympathy. “She’s dead.”
I pull my hand out from under Aiden’s and stand. My knees are too wobbly to hold my weight, so I collapse back onto the chair again. I’m not stupid. I’ve watched enough true crime to know the chances of Sarah being alive are slim, but I’ve still clung to hope. It’s all I have.
“How do you know?” I ask, attempting to regain my composure. Aiden enjoys messing with people’s minds. Another of his torturous tricks. “I need proof.”
“As I said, we know all the town’s secrets.”
“Tell me what happened to her,” I beg. “Whatever it is, I can handle it.”
“Your biggest mistake, Little Ghost, is thinking wehaveto do anything,” Aiden mocks.
“Fuck you,” I snarl.
Instantly, a tension-filled silence sweeps through the cabin like an icy breeze. Eli exchanges a nervous look with Lex, shocked at my outburst. Contrary to what they think, I can stand up for myself when it’s something I feel passionately about. Aiden’s eyes narrow into murderous slits. Did my father hurt Sarah, or do they know Sarah is dead because they were involved? I wouldn’t put it past them. They injured Nate and killed Gilsmear—how many other deaths are they responsible for?
“What did you say?” Aiden asks. His tone is calm, yet hides a menacing undertone, warning me not to push my luck.
“I said, fuck you,” I repeat, staring right into the inferno. I won’t cower in the corner anymore when it comes to Sarah. I owe her that much, at least. “Sarah’s my sister. You are going to tell me what happened. I have a right to know!”
“You’ll learn everything you need to know when you return to Sunnycrest,” Aiden says.
I lunge for the diary in desperation, but Aiden grabs it first. He holds it up high, waving it in the air to tease me.
“Give it to me,” I demand.
He cackles, ignoring my request. I claw at his arms to lower them, but he doesn’t react. I dig my nails into his muscles, tearing his skin until it bleeds. He doesn’t budge an inch, remaining as still as a statue. He’s holding Sarah’s last words—doesn’t he understand how much they mean to me? She was my everything! My twin! My other half! I scream in frustration and punch his unmoving chest.
Lex chuckles as my blows bounce off Aiden. My knuckles slamming into him are as useless as twigs beating against a brick wall, hurting me more than him. I won’t stop, though. I keep going, pummeling continually until my chest heaves from the exertion of releasing every bit of my repressed rage.
“You bastard!” Hot, uncontrollable tears fall down my cheeks, and cruel insults shoot from my mouth with every pointless punch. “Sick.”Whack. “Motherfucker.”Whack. “Twisted fucking monster!”
I keep going, each hit getting weaker, until I have no strength left. Still, Aiden stands, unwavering, while Sarah’s diary dangles tantalizingly above my head, promising answers.
“You’ve forgotten that we don’t feel pain anymore,” Aiden says. “Not after what your father did.”
I double over, panting, with my heartbeat thundering in my ears. I’d almost feel bad, if not for the secrets he was hoarding.
