Words about the invisible crocodile are still in my ear, but I don’t hear them. Her small voice is white noise as I focus on Colin’s cruelty.
“What have you done to upset your sister?”
“Nothing.” I couldn’t lie. Another punch would break something inside me—maybe even a bone. “She’s cold and afraid, and that’s it.”
The water finally ripples as Chuckles moves toward us. His stare is on my throat, bringing a cruel smile to his face.
Swallowing hurts, but I do it to keep down my nerves.
Those giant dirty gloves claw at my shirt. My arms flapping with desperation do little to stop him from prying it from my body.
He examines the wet fabric with an amused glance before shoving it back into my hands. “If your sister is cold, give her something to wear.
Twisting to Dollie, who has conveniently hushed in his presence, I drape the wet T-shirt over her body. “This will help you keep warm.”
“Your Mom and Dad will be so proud of how well you care for your sister.”
His words sting me because I feel like I’ll never hear my parents say it. Because we’ll never see them again.
CHAPTER 14
Dollie—present day
Abreak from the house and the shadow that lurked was needed. I was driving myself crazy.
But this isn’t quite what I had in mind when I approached Shane with a tear-stained face and told him I needed to get out again.
I expected a quiet walk at the park close to our old apartment—an ice cream to accompany us on our travels around the pretty lake. I didn’t expect him to tell me to dress up for a night on the town.
The bar is rowdy and overcrowded, which is totally not my scene. Sweaty bodies bump against me and everyone else, and my pink satin dress sticks to me with what I hope isn’t someone else’s perspiration.
It’s not overly fitted, which proves to be a good thing when I pull it away from my skin at my waist, minimizing the exposure of my colostomy bag below.
Shane takes my hand in his, raising it enough for me to twirl, which is incredibly hard to do without getting stained by some girl’s raspberry martini.
Eager to get away from that martini and everyone else, I tuck myself against him, and with my back to his front and his mouth to my ear, he shouts over the music, “Do you want another drink?”
Nope, didn’t want the first one.
“I’m gonna get us another.”
Before I can tell him I’m good, he’s gone, disappeared into the sea of people he’s been scanning since we arrived.
The dance floor feels so foreign and lonely without his hand in mine. The music screaming into my ears abandons me, too, becoming white noise.
Disco lights rain down on everyone’s faces, each one growing paler, the mouths stained by brighter shades of red.
Clowns. Everywhere.
Air stalls in my lungs and refuses to leave. I force my eyes to close, hoping all will be right in the world when my eyes open again.
People. Normal-looking people in normal makeup dance badly around me.
That damn martini pops into my view again, splashing my dress and matching satin gloves with red droplets.
The people around me feel closer, one man in particular. His short body grinds against mine, and I can’t tell if he’s trying to grope me or steal my purse.
I turn, my arms flying out and pushing him away.
