The Sinner

81

Loud slams jolt me awake that same night.

My eyes pop open, staring at the blank ceiling. I slowly sit up, looking next to me to see that the spot in the bed was vacant. I quickly pull my phone off the charger, the screen illuminating the dark room around me.

I had a couple of texts from my dad, and one or two from Maggie too. I scroll through the ones from my dad, and he was wondering where I was. They were only from an hour or so ago.

The ones from Maggie made something ping through my chest. Guilt maybe? Or was that pain?

Maggie
2:48 AM
Hi sweetie, any clue when you're getting home? Your dad and I are worried. The rehearsal dinner is tomorrow night.

I quickly type back that I was fine, and that I will make sure that I'm there.

I slip my phone into the pocket of Rafe's sweatpants and stand from his bed. Neither of them are stupid, Rafe's house is the only other place they know I'd go. But as long as they don't catch me here, I'm sure neither of them cares that much.

I slowly walk towards the door. It was well past four in the morning now. I only had gotten a couple of hours of sleep. To simply put it, I was exhausted. I feel like I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks.

I slowly turn the door handle, the door slowly opens without a sound. I glance around the empty hallway, some of the lights were still on. I step out, not bothering to close the door behind me.

"Will you help me call?" I hear a voice say.

Sarah.

I follow the voice down the hall. It was coming from the back set of stairs. The ones they rarely used. I slowly descend them, making sure that I avoided the areas that creaked. I knew this house like it was my own. I've been here more than my own at times.

I hear something clatter to the floor. I tilt my head in confusion, slowly starting to peek my head through the gaps in the wooden railing.

Sarah was passed out in the chair, and Rose was kneeling in front of her. Didn't I just hear her talking? How could she have fallen asleep that fast?

I decide to go down, finally hitting a spot on the floor that creaked. Rose snapped her head in my direction, and sighed once she saw it was me. She still had her makeup on, and it was still smudged underneath her eyes just as it was before.

"Corrine," She says with a small smile. "I didn't know you were up."

"I wasn't," I tell her, "I heard a loud noise." Again. Don't these people respect sleeping hours around here?

"Oh, well, it's nothing. Sarah got home late," Rose reassures me. "Sorry to wake you, sweetie. You look really tired."

"It's okay," I tell her, "Do you know where Rafe is?"

"I'm not sure," She explains, motioning for me to walk over to her. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Sure," I say, glancing over at Sarah in the process. Her head was leaning back against the chair, her mouth slightly open. She was knocked out completely. "Is she okay?"

"Oh yeah she's fine," Rose smiles, "She just was overtired. I finally was able to help get her to sleep."

"Oh okay," I say, sitting down in the old plush chair next to her. "Why are you still up?"

"It's been a busy night," She tells me. "I feel like I never sleep anyway."

"Neither do I," I say, resting my hands on my lap. It felt like she wasn't telling me something, her and Rafe both. They were both acting way too suspicious. Rose is never nice like this. "What's really going on Rose?"