𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐃

31

HER PREDATOR

"I'm out front," I called Casei up as soon as I made it to my house. My dad was out with my mom. How he convinced her to leave the house with him, I don't know.

"Okay."

About three minutes later she was coming around the corner, parking besides me in the driveway. I got out, locking the Jeep and coming up to her car door. She held up her hand, getting herself out and locking up too. "We goin' inside or what?" she asked me.

"Inside. To my room," I told her.

She followed me in, up the stairs, and into my bedroom. I pushed the door open, sitting on the edge of my bed and kicking off my shoes. She followed my lead after a moment, tentatively sitting next to me like she thought I'd bite her.

"Euphemie and I were together back when I lived in Houston. Whatever information Sioyana thought she had or thinks that she was given, likely isn't true."

"Why do you say that?" Casei asked, staring me in the eyes. "Because Sioyana wasn't there when it happened and she only heard about it? Is that why?"

"Yeah. Nobody knows the full story. Rumors will spin and spin, but only me and my family know the truth. And Euphemie's family."

"What is the story? What were you ruled innocent for? And why is everybody warning me about you?"

"I'n not who everybody is painting me to be. I actually have to contradict what I just said, even," I told her slowly. "My parents know much more to the story than anybody else that isn't me or Euphemie. I am not the Houston Hidden. Not the true one."

"Sioyana told me all about the Houston Hidden. How you gutted that girl out in her sleep. Cut her intestines out and fed them back to her. Slit her throat. Tore her fingernails off one by one and left them underneath her bed-

I held up my hand. "I don't need to hear anymore."

Casei took in a shaky breath, "I don't know why I'm here right now. I should go," she stood up.

I grabbed her arm, pulling her to me as I stood up.

"Let go of me, Lowen. Please," she begged.

"I covered up Euphemie's murder because I loved them, Lowen," I whispered. I let go of her arm to hold her face but she moved away from me quickly, distancing herself. "I took the fall and got me a good lawyer and that saved me. I was found innocent even though I let all of the evidence point to me."

"You can understand why I wouldn't believe you, right Lowen?"

"I do," I told her quietly. "I get it. But that girl hurt Euphemie in unimaginable ways. In the trailer park that Euphemie stayed in."

"Why did you take the fall for them? Why didn't you turn them in? Damn fuckin' love," she argued.

"I regret it every day. Euphemie left me and moved on. They were never still anyways. I was...16 when we met and they were 23. I didn't understand love back then but my loyalty was crushing."

"I thought that you were a murderer. I thought I was locked in this bitch or something with a crazy person," Casei sighed in a relief. "Honestly."

"They left in their little Class B RV, tan seats with the cracks and the smell of weed always hangin' in the air. I loved them so bad that they were the only air that I could breathe, Casei. I fall for the wrong chicks too," I stepped towards her, "I was scared I'd take a bullet for Dylandra so I cheated. And, not too many hours ago I was ready to shoot a bitch for you."