Haunted by the Past (Original)

Chapter 34

Even now the waiting game was driving me up a wall, but I now knew the importance of using precious time to rest one's mind, and it was time I did precisely that. I couldn't control what was happening, but I could at least get some of my shit together. My eyes wandered down to my two days old clothes and remembered that I had already blown through my spare shirts and panties, not taking into account my new lifestyle. Then I recalled seeing the sign for the motel's coin-operated laundry on the ground floor when we arrived.

Returning to the bedroom, I emptied everything that wasn't washable from my backpack, then filled it with the dirty clothes from Eli's bag until it was bursting at the seams. Eli gave me a quizzical glance, but that was all he spared me once he realized what I was doing. Grabbing my phone and a room key, I took one last look at Eli before heading for the door.

The laundry room was even more dated than the guest rooms with machines from the 80s that rattled like they were on their last legs. Originally, I had planned on returning to the room and waiting up there for the cycle to finish, but a few disconcerting groans from the washing machine had me setting up camp on the bench along the far wall of the room. I cursed myself for not bringing earphones to drown out the horrific noises. Even for a quick wash it seemed to go on forever. I fiddled on my phone for any entertainment whatsoever. I almost felt desperate enough to open Candy Crush. Almost. Thankfully I was saved from utter desperation.

Cameron: hey

I stared speechlessly at the message. Heather's brother, Cam was the last person I expected to hear from.

Cameron: wut is this shit they keep spewin abt u?

Cameron: assumin u havn't changed numbers on me

Dani: Yeah, sorry, it's still me

Cameron: good

Cameron: I heard the shit ppl r sayin

Cameron: wut is going on!?

After everything Cam went through, he was the last person I wanted to drag back into all this mess.

Dani: Don't worry about it

Cameron: rly? u haven't heard wut I heard

Dani: I can guess

Cameron: u know we saved her seat

Cameron: come n visit n the seats urs

Dani: Cam...

Cameron: I mean it

Cameron: dunno if she ever told u

Cameron: U got her thru so much

Cameron: Come n visit

Cameron: I'll buy u a drink

Cameron: U dun have to tell me wuts happening

Cameron: Tho itd be nice

Cameron: if not for my sake then for hers

**

"He's not even here."

"Who?"

"Her brother."

The old hens behind me continued back and forth without consideration as the pastor spoke. Their voices were like nails on a blackboard to me. Every time another opened their mouth, I inched that much closer to the edge.

"But that's to be expected, isn't it? It was his fault, you know-"

"No it wasn't!" I turned around and snapped.

Old Mrs. Hartley acted offended by my outburst. "Then why isn't he here?"

Mrs. Joyce nudged her arm and gestured to the side before I could respond. Following her hand, I saw Cam stumbling towards the funeral gathering. He had haphazardly put a black dress shirt on with sleeves rolled up and the top button undone, along with a pair of wrinkled dress pants with some sort of stain on the outside right leg. He clearly hadn't shaved since I last saw him and I doubted he even brushed his hair in that time either. Of course he had been drinking again. He had only promised to stop until we found her.