Ride It

Chapter 12

Bentley's POV

As I lead Beatrice up the stairs, my nerves run like static beneath my skin.

This is the first time I've touched this room in years, but I can't think of any better way to explain this to Bea.

I don't want her to think I'm only using her, but I also don't want to abandon Macy's case.

I feel like this is the perfect time to come clean. Before either of us gets too deep into whatever relationship, this is we're building. It's only fair that she knows why she's here.

"Oh," she says as we stop in front of a closed door. "I've been here before. It's locked."

I nod. It's a given. I locked it to keep people from entering and meddling with what they shouldn't. Rebecca or Sam cleans it every month.

I hook my keys off my pants and go through them until I find the right one. Then I unlock the door and push it open, motioning for Bea to enter first.

I trail in behind her and turn on the lights. "It's my older sister's room. Macy."

The dark room lights up, showcasing the light violet walls decorated with medals and a few pictures of our family and horses. Her bed is stacked in the corner, covered in a purple floral duvet with a few stuffed animals sitting at the head. A desk sits next to it, and on that desk is the diary my sister often wrote in when she was alive.

I walk over to the diary, my fingers touching the frayed edges. It's old. It's been so long that the paper is turning.

Bea walks up next to me.

I take a deep breath to calm the unsettled emotions in my chest. Despite the many years it's been, the memories feel like they're still fresh.

"I was 12 when Macy disappeared. I remember waking up that morning to my mom screaming for me and my brothers. Her voice was so hoarse, her eyes distraught as she and our dad ushered us out of the house to look for Macy. She didn't come home that night, and Mom had a dream where she saw us all take a family photo, and Macy wasn't in it."

Bea inhales a sharp breath and looks at me with pitied eyes.

I'm used to those eyes.

"We alerted the entire town, and everyone was out looking for her, but she was never found. We had reason to suspect the Beauregards for foul play."

She gasps. "Jason?"

I turn my gaze to her and nod. I clench the diary in my hand as I think about his smug ugly mug parading around town. My jaws clench and I try to reign in my anger.

"You see, Macy was a horse racer. A pretty damn good one. She loved the race, and she's won a few championships in the past. She disappeared two days before the race took place, and it was rumored that the Beauregards desperately needed some funds. Because of how huge the event is, the prize is always in the millions, and the betting surpasses that. We were confident that Macy would win that race, but when she disappeared, can you guess who took her place?"

She hesitates. "The Beauregards?"

I nod. "Exactly. We sent the cops to investigate them, but nothing came out of it. At first, we had given up. No evidence meant no case. Over the years, my mother kept Macy's room alive, hoping one day she'd come back to us. As if that wasn't enough, our dad died of a heart attack, and that drove our mom to suicide. She couldn't handle the pain of losing her daughter and husband."

"I'm sorry..."

I swallow past the lump in my throat and shake my head. "What's done is done. Macy's disappearance put a strain on our family, and I desperately wanted to find out what happened to her."