Burning Ember

Chapter 29

Lights were bright and white above me when I came to. I squinted my eyes as I felt a sharp throbbing at the back of my head.

"Easy, don't sit up too fast," a familiar yet worried voice said. Turning my head too quickly for my comfort, I saw Ivy as she stood from where she had been sitting. I was in a hospital, and Ivy was here. My mind worked rapidly to piece together what happened. I remembered the fight with Gabriel, and then I was falling—but that was it.

"How long have I been here?" I asked as I pushed myself upright.

"A few days. Do you remember anything?" she asked, her brows pushed up with worry and curiosity.

Nodding my head, I told her everything that I remembered. She was silent for a long moment after. I was scared to ask, but I needed to know. "What happened to Gabriel?"

She looked up at me, her expression was dreadful, and I knew the answer without her having to say it. Gabriel was dead. Tears burst from my eyes as I brought my hands up to cover my face, though I wasn't crying because he died, it was the relief. Such a profound weight was lifted from my shoulders that I hadn't even realized was there.

Ivy wrapped her arms around me mindfully as she said, "Aw, sweetie, it's okay. You were protecting yourself; no one can blame you for that, and the police already know."

I looked up at her sniveling back the tears, "How?"

She shook her head. "They said it was fairly obvious. The front door was left open, and they could tell some sort of scuffle happened in the hall from the broken drywall and drops of blood. The alarm time frame, the marks on you . . ." My hand reached for my throat knowing there was probably bruises.

"So, I'm not going to jail?" I asked, because I felt like I should be going to jail.

Ivy laughed, tears slipping past her smile. "No, you're not. They just need to get your statement, and you're free."

I was free. I was finally free from Gabriel. Free from our marriage, free from worrying when and where he'll pop up next. Free from all of it. I slept restfully that night, and for the next two days the hospital kept me. Ivy had gone back to the house at some point and cleaned up the place and brought my car back with her so she could drive me home when they released me.

She stayed for two weeks, even though I told her it wasn't necessary, I may have cracked my skull and had a few staples, but I wasn't brain damaged, but she insisted. It was nice having her around, except it was hard dodging her questions about Hale. When was he getting out, if I was excited to see him. Every time she brought him up, a knot formed in my stomach, and I would just deflect. I couldn't bring myself to tell her. It would make her hate him and I wasn't even sure if I hated him. He hurt me, severely, but for some reason, I could see the method to his madness and it had me entirely divided. One half still aching from the hole he left in my life, and grieving the love I felt for him, while the other was furious at his deception and betrayal. I wasn't ready to talk about it—with anyone. Ivy pressed a time or two and she looked suspicious when I refused to talk, but I still wasn't ready for that conversation.

Olivia stopped by once a few days after I got home, and brough lunch with her from the diner. She said that Harold was worried about me, but she had been keeping my shifts covered. It was nice to see her, and Ivy seemed to get along with her, too. Olivia said to call if I needed anything before she hugged me and left.

Things were finally calm around here, and I was getting used to my new normal, but one night Ivy swore she heard a sewing machine coming from the attic when she was up late reading on her kindle. She had set her mind on getting a Ouija board. I thought it was ridiculous. Those things were just toys that kids pushed around to scare each other. Still, despite my protest, she dragged me to Bangor with her and bought one. Gathering candles up from around the house, she ushered me along to the attic and set it up in the middle of the room.