What She Hid - NEW

25. Everything Seems Wrong

The street lights click on as I pull up in front of our house. Outside dusk casts shadows over the lawn. 

It's dark but not quiet. The wind rustling through the trees puts me on edge. It's so loud I turn my head to make sure it's not masking any footsteps behind me. 

I need to talk to Cassie. I need to tell her about the drawing and the weird vibes Mr. Wolburn is giving off. Everything seems wrong since we moved to Ludford and I need her to help me make it right again.

If I had the drawing I'd show her, but when I went looking for it over the weekend, it was gone. I can only assume Cassie found the crumpled paper in the back when she put her bag behind her and tossed it out. 

I wish I hadn't destroyed it like that. But if I am honest with myself, I know I would do it again. It was too overwhelming to do anything else.

My gaze strays to the black Lexus parked near Mr. Patros's driveway as I climb the porch. I've never noticed it on the street before. With my head still twisted to stare at it, the door handle twists under my hand. 

I stop and look down at it, stunned. 

What is wrong with her? 

I breathe in deep as I fight between the urge to tell Cassie off again, or just give up since it doesn't seem like she'll ever listen to me.

As the door slowly swings open, my eyes lock on the unfamiliar jacket hanging from the hook in the dark hallway. Is it Cassie's? Something new she bought?

The house is silent as I walk to the kitchen with the groceries she texted me to go pick up for lunches this week. I didn't want to leave the house after dark, but I couldn't make Cassie do it on the way home. Not when I was sitting in my room when she messaged me, with the car parked outside our living room window.

From above me, I hear a thump. 

My gut clenches as I strain to listen for another sound. I dump the groceries on the counter, still in their bags and squeak out Cassie's name into the empty quiet house, expecting silence. Instead, I'm met with a muffled reply from the direction of her bedroom. 

The tension eases from my stomach as I realize it's just Cassie. 

"Come in," she says in response to my light tap when I get upstairs.

Her room is bathed in a soft gray evening light from the sliding patio doors that lead onto her balcony. 

Since finding the drawing of us, it feels different looking at the wooded area that stretches out on the other side of the fenced-in yard. I can't stop picturing someone standing there watching us. 

The scent of roses wafts to my nose and I frown, unsettled by the smell. Turning, I freeze, stunned by Cassie's disheveled appearance. Even more strange is the sight of Dad sitting in black dress pants and a shirt, near her in a wooden chair he's pulled out from her desk, up to her bed.

"Dad?!"

He doesn't speak but raises his chin in his usual greeting to me, before turning back to where he's applying pressure to Cassie's bleeding knee.

"What happened?" I ask going to her side, the gnawing in my stomach becoming a full burn at her continued silence. "Cassie, are you okay?"

"She's fine," Dad answers for her. "I need rubbing alcohol and bandages. Do you have any?"

Mud covers her shirt and she's ruined her scrubs. A big tear rips across her knee where blood trickles down despite the cloth Dad holds against her open wound. 

"What happened?"

"Bandages," Dad orders. "She's bleeding all over the floor."

I reluctantly head to the bathroom we share and return with the First Aid kit and the rubbing alcohol. He takes it from my hand and begins seeing to her knee. It's only when he's stopped the bleeding and applied the bandage that either one of them meets my gaze.

"I don't understand what you're doing here."

Dad looks up at me from under dark lashes, his steady gaze unnerving. "Don't you?" he asks, with a sharp edge to his tone. "I think you know exactly why I'm here."

[Author's Note:

Things don't look good for Leila. Find out why in the next installment which comes out on Monday.]