Allison Monroe's POV:
I opened up the double doors to the gym and was immediately blinded by the fluorescent lights. Once my eyes adjusted I walked around the silent gym. No Sophie. I run back to my car and find my phone I'd left in the driver's seat amid my panic. I notice I have two missed calls from Sophie. I call her back.
"Hello?" She asks.
"Sophie! Where are you?!" I say as I look around the student parking lot.
"Well you were thirty minutes late picking me up so one of the senior cheerleaders gave me a ride home. I'm in the garage." She responds.
I breathe out the breath I was holding in. "Okay stay there. I'm on my way home."
When I pulled into the gravel driveway I see Sophie puttering around the garage behind a tower of boxes. I put the car in park and walk up to the garage. Sophie pops out from behind the boxes and I do an immediate double take.
"Is that...my cheer uniform?" I blink.
"Yeah! So I made the squad and Friday is our homecoming game. The theme is 'Far Back Friday' so we're all wearing old uniforms. I told the girls I wanted to see if I could find mom's old uniforms but instead I found yours and a bunch of cool stuff!" She explains excitedly as Levi's truck pulls up.
"Sophie you really should've told me before getting in a car with a girl I don't know." I start.
"Hey all. Sophie what are you wearing?!" Katie gasps as she stops next to me.
"Look at all of this stuff." Sophie sets down a cardboard box marked 'Ali', in front of us. "What's this?" She pulls out a black velvet box as Levi joins us.
"Wait Sophie!" I exclaim as I recognize the box. But it's too late. She opens it, pulls the necklace out and reads the engraving.
"Oh.." she simply says, feeling awkward. I turn and look at Levi who also just recognized the necklace. His eyes meet mine.
"I-" I start but sputter out.
"I'm gonna go. Have a good night everyone." Levi nods and starts walking back to his truck.
"You don't want to stay for dinner?" I call after him.
"No I'm just gonna go home this time. But I'll see you tomorrow." Levi says over his shoulder.
"Wait Levi!" I call after him.
"Sophie lets go inside." Katie grabs Sophie and leads her in the house.
"Ali nothing needs to be said." Levi stops walking and shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
"I just...no I'm taking a page from Katie's book. Nothing is left better unsaid." I shake my head and assert.
"Allison it's fine. Really. It just caught me off guard." He waves a hand as if to wave away my comment.
"Do you still have feelings for me?" I cut him off and step closer.
"I...I mean we have a history. We were engaged at one point. Of course I'll always have feelings for you." He too steps closer.
"But do you feel something...new for me?" I press the matter. Levi stays quiet and looks away. I nod understanding that this is a situation where words may not be needed.
"I just don't know you the way I used to, Ali...there's a lot of..." he fumbles for the right words.
"A lot of heartbreak. Maybe too much to be fixed." I finish for him.
"Right." He says quietly as the wind blows my hair in front of my face.
"I guess I just wanted defined lines between us. Things were getting muddied for a moment." I ration out loud.
"I want to be your friend Allison. But I'm afraid that's all I can be to you." Levi looks down at the gravel and back up at me.
"I understand...I'll see you tomorrow morning?" I ask, my eyes searing, begging for tears to spill over. But I don't want to make Levi feel guilty.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Allison." He nods before getting back in his truck. I turn away and head up the walkway where I shut the front door behind me and lean back against it as the tears finally spill down my face. Katie and Sophie round the corner and stand on either side of me as I wipe my tears.
"I'm proud of you for confronting your feelings." Katie says to me with a gentle smile.
"We'll find you some smoking hot silver fox, Aunt Ali." Sophie puts a hand on my arm. This earns a laugh from me.
"Soph, how old do you think I am?" I laugh as I wipe my last tears.
"I dunno. Like...old?" Sophie blinks.
That night we were sitting on the couch together with popcorn and Halloween candy watching a kid's Halloween movie since a slasher movie felt too real for us. A commercial came on and I used it as an opportunity to grab the popcorn bowl from Katie and take it to the kitchen to refill it. I wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a new bag from the pantry before chucking it in the microwave. I turn around and looked out the window and into the dark night. The property was quiet and the moonlight added an eerie atmosphere. I turned away to check the time left on the popcorn but something moved out of the corner of my eye and caused me to do a double take out the window. There, across the property, in the tree line was a figure moving in the brush. I could faintly make out the silhouette of a man. My heart started slamming in my chest. While I'd love to chalk it up to a Halloween prank, we are way out in the country, far enough away to where this kind of prank would be too much effort.
"Katie, Sophie, bar the doors!" I yell over my shoulder as I pull out my phone and call Levi.
"What's going on?!" Sophie sprints in the kitchen with Katie close behind. I turn around to face them, my phone pressed to my cheek.
"He's here." I say as calmly as I can muster.
"Allison?" Levi asks on the other end of the line while the girls scramble to start pushing furniture up against the front door.
"Levi, someone's on the property." I gasp and run down the hallway to my bedroom.
"Lock the doors. I'll be right there." Levi says before I end the call. I pull the safe out from under my bed and punch in the code. It clicks and the lock releases. I pull out my Smith & Wesson 9mm. Sophie runs in the bedroom.
"Is that a gun?!" She gasps as Katie joins us with a large kitchen knife. I get up from beside the bed and cock the gun back.
"Yes. For situations like this. Sophie, stay in here and lock this door behind me. Levi, Katie and I will come back for you." I order her.
"COME BACK FOR ME?!" Sophie exclaims.
"I'm gonna make sure this guy doesn't make it up the walkway." I raise an eyebrow.
"Ali!" Sophie stomps her foot.
"Lock the door. Hide under the bed. I'll come get you when it's safe." I say as I grab Katie's arm. We leave the bedroom and Sophie does as she's told.
"The hell are you doing Allison?" Katie demand as we walk into the dining room and stop by the back door.
"You're gonna stay here and wait for Levi." I yell her.
"And you're gonna go fucking hunt a serial killer?!" Katie cries.
"I don't exactly have a choice Katie, this guy needs to know I am not the one." I shake my head, adrenaline coursing through me.
"Allison, just stay here and wait for Levi." Katie grabs my arm and yanks me backwards.
"Katie! I'm ending this tonight." I say as I slide the back door open.
"Okay fine....be careful. I love you Ali." Katie sighs and dread flashes across her face.
"I'll be back." I nod before running out the door and into the dark night.
YOU ARE READING
I'd Sell My Soul
General FictionKathryn "Katie" Aberdeen has lived in Colfax her whole life and never planned on leaving. Allison "Ali" Monroe was Katie's childhood best friend but moved to Seattle for college, more opportunities and never looked back much to Katie's dismay. Trage...
