Everything You Never Knew : Secrets

Chapter 7

Silence was the only greeting Rachel received when she entered her house. She forced her legs to move faster as she headed for her bedroom. She quickly closed the door behind her. Only then did she dare lift her shirt and pull out Ashley's journal. Her eyes swept the room left to right but she had her mind made up before they finished their sweep. She opened her closet door and placed the journal in the drawer where her underwear used to be. Typical, right? What girl didn't hide a journal among her panties? That was almost the first place anyone would look, yet somehow it felt appropriate. She didn't close the drawer right away though. Her eyes focused on the cruel mockery of peaceful clouds on the journal's cover as her heart tried to tug at her body. She wanted to read more as if it was necessary to breath and yet at the same time the thought brought with it a horrible sense of dread. The knot in her stomach began to churn again. She'd had enough spinning thoughts for one day. Spinning thoughts were leading to a spinning room. She flicked her wrist putting pressure on the drawer with her fingers and it slammed shut. Being unable to look at the journal brought instantaneous relief.

There was a knock on Rachel's door. She tightened her lips and turned around. “Yeah?” she asked softly.

“Rachel? Honey, are you okay?” Rachel left earlier in such a hurry. She hadn't even told her mother or Ashley's parents where she was going.

“Yeah, I'm okay,” she called back, trying to make her voice sound calm although it was scratchy and exhausted.

“Where did you go?” Rachel hesitated.

“Ashley's condo. I just, I had to see it. I don't know why.” Rachel felt her muscles tighten again. She stepped toward the door and opened it. Denise looked as awful as Rachel felt. On second thought, Rachel realized she probably looked just as awful, too, if not more so. She'd been crying nonstop for what felt like forever. She couldn't hide in this room though. There was so much left to face. Was it okay for her to be furious with Ashley for leaving her to face a tragedy like this alone?

Rachel stepped back out into the living room. Rebecca was on the couch with a blanket over her lap. Skipper was laying next to her with his little head resting on his paws. He looked so sad and subdued. Samson didn't, though. The cat had no idea something tragic had happened. Why did the dog know? Then again, he was Ashley's dog. If Rachel was the one who'd died wouldn't Samson be sad?

“Where's Bill?” Rachel asked before thinking to stop herself. That shouldn't have been the first thing out of her mouth. She should have apologized for rushing off the way she did. She should ask if she could do anything for Rebecca.

Rebecca's eyes didn't rise, it was as if they were permanently fixated on the cup her hands were clasped around like a thin string connecting her silence to her meltdown.

“He went to go pick up Ashley's grandparents from the airport,” Rebecca replied. Her tone was as void as her face. Rachel's throat tightened again. She hadn't thought of Ashley's grandparents yet. Rachel met them a number of times. They were a sweet couple in their late seventies but as far as she knew their health was still in good condition for their age. Ashley's grandfather was always cracking jokes thinking he was funny and her grandmother would always pat his arm and shake her head, giving the girls an amused look as if to say 'oh just humor him!' How devastating it must be to lose a child, but how incredibly horrible it must feel to lose a grandchild. They'd lived long, full lives and had seen their granddaughter achieving such a great dream only to have it all end in one fateful crash. They would have to see their granddaughter in a coffin. They would have to watch her being lowered into the ground and covered with dirt.

If her body is even presentable enough to be in an open casket.

How mangled was she from the crash?!?