Tortured - Jaele

C H A P T E R | E I G H T

                                   • J A C E •

Promise refused to sleep unless I was holding her, unless she could feel my heavy hand on her back.  Something wasn't right about the way she constantly whined and whimpered. Looking down into her eyes, I pressed my lips to her forehead where the skin was unnaturally warm. Her nose had been running all night, no amount of wiping the built-up snot away would stop it. She wasn't wearing a jacket when I took her from Riele. All the more reason to have left Nicky's fat mangled body floating through the currents of Rhode Island beach.

It wasn't something I planned on executing when I arrived but when I saw her with ear pressed to the door and Riele's frantic screaming, it was a last minute decision fit to benefit everyone involved. Especially me. It was too close of a close call. Far too close. I can hear the television on in the living room. Riele has remained awake, she won't come anywhere near me and I decided to let her be for the moment to focus on the baby.

Promise has fallen asleep again, but I know it won't last. She keeps going in and out of consciousness as if she couldn't relax, having to stay alert. Waking to any slight sounds or movements. Her cheeks were flushed and hot. She wouldn't eat anything Rosa brought to me for her to nibble at. No amount of milk, or juice... water and puréed bananas and baby crackers interested her. It suddenly felt all too familiar, I glanced at the door where I knew the girl was tucked away before carefully laying Promise against a pillow.

"Come on babe, just a little bit?"

I held a bottle filled with warm formula to Promise's lips but she shifts her head to the side moaning weakly. I've taken her sweater off hoping she'd cool down but it made her even more fussy and her small body began shaking violently. I froze, arms locked at my sides. I stood over her, my hands became tangled in my hair. I wrapped her up in a blanket, drawing a blank on what to do next.

By now it's gotten dark, and the lights of the city outside made shadow's sweep across the room. It was looking as if it might rain again, I felt the heat of her skin sticking to me, and smooth her hair back from her face.

"What would your mother do?"

I whispered to her. Promise's eyelids flicker back and forth as she's falling asleep again. She makes sucking motions with her mouth, she's perfection. A cherubim baby flawlesssly sculpted and remarkably my twin. I picked my phone up to swipe ignore on another one of Isabella's calls.

• New Message •

Ex

(Did you get the baby?)

(Hellooooooo?)

(Where the fuck are you?)

(Where is Promise?)

(Nicky hasn't called me back, answer the phone?)

(JACE! ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONE!)

(Are you serious?)

(I'm coming over.)

I quickly typed out a reply to her after the last text.

(She's with me. Calm tf down, I'll see you next week.)

I know I can't keep putting her calls off for long. I couldn't even let her know she was sick. I have to think about the next steps ahead. With no plan in mind, it would be easier to kill Isabela and get it over with. If she came over to the apartment that was a choice I was willing to make.

That's what criminals do. Get rid of the evidence to hide that hard ass truth.

Standing from the bed, I stretched my arms out in front me and shook my hands out. Everything felt cramped, my fingers were numb. I looked down at my hands to see the blood that hadn't washed off when I stuck them in the river. While Promise slept, I slipped into the bathroom to wash them off. My reflection then accused me.