Dusk Till Dawn (A Liam and Ally Story)

Chapter 95

My eyes shift outside of the car window. Long hours riding in a plane exhausted me, especially since I passed out, oddly.

"Allyson," I hear Ruth call out. I shift my head to see the side of her face since she was sitting upfront. "Are you feeling alright? You seem a little pale. Have you consider going to the doctor?"

"No," I answer. "It comes and goes."

"When did you begin to have these?" she asks.

I take a moment to recall. I know for sure it hasn't pass a month yet. "Right after the wedding," I answer. "But I could just be stress, considering what happened afterward."

Ruth nods her head. She turns her head back and makes eye contact with me. She creases her brow as if she was trying to read me, but there was nothing to read. Stress is stress.

"I would still check with the doctor," she says. I nodded, taking in her words. I resume my regular stare outside the window.

In a matter of moments, we arrive at the house. I pull my suitcase out of the back trunk and close it along with my door. I wave goodbye to Ruth and thank her for dropping me off. She smiles and returns the gesture before riding off. I turn to the house and wander inside, passing the kitchen and stopping before the stairs. My eyes wonder off every direction, trying to see if there was anybody home. I catch a glimpse of the time: 4:12.

Just then, Nikki and Jen walk by, having a conversation with one another. I march towards them and excuse myself, "Hey," I greet.

Jen and Nikki turn their attention on me, surprise and happy. Jen smiles and gives me a small hug. "Hi, Ally," she greets.

"Hey," Nikki greets, standing in her own space.

Jen releases me and asks, "Where have you been?"

I sigh, not knowing where to begin. "That's a long story," I reply.

"We've got time, especially since Mr. Payne and his sons are not home," Nikki said, intriguing me.

Jen smiles widely and reaches her hand out until she gets a hold of Nikki's arm. She brings her index finger and thumb close together against Nikki's skin and squeezes it for a moment. Nikki lets out a small yet loud yelp. Jen continues to smile until she turns to Nikki and whispers something inaudible to me.

I crease my brow. Jen was acting oddly as if she didn't want me to know that Liam isn't home. Unless...

No!

I widen my eyes and tap on Jen's shoulder. In a few seconds, she turns towards me, looking frightful. Her breathing was a little inconsistent. Her cheeks begins to burn red as I see her swallow. There was definitely something that she does not want me to know.

"Is Liam...?" I question, not wanting to ask the rest. In truth, I didn't want to know, but I needed to know. "Is Liam tracking Troy?"

Jen stood still. Her eyes, her lips, her body posture all stayed put. It was as if she had seen a ghost and froze. I rest my hands on her shoulders and shake her back to reality. "Jen," I said in a higher volume.

Jen shifts her eyes at me and jerks my hands off of her shoulder. She still remains silence, and I know that I won't get anything from her unless I had the time. But I don't. I turn to Nikki - she was my last resort at the moment - and take her hands. "Nikki, please tell me," I beg.

Nikki's eyes glances back between me and Jen. In her eyes, I see almost the same emotion that filled Jen. However, I knew Nikki was stronger on the outside than what she appeared to be on the outside. I shake her hands a little, not being able to wait anymore. "Please," I murmur.