Sinister

Chapter Thirteen

Sinister

Chapter Thirteen

It took Leighton three days to sort through the memories. She laid, curled up under her covers, clenching her teeth as images and sounds and faces passed before her mind's eye. A dull throb had developed at the base of her skull and it showed no signs of easing up. Whenever a memory was particularly foggy, a sharp pain would stab at her temples until she could make sense of it.

Leighton's eyes were bloodshot and burning, they had been open and staring for too long but she didn't want to rest them. During the day, she could fight back the memories but when she slept her mind had free reign to show her whatever nightmares it chose.

Trevor had called twice looking for her, each time she let his call go to voicemail. Leighton couldn't imagine going back to work, not when every sound crushed her eardrums and any light that touched her retinas burned. She wasn't sure if she was going to lose her job and she wasn't sure if she cared.

Leighton pressed her knees tighter into her chest, fingers curling around the edge of her sheets while she burrowed her head further underneath her pillow. She felt his touch on her legs, his fingers dragging up the length of her thigh and testing her hips. His voice was like smog, it filled her ears and poisoned her lungs until she was choking.

"Don't you love me, Leighton?"

Leighton jerked violently, eyes flying open. She wouldn't rest. She wouldn't let her mind wander. A shiver passed over her body despite the stifling heat underneath her blankets. Sweat collected at the back of her neck but she didn't dare try to break free from her prison, not until the sun set and the house was absolutely quiet.

Tate's betrayal had come at a good time. Karen had been so enraptured with Tom's health that she hadn't even thought to call her daughter never mind physically check on her well being. Leighton was thankful for this breathing room. She could let her mother see what had happened to her, not when she had come so far, not when Tom needed her.

Leighton's stomach clenched and she let out a soft moan. Avoiding light meant that she could only eat through the night and when she tried to eat she found herself without an appetite. The last thing she had eaten―two saltine crackers and a Twizzler―she had thrown up. Because he liked Twizzlers. It had been Braden's favourite candy and as soon as she swallowed it, it began to rise back up.

Leighton's head roared at the thought of him. She groaned and wove her fingers into her hair, pulling slightly in an attempt to relieve the pressure building there. The thought of him was intrusive, like a bacteria that ate away at an entire organ before moving onto the next. She couldn't stop the thought of him, once he was in the forefront of her mind, there was no getting rid of him.

Braden Perry had been the type of person who was never content with their situation. He complained about everything, his parents, his job, his car. He was never satisfied. Everything needed to be better and Leighton remembered all the plans they made. Thinking back made her sick.

"We'll live together in a secluded neighbourhood," Braden said, squeezing her hand. They were stretched out on the couch in his parent's basement. Leighton hated the dank space but it was the only place in the house they were allowed to be alone.

Leighton smiled back at him, wriggling around to relieve the itch on her back. There was a woollen blanket draped over the back of the couch that was starting to irritate her bare shoulders. Braden was annoyed.

He reached out and pinched the exposed skin of her stomach where her shirt had risen. "Are you even listening, Leighton?" Braden asked, dark eyes trained on her face. Leighton shrunk under his gaze.