Talk To Me

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Present

Oliver's gaze stayed locked on Lily, his brow furrowed. "You saw me before the bridge?"

Lily gave a slight nod, her expression unreadable. "Yes. You were asleep, and I was dead—just for a few seconds. It was about three days ago. I tried to call out to you, but the guys revived me too quickly."

A chill ran down Oliver's spine. The weight of her words settled like a stone in his gut. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to piece it all together.

"Does that come with the sight?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "As far as I know, you need a strong connection to someone to be able to find them. But we never met before. So how did you find me? Twice?"

Lily hesitated, then said softly, "It's because of the necklace."

Oliver's brows knitted together. "Necklace?"

"You have my necklace. I gave it to Leah after she died."

His pulse thumped in his ears. "The necklace is yours. That means—"

"I was there when they buried her," Lily admitted, a single tear slipping down her cheek and landing on the edge of the tub. "I tried to run that night, but as you understand, I failed."

A voice echoed from the other side of the door, pulling Oliver out of his trance. Mark was awake. He sighed, pushing himself up from where he sat on the closed toilet lid.

"Looks like Mark's up. I'll be right back with toiletries and clothes."

"It's not like I can go anywhere," Lily murmured, disappearing behind the shower curtain.

Oliver slipped out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind him. Mark's voice greeted him from the couch as he stepped into the living room.

"Oli!"

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked, stepping toward the archway.

Mark propped himself up on his elbows, blinking groggily. "Nothing. I just saw the duffle bag and thought maybe you were back for good."

Oliver shook his head. "Yeah, I was helping Lily." He gestured toward the bathroom.

Mark perked up. "She's awake?" Oliver nodded. "How is she?"

Oliver unzipped the duffle bag on the floor. "She can't walk."

Mark frowned. "Why? Did they do something to her legs?"

"No," Oliver muttered, shaking his head. "She's just weak. I'm grabbing some toiletries and clothes for her." He pulled out a small toiletry bag and zipped the duffle shut again. "Are you hungry?"

Mark nodded. "There's takeout in the kitchen," Oliver added, straightening. "I still need to bring the rest of the food in from the car."

Mark stretched, rubbing his face. "How long are we staying here?"

"No idea," Oliver admitted, already making his way to Leah's bedroom.

The thought of his sister gnawed at the back of his mind as he searched her wardrobe. He pulled out a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants, then hesitated at the underwear drawer. She probably wouldn't mind, but the idea of digging through Leah's underwear made him uneasy. Deciding against it, he grabbed the toiletries and left the room.

Mark was already in the kitchen when Oliver passed through the living room again. He continued down the hallway, stopping at the bathroom door.

He knocked lightly. "Can I come in?"

"Yes."

He stepped inside, noting the way Lily had managed to stand, gripping the edge of the shower curtain for support.