but it’s only seconds before the fire glows in front of me. I don’t know why it’s all I see when I look at the night sky now, but it could be Blake’s way of making sure I don’t forget. Or maybe it’s my screwed up mind making sure I don’t forget. I close my eyes, seeing the red, feeling the heat from the flames.
I speak softly, barely hearing my own words. “I’m sorry, Blake. I know I haven’t visited you yet—you know, in the cemetery. It’s just…I can’t bear to see your name, or the short time span your life lasted, or the words ‘loving twin’ etched into the stone. I feel like we were only meant to be two in this world. It’s like you took half of my heart and my mind with you wherever you went. I had never imagined a moment I wouldn’t have you here with me. We were born on the same day; I just thought that we’d die on the same day, too.”
I wipe the forming tears, feeling heaviness in my chest. I want to get it all out—the guilt; the pain. Although, I don’t think it will ever happen. “Blake, it was my fault. I’m taking the blame. I should have felt you were home because we’re twins. Aren’t twins supposed to have that kind of crazy connection? Why didn’t we? I should have tried to save you. I miss you so much.” I pry open my wet eyes, the red haze in the sky slowly disappears into a shadowy darkness lit with a splattering of stars. I hope he heard me.
And I’m suddenly pretty sure someone else did, too…
The sound of metal clinking against metal chimes softly in the distance. I look to find a dog, hopeful of it being Lady. I’m quick to see it’s not. Instead, it’s one of those big dogs with the foam dribbling from its mouth. A St. Bernard, I think. The guy walking with it looks over at me, probably because I’m looking over at him. He squints into the darkness and walks toward me, so I turn back in the other direction, hoping he takes the hint. I wasn’t inviting you over. My heart thuds in my chest, and worry fills my gut.
Why worry didn’t consume me the night Hayes approached me in a dark park, I’m not sure. Right now, though, I have a bad feeling.
“What’s a pretty young lady like yourself doing alone in a dark park this late at night? Do you need help?” He’s calling me a young lady, and now I can see he’s in his forties, maybe. I’ve always been told I look way younger than I am, a solid reason for him to not approach me…unless he’s a psycho killer.
Oh, God. Please don’t be a psycho killer.
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” I look away, wondering if there’s anyone walking in the distance. I don’t like the thought of being alone with this guy right now.
“Do you need a ride? My car is right over there,” he says, pointing in the direction he came from.
I shake my head, not caring whether or not he can see my gesture in the dark. From the corner of my eye, I see him coming closer. My heart is in full sprint mode now. It has just hit me how utterly stupid I’ve been, coming here alone at night. I’m one of those girls people blame for their own abduction. She put herself in that situation.
His hand rests on my shoulder, and I can feel the iciness of his touch through my sweatshirt. I jerk away from him, standing up and creating space between us. I take some steps in the other direction, praying he doesn’t follow me.
But I hear his footsteps. I can feel him closing in.
The sound of him tripping over something gives me the motivation to pick up my speed into a full-blown run, hoping it’ll give me more of a lead. I consider screaming for help, but it’s only seconds before the sound of footsteps close in on me. And my voice gets lost in the middle of my heaving breaths. “No. Leave me alone!”
A hand locks around my wrist as he twists me around, forcing me to face him.
But it’s not the psycho killer.
It’s Hayes.
I feel like I’m going crazy for a second, but when I look around him, I see the other guy limping off with his dog. “Don’t worry about him,” he says breathlessly.