Page 83 of The Favorite Girl

We were both finally free. Getting out of bed, I walked over to the small bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My bridal makeup was mostly still intact along with my short blonde hair being perfectly curved underneath my chin with the endless hairspray holding it into place. But I was dehydrated, hungry, and felt the weight of the trauma I’d witnessed.

When I closed my eyes, I saw their faces. The caged girls. When I blinked, I saw Conrad forcing us to drink Ian and Daphne’s blood. When I took a deep breath, I saw Becca laying in a pool of blood.

How would I survive? Washing my face, I tugged the lace dress off, and saw an oversized T-shirt lingering on the railing.

Pulling it over my head, I knew this was how I would heal. Bradley’s scent was embedded in the fibers of this shirt, giving me comfort. Looking around the room, I glanced at the ceiling. I could hear Bradley moving around, but I needed a few minutes alone. I needed time to just be. I laid back down for a while with my fingers laced across my chest as I hummed a song to myself. The boat rocked harder against crashing waves and I decided I needed to get up.

Opening a nightstand drawer, I sat back on the bed and tilted my head as I tugged out a beautiful, cognac leather photo album. Flipping through the pages, my heart began to race. It was small images of children.

Two little boys.

With trembling fingers, I brushed them over the faces. Shaking my head, I flipped to another page and gasped. Slapping my hand over my mouth, I shuddered in shock.

It was an image of two little boys with Daphne and Ian Ivory.

Chills grew across my arms as I continued to flip through the pages and shake my head. This had to be someone else… but the faces were unmistakable. How? He couldn’t be…

He couldn’t be their son.

Something fell upstairs, a loud sound echoing from above. A door opened from the top of the small set of stairs. Shoving the album back into the drawer, I forced myself up.

“Dem? You up? I made us some breakfast… well, lunch. The sun’s out. Come see it!” Bradley called down.

“Dem?” I heard a footstep.

“I’m coming,” I whimpered, clearing my throat and looking around the small cabin.

There was nothing I could use to protect myself. I was, again, left weak. I was always the feeble prey.

This had to be some complete misunderstanding. There was no way Bradley was one of them. He worked for them.

I blinked away the tears and thought about his name. I didn’t even know his last name.

Gripping the thin banister, I took a few steps up and immediately pulled my sunglasses on as the warmth of the sun beat on my face.

I can feel it.

But even though the sun was warm, I still felt cold. Once up, Bradley smiled at me and pointed at the two plates on a makeshift table.

“You wear it better than I do…” He winked at me and nodded at my T-shirt.

Walking slowly, I took a seat and looked down at the rice, plain yogurt, and boiled egg, meticulously cleaned of the yolk.

My breathing hitched as I felt Bradley’s eyes on me.

An all-white meal.

“Sorry, it’s all I had.” He sat across from me and began to shovel the food into his mouth.

“Bradley, you know it’s so interesting… I never asked you what your last name was?” I rolled my lips together as I looked up at him, thankful for the sunglasses that covered my eyes.

He clutched his fork tighter as his jaw clenched. “Why the sudden curiosity, Dem?” He jammed his fork viciously into the rice.

“Bradley…” My voice cracked as tears rolled down my cheeks. “What’s your last name?” I repeated myself, pushing the plate away as my stomach flipped.

He slammed his silverware down and looked at me. “Ivory.”

Sucking in a breath, I began to sob. “How…” I looked over his shoulder. There was nothing but endless ocean surrounding us. I had never felt more trapped than now.

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