Page 46 of Burned

“I am actually.”

“Why? She’ll make you miserable, not to mention the added stress she’d cause. You don’t need that in your condition.”

“Relax. I’m thinking of going up there for a visit, nothing more. Maybe because I’m about to become a mother, I need to talk to her. See if there’s some connection there. To find out why she is the way she is.”

“I can save you a trip. She’s the way she is because she’s an evil shrew who wants everyone to be as miserable as she is. For as long as I can remember she’s always been bitter and unhappy. When Daddy was alive, he went out of his way to avoid her. It always made me wonder what he’d ever seen in her in the first place, and then I figured it out.”

Sadie barely remembered her mother and father’s interactions with one another but what little bit she did, they never seemed particularly affectionate with one another. Her curiosity was peaked. “Why?”

“I was born less than nine months from when they were married.”

“You could have been premature.”

“I doubt it. It’s clear he married her because he felt he had to and not because he actually loved her. Who’d love that?”

“Mom’s an attractive woman.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “On the outside, but she’s ugly to the bone. Why put yourself through the aggravation of seeing her?”

“I don’t know. I just need to do this.”

“Well, I’ll go with you. No sense in you going up there alone. And before you argue, I insist. When were you thinking of going?”

“There’s a three day weekend coming up. I was thinking next weekend.”

“Okay, I’ll make the arrangements.”

For once she didn’t mind her sister’s persistence. Sadie had a feeling she’d need all the support she could get when she faced her mother.

* * *

Rhys was exhausted by the time he made it home that night. How he got through his lectures he didn’t know, but somehow he made it. He’d had office hours but thankfully no one had shown up giving him the chance to finish up his term papers. Once he was done, he calculated grades and left them for the admin assistant to enter into the system.

He’d stayed later than he normally would have, but things had been awkward at home lately. He still couldn’t bring himself to look at Carys and not remember what she’d done, but he knew that he’d have to eventually have a sit down with her.

Rhys contemplated calling Sadie but didn’t want to battle with her answering machine. He’d call her tomorrow. No, he’d go to the registrar’s office and see her in person and give her the apology she deserved.

As he walked upstairs he heard the bath running. Carys rarely used the bathroom in the main hallway unless she wanted to take a bath since she had a shower stall in her private bathroom. When she was younger she took bubble baths, but not so much anymore. Shrugging it off, he would have walked by if he didn’t hear a squishing sound under his feet. He looked down, noticing the carpet was wet. The water was coming from under the bathroom door. What the hell?

He knocked on the door. “Carys, you okay in there.”

No response.

“Carys, turn off the tap.”

Still no answer.

He twisted the door handle. Locked. On instinct, he shouldered the door with all his might, forcing it open. He cried out at the sight that greeted him. Sitting in the tub full of red water was an unconscious Carys. A razor lay on the floor.

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