Page 19 of Madness Blooms

Chapter

Nine

HER

It’s been a month since my boss’s murder.

George’s family took over Angelo’s, but later sold it to a corporate entity. Although I understand their desire to distance themselves from the business, the new management abruptly laid off or reassigned many of the employees to other companies. Maryanne was deeply impacted by this transition. She busted her ass for over a decade, and unceremoniously dropping her with paltry benefits is a real shit move.

So much for loyalty.

After the incident, I couldn’t bring myself to return to Angelo’s—not after everything that happened. Luckily, Kyla recommended me for a job at Arbor Spins, and I secured employment there. Working at the record store has been much more enjoyable than persuading people to buy overpriced jewelry. Now, I can persuade customers to purchase band merchandise and promote the hottest new albums instead.

Kyla and I have grown closer. It’s been a blast to have one-on-one conversations with her. Like me, she’s super into music. Interestingly, she claims to live a transient existence, as she calls it, apparently not sticking to the same place for more than a year. Perhaps one day we could both venture to California and escape from here.

I’d say her major flaws are her taste in men and her love of horror movies—more so the former than the latter.

We can’t all be perfect, after all.

Tonight, Kyla is keeping me company. Mom’s working late again, and Austin is staying over with friends—a typical weekend situation in this house. Having a friend over feels nice, like a slumber party with more alcohol. We’ve transformed the living room into a cozy fort with blankets, pillows, and an abundance of unhealthy snacks.

I mash the buttons on my controller, kicking and punching as fast as I can to beat Kyla inStreet Fighter II. We both do not know how to play, but we’ve been enjoying trying out Austin’s video games. After multiple tied rounds, I stand up to stretch, and Kyla shoots me a crooked grin before popping a couple pieces of buttered popcorn into her mouth.

“That was fun,” she says after swallowing. “We need to beat each other’s faces in more often.”

I snicker in agreement. “It’s definitely therapeutic,” I say, before I go to head to the kitchen. “You hungry? We have frozen pizza.”

“Sounds great. I could use some actual food, anyway.” As I pass by, she gently grabs my arm. I resist recoiling, hoping that she doesn’t notice the strained half-smile I force. “Seriously, though … I enjoy hanging out with you. Like, we get each other. In a weird way. But Grace, if there’s anything you want to talk about, feel free to.”

The genuine kindness in her voice chips away at my shields. “Thank you. I feel the same.”

“Not trying to be a downer or anything,” she adds. “I just want you to know that I’m here for you if you need to talk. But if you’d rather just relax and stuff our faces with junk, then that’s okay too. No pressure.”

Tears prick my eyes. “I appreciate it.”

She lets me go to occupy herself by practicing combos with Chun-Li as I go to the kitchen. I open the freezer and scan its contents, finding two boxes of pizza. “Hey, Kyla. We have two choices: pepperoni or three cheese. Pick your poison.”

“Cheese,” she answers, engrossed in her match against the computer.

I roll my eyes playfully as I turn on the oven to preheat. Leaning against the counter, I let my gaze wander to the window. Shadows bend and creep around the yard, causing a shard of fear to slice through my chest. At least the medication helps take the edge off any intrusive thoughts.

Unfortunately, it’s currently beyond our budget to install a security system. But Mom agreed to get the locks changed. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a murder in the area since George, so I’ve been feeling less anxious overall.

Maybe that psycho got bored with Ashburn and finally skipped town—that’s what I’m hoping, anyway. The thought of being stalked, harassed, and assaulted again fills me with terror and dread. It took weeks for me to stop sleeping with a weapon by my side every night. To keep my mind from going down a terrible road, I return to the living room and sit down on the couch next to Kyla.

“So, before I forget to ask, Briar’s birthday is in a couple of weeks.”

I raise a brow, and she continues, “He wants to go to this popular club over in Hillwood. I talked it over with him, and he says he wouldn’t mind if you tag along. And your boy toy, too.”

I’m not a big fan of crowds and loud music, but I know I need to get out of my comfort zone more often. Live a little. “Normally, clubs are not my scene. But I’ll make an exception since it’s you and all.”

She chuckles. “That’s the spirit. It’ll be a double date then.”

“We can work out our schedules come Monday, and—” The sound of the doorbell cuts me off. “Hold that thought.” I hurry to the foyer and answer the door. It’s Luke, taking me by surprise. “Oh, hey. I didn’t expect you to come over this late.”

He smiles and rubs the nape of his neck, looking sheepish. “Yeah, sorry about that. I was in the area, so I wanted to come by and check on you. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He steals a curious peek around me before going in for a hug.

“Nothing super pressing’s going on,” I say, leaning into his touch. “Just hanging out with a friend from work.”

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