Page 55 of Brightness

I have to do this for Ivy.

Everything I do is for Ivy.

Actually, there’s something else I need to do while I’m here. “Pres, I’ve been thinking about something, and I wanna run it by you.”

He exhales, letting out a groan. “Can’t fucking wait to hear this…”

I don’t miss the sarcasm but push forward anyway. “What are your thoughts on gaining a new prospect?”

***

After discussing my idea with Nycto, he’s on board with it. Now, I just have to get all the moving puzzle pieces into place, and I need to figure out how I’m going to do that.

I’m sitting at the bar, casually sipping on a whiskey, letting my thought processes flow, trying to work everything out, when Stacey walks over with an envelope. “Hey, VP, mail for you,” she relays, handing me the long, orange envelope.

“Thanks, Stace.” Placing it on the bar, I rip open the ends and pull out some glossy pictures.

My eyes widen.

The picture is of me, sitting on the side of Van Dyke Road, entirely out of my freaking mind—my bike totaled in the background—and I’m staring into the trees, with the picture coming from that direction.

I spin around to face Stacey behind the bar. “Who delivered this?” I bark out at her.

She jumps at my tone. “Just the usual mailman.”

I turn over the envelope to study the postage stamp. It doesn’t give anything away, just that it was sent from somewhere inside Tampa. My eyes shoot up, looking around the clubhouse to check if anyone else is seeing this—but of course, they’re not.

I’m confused.

I was alone on that road.

Wasn’t I?

I try to think back to what happened that day. Black shadows flashing through the trees. White-clothed figures. Familiar faces…

Maybe what I was hallucinating wasn’t in my mind at all? I glance down at the picture again, studying it closer. My pupils were huge—my eyes virtually black. Someone definitely took them while I was out of it.

My stomach churns as my mouth goes dry. I start to feel light-headed.

Fuck! I’m not sure what to do.

Should I go to Nycto with this? No.

Standing, I grab the photographs and race toward Atomic’s tech hub. If anyone can find out anything about these pictures, it’s Atomic.

After knocking on his door, I turn the handle and pop my head around the corner. He’s deep into coding, doing some nerd shit I don’t understand and don’t want to. I wait for him to stop what he’s doing, and he dips his chin. “What’s up, VP?”

“I’ve received something… Wanna know if you can check it out for me.”

Atomic pulls his headphones off and slides his keyboard further up his desk. “Hit me.”

I place the picture on the desk in front of him, and his brow furrows. “Is this of you when you totaled your ride?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought no one was out there with you?”

“So did I.”

---