Page 71 of Kept in the Dark

Hailey furrowed her brows. “You don’t need to prove anything-”

“You don’t get it!” Sara snapped. “I used to think I could take on the world. Even though I was terrified of Dad, I refused to let him dwindle my fire.” She looked away. “Now I don’t even have a spark left, thanks to him. It’s pathetic. The part of me that was so wild and free, he took that from me. So yeah, I do have something to prove. He needs to know my fire isn’t gone.” She sighed and shook her head. “And I need to find that part of me again, the part of me that was resilient and that couldn’t be tamed.”

Hailey was surprised by Sara’s words. Even when they were kids, Hailey always saw her sister as the strong and tenacious one. She was confident and fearless, always going after what she wanted. She refused to let anyone bully her or boss her around. It was clear those parts of her were still there.

But Sara didn’t see herself the way Hailey did. Hailey knew her sister was still strong and resilient, probably more so now. She may be a little rigid, but then she had always had a chip on her shoulder about one thing or another.

“You haven't lost that fire,” Hailey said.

“Don’t do that. Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not.” Hailey leaned in closer to Sara. “You’re still strong and fearless. You still refuse to take shit from anyone. You’re a survivor. You lived through thirteen years of prison, not to mention what you went through at home before any of this happened. You’re more ready to take on the world than you ever were before.”

Sara sighed. “Then why do I feel so defeated?”

“Because it’s exhausting trying to keep a fire going when you’ve hardly got a spark.”

Sara paused, and then said, “What if this is all for nothing?”

Hailey shrugged. “Then we’ll figure it out. But you’re not alone anymore, Sara. You just have to learn to trust me.”

Hailey stuck her pinky up in the air and Sara laughed. “Are you serious? A pinky-promise?”

Hailey chuckled. “It worked when we were kids.”

“Yeah, because we were both sneaking out and had dirt on each other.”

“Still, I mean it. I’ve got your back.” Hailey said.

Sara smiled and shook her head as she looped her finger around Hailey’s. “Then I guess I’ve got yours.”

Music blasted over the speakers and conversation filled the room as glasses clinked together, the familiar anthem of the run-down bar. A man who sat in a booth tucked away in the corner eyed Trey as he walked inside, curious as to what the cop was doing there.

Trey nodded to him, but the man ignored him.

Trey sat next to Ryan at the bar top and the bartender came to take his order. “I’m on duty so just a Coke for me.”

She smiled and left. Ryan glared at Trey. “Surprised to see I’m not behind bars?” His lip was still slightly swollen, and the black eye was now a bluish-purple shade and fading.

“I’m not here looking for trouble, even though you’re full of it.”

The girl brought Trey his drink and he took a sip.

“What do you want, Harbor? Is Hailey being a little pest and you want me to take her off your hands?”

It took every ounce of self-control Trey had not to grab Ryan by his collar and beat the life out of him. He took a deep breath to slow his racing pulse.

Ryan smiled, knowing he got under Trey’s skin.

“It’s about Nicole,” Trey said.

Ryan took a swig of his whiskey and slammed it down. He yelled at the bartender, “I'm empty.”

She looked uncomfortable as she came to fill his glass again, her eyes darting from Ryan to Trey. He cat-called her and she hurried away.

“I told that other cop I haven't seen her.”

“That’s interesting since it's your mother we’re talking about.”

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