Page 25 of Better Hide

“I have more pain meds in my bag,” Cole says.

I raise an eyebrow. She doesn’t need those. Natural consequences. How else will she learn?

Cole glares at me and fishes in his bag.

“You’re getting soft,” I mutter.

Cole grabs the pill bottle with one hand. “And you’re being a dick. Hand me a water.”

Jo immediately panics again.

“Never mind, it’s okay. You can take it without.”

Cole gives Jo the pills while I clean the cuts on her arm. They look good, still angry and inflamed, but not infected. They’ll heal nicely into little pink scars. She’ll wear our initials for the rest of her life.

My dick jerks.

I walk around the car to grab my phone so I can take a picture of Jo. As I do, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, and for a second, I see Pat’s face.

My world grinds to a halt. I stare at my reflection.

He’s gone again. It’s just me. The same face I’ve stared at for years.

I squint my eyes, trying to see what it was that made me see him. There’s still something wrong with my reflection.

My gut churns. Pat’s not here. He’s not here—I killed him.

I jab my finger at the reflection in the car. “I killed you, motherfucker.”

Familiarity hits me, and I see it. It’s the eyes. They look mean and excited. Like he did. Like Pat.

Fear rolls through me, and I slam my fist into the reflection. Once, twice, three times, until pain jabs up my hand and down my arm.

“Jayden?” Cole says.

I step back, gasping for breath.

Fuck. Killing Pat was supposed to make it go away. Supposed to make it all go away.

So why in the hell is he still here?

12

JO

I’m drowning again.Water surrounds me. I’m swimming in it, and I can’t catch a breath.

I flail my arms, thrashing my way to the top, where my head pops out of the water.

I’m in an indoor pool at a hotel, and my mom is sitting in a lounge chair, texting on her phone.

I look at Mom with yearning.

“Mom?” I rasp.

She waves me off. “Busy, baby.”

There’s a birthday gift by her feet.

---