Page 136 of Wicked Little Secret

And the others.

But until then, I’m a free man.

A confused man. An enraged man. A man on the cusp of sinking into a deep, dark black hole I’d long ago promised myself I’d never return to again…

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” sobbed Josalyn, the distress in her voice. “Why can’t you just accept my decision?”

“What decision, Josalyn?” I asked on a beat of desperation. I grabbed her by the elbow to whip her around and peer into her deep-set eyes. “Don’t you see what I’m doing? Don’t you get I’m trying to protect you? Even if it’s from yourself? For your own good?”

She wrenched her arm free of me. “You have no idea what’s good for me.”

“You’re still in love with him,” I said, my voice dropping a decibel. My tone darkened. It turned deadly. “That’s why you’re doing this.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about! It’s over, Theron! Leave!”

Josalyn’s voice still plays in my head. I blink out of my deep stupor, driving fast down a long, slick road with only my headlights to guide me.

My phone’s ringing. I answer on speaker.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Theo screams. “This has got to be some elaborate joke of yours. Some April Fool’s shit!”

I scowl at the Bluetooth screen on my dashboard. “If you’re going to scream like a banshee, Iwillhang up on you.”

“And I’ll smack you upside the head for pulling what you are!”

“How about you tell me your grievance first, sister? That seems like a logical place to start, does it not?”

The anger only blooms in her voice. “You know exactly what my grievance is, Theron! Why were you arrested?!”

“I was not arrested.”

“Emma works as a secretary at the station, numbnuts!” she screeches. “She’s on night shift this week, which meansshe saw you come in! She said they had you in an interrogation room?—”

“I was asked to come in for questions. I wasnotarrested.”

“You’re spiraling again. You’re losing it. You’re out of control. I have to… Theron, we need to call Dad.”

“Don’t you call him!” I hiss at her. More heavy raindrops splash onto my windshield in answer, as if spurned by my temper.

“You’re leaving me no choice. I refuse to stand by as this goes down.”

“Nothing is going down. But you need to calm down. Right now.”

“Where are you?”

“None of your business.”

“I’m coming to get you. Tell me your address.”

“You’re annoying me. Goodbye, sister.”

I hang up on her without further warning. When she tries to call back a few seconds later, I send her straight to voice mail.

You’d think I’d be smart and drive straight home. I’d take a hot shower, clear my head, and get some sleep.

All things I’m in desperate need of.

But I do none of these things.

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