Page 221 of Pretty Little Lies

Because, when I received a call from the St. Clair Shore County Sheriff’s Department with Levi’s voice on the other end, thoughts of running my car into a tree filled my mind.

Dad’s gone. I had to leave him there…alone.

The nurse told me that they’d take care of him for me and practically dragged me out of the room, but I heard the urgency in Levi’s voice and I needed to help him.

So, I’m here.

“He’s down there,” Muncy states with pure amusement laced in his tone as he points toward the end of the janky room. It’s all one big shithole with a few desks that are unoccupied and three jail cells that face whoever is working tonight. So they can keep an eye on their prisoners. “You don’t have any weapons on ya, do you, girl?” He makes a move for me, but I step out of his reach and seize him with a glare.

“Don’t fuckingtouchme,” I seethe. “What’s his bail?”

“Bail?” He laughs, as if that doesn’t exist in the law anymore, and I’m ready to punch him in the throat and watch him choke. But what good would that do me?

What good would it do my sisters if Levi and I were both locked up for some shit that would stick? “He doesn’t have one.”

My brows knit. “What are you talking about? There’s always?—”

“Where are you gonna come up with the money, huh?” He scoffs, as if I’m so below him he can’t stand being around me for this conversation. But he’d have no problem fucking me. “You got five minutes.”

I don’t bother wasting them on him and stride in the direction of the cells. My head feels hazy and out of body. Like the last twenty minutes wasn’t me screaming at Dad to wake up. That I didn’t just lose him.

“Hey,” Levi greets me, seeing me before I do him, and rises to stand from the cement bench. “Thanks for—what the hell is wrong?”

I grip the metal bars and rest my forehead along one of them, clenching my eyes closed because I’m about to rip his heart out, too.

I didn’t save Dad.

I must’ve done something wrong, didn’t talk to him enough, maybe he thought it wasn’t worth it?

“Astor.” Warm fingers wrap around mine that are gripping the bars, and I feel his facerightthere.

Right on the other side of the metal rods.

“What happened?”

“I’m…sorry, Lev. I…”

His fingers squeeze mine a bit tighter and his tone turns dangerous. “What did he fuckin’ do? Did he touch you?” I’m not sure whathehe’s talking about, but I have a funny feeling it’sTorin. Levi releases one of hands and the crook of his finger lifts my chin up to face him. “Bay…talk to me.”

I can’t.

I don’t know the appropriate way to relay that Dad is dead.

Thathisdad is dead.

Mine still roams this Earth like the devil’s spawn, testing people’s limits and making bad shit happen around him.

It’s his fault, Dad’s dead. His presence sucked the light out of him.

“You’re freakin’ me out.” My eyes crack open, and I’m tired. I’m so fuckin’ tired as I stare up into Levi’s green eyes. “What did he do?”

“It’s…Dad.”

Levi freezes, his touch instantly falling away from my flesh. “What happened? Did he stroke out again? Did the doctors see something?—”

“He’s gone,” I blurt out. The two words acid coming up my throat as a wrecked sob comes shortly after.

“No…” Levi begins to shake his head, brows tightly knitted together. “I just saw him. He’s fine.”

---