Page 2 of Behind the Mask

“I lost my daughter, and now I’ve lost my best friend? What do I do, Olivia? What should I do?” I pulled the phone away from my ear as her sobs grew louder. Her sadness ricocheted off the walls, and it made my chest hurt. By hurting Axel, I had hurt Mom. By hurting him, I had hurt everyone around me. I slid from the chair, pressed the end button, and threw my phone against the wall, hearing it shatter. I rocked back and forth on the smelly carpet, letting the despair once again take me away.

Not only had she lost her daughter, but she had lost a best friend too. I rubbed the small ache that formed in my chest thinking of that night. A chill ran deep down to my bones as I stared at the yellow house. I gripped my bag tighter, turned around, and headed into the house.

When I walked through the front door the sweet smell of peanut butter cookies filled my nose. Somehow, the smell made me feel safe and at home. A shout drifted from the living room and I made my way towards the man who was yelling at the television.

"Stan! Don't you see who just walked through the door? Turn the damn TV off!" Mom scolded him.

I chuckled when dad mumbled something under his breath before he turned off the television. His amber eyes twinkled when he saw me. He got to his feet and engulfed me in a bear hug. "Took you too damn long to get here, baby girl. Your momma and I have missed you so much."

He pressed a soft kiss to my head. His woodsy scent brought hot tears to my eyes as I remembered just how much I missed him. He pulled back, ruffled my hair, and gave me a cheeky grin. His once black hair was now gray, and his face had more wrinkles. But he still looked like dad.

"Honey,” Mom paused as she looked at me. “Why don't you take your bags to the room and freshen up. I’m sure you’ve had a long drive.”

I yawned and nodded. It was a very long drive. About eighteen hours. I had only stopped for gas, restroom, and food breaks. And while it was very unsafe to do, I found myself pulled over at gas stations resting my eyes. I bent down and grabbed the bags.

I turned to head towards the stairs when a hand was gently placed on my shoulder. I glanced over Mom was standing there with her bottom lip trembling. She looked ready to crumble. “I am so glad you’re home.”

I swallowed and dropped my bags. I turned around and engulfed her in my arms. Tears trickled from my eyes as I thought about all the hugs I had previously missed. There was something about a mother’s hug that could soothe any heartache. In the distance I heard the TV turn back on. I guessed dad had given us some privacy. I pulled away and wiped the tears away with the sleeve of my shirt.

I reached for my bags once more and ventured to my old room. I stopped just outside the door. It was still intact, as if I’d never left. The walls were a light gray and the white furniture fit in well against it. The two nightstands that sat on each side of the bed had two white lamps with a light purple shade. The queen-sized bed had a beautiful floral comforter that brought out the purple in the room. My favorite part of the room, though, was the bay window.

I sighed in relief, knowing I was finally home. That feeling disappeared when my eyes drifted toward the picture on the nightstand. I walked over and snatched up the photo. I traced the outlines of his perfect face. At eighteen, he was undeniably gorgeous, and completelymine. Up until I high-tailed it out of town without him. Tears welled up in my eyes as I placed the frame face down. I couldn’t hold in the pain I felt with his smiling face staring back at me.

I took out my ponytail holder and allowed my dirty-blonde hair to tumble down my shoulders. I bee-lined into the bathroom and started the shower, stripped my clothes, and soaked up the water’s heat. As the rough pellets continued to beat down on my back, I flinched. The raised scars had once again made themselves known. A sob escaped. Terror seeped into my bones and took hold of me.

I lifted my wrist and stared down at the raised scars. My fingers hovered before they delicately traced each scar. I kept them hidden by wearing long-sleeved shirts. I knew people thought I was weird for wearing long-sleeved shirts in the summer heat, but luckily it was Fall and I could get away with it now. This was all after I had attempted to end all the pain.

I finished washing up and wrapped a towel around me. I used my hand to wipe away the steam on the mirror. “You can do this,” I whispered to myself. I sighed and padded to the dresser. Another yawn escaped; I really was tired. I searched through the drawers and found that mom kept most of my clothes. I grabbed a loose shirt and some yoga pants.

"Olivia! It’s time for dinner!" Mom’s voice carried up the stairs. I hurried through getting dressed, ignoring how sore my body was from the drive. I threw my dirty clothes in the hamper, removed the suitcase from the bed and wandered down the stairs. As I descended, I heard a new set of voices. My brows scrunched inward. A voice sounded oddly familiar, but I was too tired to depict who it came from.

I went into the kitchen and froze. Standing there in all of his glory was the man I never thought I'd see again. I swallowed the lump in my throat when his eyes met mine. I couldn’t seem to get my body to move. It was stuck in a phase of limbo. When a throat cleared beside him, my eyes averted to the beautiful brunette that stood beside him. She linked arms with him, and instantly, my heart dropped. She wore a solid diamond ring, and a breathtaking smile.

Chapter Two

Olivia

Five years ago…

My phone buzzed again. He was doing everything he could to get a hold of me. He called and texted about twenty times a day. He wanted me back and I wanted him back. Tears leaked from my eyes and fell to the iphone screen and drizzled over the edge and below to the snow covered ground. I wanted to reach out to him, I wanted to touch his face and just be one with him again, but for the sake of his safety, I had to stay away.

“Are you ready to go, Olivia?” I looked up and saw Ashley’s concerned mocha gaze roaming over me. She was someone who befriended me when I moved to Little Rock, but she couldn’t replace my best friend, she couldn’t fill the void that was left in the deepest part of my heart.

I hit decline, tucked the phone in my pocket, wiped away my tears and stood up. Goosebumps lifted on my arms as the cold wind howled. I tightened my jacket around my body and moved the beanie further down over my ears.

“I’m ready.”

Ashley looped her arm through mine and led me to the Starbucks across the street. She figured hot coffee and a pastry treat would cheer me up, but honestly, nothing sounded good. I wanted to wallow in despair in heartache. I didn’t feel like eating and I certainly didn’t feel like living. What was the point when I couldn’t be with the love of my life?

We walked through the doors arm in arm and the smell of warmth and coffee filled my nostrils. She steered me to a quiet table in the corner. I moved into the booth and removed my beanie.

“You sit here and I’ll be back with some goodies!” she smiled her genuine smile and my heart flipped. She was a good friend, and even though she wasn’t home, I was still lucky to have her.

My phone buzzed again and my breath caught. I pulled it out of my pocket and placed it on the table. An unknown number flashed across the screen, but I let it ring. I knew exactly who it was. The same number called at the exact same time everyday. The person would always leave a voicemail. The first few days I would check to see who it was, but after I realized who it was, I started to ignore them. He was taunting me, making me the victim all over again with his threats.

Ashley came back with two coffees and pastries and placed them on the table. I reached for mine and moved my buzzing phone out of the way. She sat down and noticed it ringing. “Is it him again?”

I shook my head and took a sip of the hot coffee, letting it soothe my throat with it’s warmth. “No, it’s someone… else.”

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