Page 112 of Cherry Auction

A scream comes from the closet.

Fuck!

I pull the door back open so light streams in from the living room, then run to yank open the closet doors.

I’m not sure what I expected to find on theother side.

Anna in tears? Curled up in a ball, completely whacked out and dissociated like that night I found her in the cage?

Instead, I find her sitting in a yoga pose, looking up at me calmly as the dim light falls upon her face.

“Well hello, Domhnall. I’ve waited ever so long to meet you.”

EPILOGUE III

HER

Domhnall’s chest heaves up and down as he breathes, obviously shocked to meet me even though that was the intent of the little game they were playing.

I climb out of the closet, stretching as I go. The Chicago therapist made us—I’m sorry, notmadeus, merelyintensely suggested that we—take up yoga to help us center ourselves. Even though I’ve informed her I’ve never had a problem being off center, thank you very much.

Domhnall’s hand comes down immediately to help me up and my breath hitches a little as I take it.

I’m embarrassed at the flush that hits me at the contact of his skin against mine.

But god, I’ve dreamed of touching this man forso long.

He pulls me up so we’re face to face, long dark lashes blinking over those piercing blue eyes of his. I can barely breathe at being this close to him.

“Are you okay?”

My hand reaches out to touch his face. It’s him. It’s reallyhim.

But he flinches backwards before my fingers can make contact with his cheek, and it’s like a whip, lashing me. I take a step back from him.

“Playing hide and seek, hmm?” I straighten my shoulders contemptuously. “The girl always was so impatient. I’m sure I would have come out eventually. There’s no need to summon me like a ghost. Next thing I know she’s going to be pulling out a Ouija board.”

Domhnall cracks a smile. “You call Annathe girl?”

I glare at him primly. “She is. And I don’t see that you’ve grown up all that much since I last saw you, either.”

His eyebrows furrow and then I see pain and shame and devastation wash his features as realization hits him.

“You,” he whispers, crumpling in on himself a bit, though he doesn’t turn away or even move further back from me. “She saw the once, but the rest of the time… it wasyoustuffed in that old busted-looking footlocker across the room, wasn’t it?”

I blink, trying to swallow back sudden, foolish tears.

I’m not the one who cries.

It’s the girl that cries.

“I had to protect her,” I manage to squeak out. “But I’m fucking sorry?—”

My voice breaks, and the tears I swore I’d never cry break through anyway. “I’m so fucking sorry there was no one there to protect you.”

I expect him to turn away in disgust. To shun me for the fucking disgusting creature I am. I’m the monster’s true daughter.

I took on the sins the girl couldn’t bear—shouldn’t have ever had to bear. I ate them and took them inside me like the sin eaters in those old Appalachian stories.

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