Page 24 of Manic

Before long I get a text from Odessa saying she’ll be here in five minutes.

I say my goodbyes to Tindra and by the time I’m walking up to the house, Odessa is getting out of her car.

“Hey, Tindra’s back by the creek painting. I pinned her location, so I’m going to send it to you.”

Odessa slings her purse over her shoulder, “Okay, sounds good. Have fun tonight.”

Fun.

Yeah, right.

I’m more anxious than I’ve been in years.

“You too,” I say, heading for my car.

The key turns in the ignition, and my heart leaps into my throat.

I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I take a deep breath.

The engine purrs to life, but I remain motionless, staring straight ahead at the long dirt road stretching before me.

"Come on, Meghan," I mutter to myself. "You can do this."

My foot hovers over the gas pedal, hesitating.

The trees lining our driveway seem to close in, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers.

I shake my head, trying to dispel the ominous feeling creeping up my spine.

As I finally ease onto the road, my mind races.

The clubhouse is only five minutes away, but it feels like I'm driving into another world entirely.

A world I thought I'd left behind.

"It's just a building," I remind myself, but the words ring hollow.

It's so much more than that.

It's where I found family, where I was hurt, where my life changed forever.

The familiar landmarks fly by—the old oak with the twisted trunk, the rusted mailbox that's been there for as long as I can remember.

Each one brings a flood of memories, both good and bad.

Before I know it, I'm pulling up to the gate.

My heart pounds as I spot the prospect standing guard.

He's young, probably no older than I was when I first came here.

His eyes narrow as he takes me in.

"Bubba's is around the corner," he says dismissively, jerking his thumb to the right.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. With deliberate slowness, I remove my sunglasses, meeting his gaze directly.

His name tag catches my eye—Ulf.

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