Page 20 of Oliver

It may be stupid, but I’m wasting my time with Bone and everyone else when the fucker masquerading as Charming Charlie is a message away.

If Frank is supposedly missing, that means someone else took on the moniker of his boat. If it turns out to be Mr. G, I’m only baiting the beast but whatever.

His petty threats don’t mean shit. If he left the rabbit’s foot, that means I’m getting too close.

It was clearly a warning because he let me live when he could have just as easily made me disappear in those damn woods. Unless he couldn’t because Maeve was there…which supports my new theory that it was Mr. G.

What if Charming Charlie is two people? Maybe Frank started their conversations and Mr. G took up where he left off.

It would explain the degeneration of their conversation from wooing her to being downright cruel.

After Bone’s revelations, I contemplate my options and with nothing left to lose because I’m fucking tired, I send a response. I don’t have to wait long for a new message.

What did you do to my sister?

The skeevy asshole is online because I don’t have to wait long for a response.

You’re playing a dangerous game, little girl.

Sweetie:I’m not playing at all, you piece of shit.

Charming Charlie:You think this is funny? Maybe you need a reminder of the world you’re playing in…you like your head attached to your fucking neck?

Sweetie:Fuck you! I’m not playing shit…you won’t give me answers, I’ll get them from someone else.

Charming Charlie:Really? Who would that be? You wouldn’t be talking to me if you thought you had it all figured out…

Sweetie:Dixie had a lot of friends…fucker.

I don’t receive a response after that, but I guess it doesn’t matter because the following day, all hell breaks loose.

Mom wakes me from a deep sleep to announce that Mr. Goodlow was arrested.

It’s the first time I’ve seen her animated since Dixie’s death. While she paces before me on the phone, I watch the news, rewinding the part where the cops escort him into the station.

His head is bowed until the last second when he looks up and stares into the camera. A shiver rolls down my spine at his expression because for the first time, I see the void I recognize in Oliver’s eyes.

All day we huddle at home avoiding the media. In my wildest imaginings, I never thought Mr. G was the serial killer everyone has been talking about and now I feel like a world class idiot for my antics. This fucker not only killed Dixie but countless others too.

Maybe it’s foolish but the only person I can talk to is Oliver. He’s the only one who would understand but after texting him, I wait for nothing.

Surely, he’s just as surprised as the rest of us. I could have been a friend. Now that all this has come to light, the rest doesn’t matter.

Although, in my darkest moments when I’m alone, I perseverate on his actions and why he messaged Dixie, going so far as to wonder if he liked her better than me.

At some point, I get tired of the news and hide in my room. Strangely now that this is over, I feel like a part of me is missing. I hid my grief behind rage and focused on that until I couldn’t feel but now there’s nothing stopping the pain.

Now, it rushes through me on wings of fire and when I can take no more, I curl into a ball, and try to breathe through it, but it tears me apart until I feel weightless and cold.

Stumbling again, I grab the nearest tree and swear under my breath. I’ll never admit it to Maeve, but it was definitely stupid to come out here in the dark by myself.

Still, I’m determined to find answers which is why I keep going. If this douche Charlie was telling the truth, there should be a clearing in the trees where these asshats meet for god knows what.

Something crunches behind me, and I spin around, but darkness is all I see. With a shiver I contemplate going back before I spy a bobbing light in the distance.

My heart jumps into my throat and I tiptoe as best I can through the foliage. This is it.

Will Mr. G be there?

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