Page 135 of Dubious Match
My heart pounds as I squish my toes together in my boots until they cramp. My breaths are coming faster from the influx of bad memories that I harbor, and I think about the woman I saw at the hospital that was beaten so badly.
I want to get to know her, even if it becomes clear that Lars and Caleb are insane and we aren’t related.
Lifting my hand, I knock on the door loudly, knowing the wind will carry away the sound otherwise. Malcolm opens the door with a smile, and I shove my hands in my pockets.
“Hey stranger,” he teases. “Did you just get back?”
“I did,” I say with a nod, coming in as he ushers me inside. “It’s been a crazy few weeks. I didn’t think I’d miss the tiny house, but I really did.”
“There’s nothing like your own space,” he agrees. “We got back last night.”
“Nova,” Remy says, coming over. It’s like saying my name brought all of the guys out from the different parts of the house, and I bite my lip as I wait to see if Hollis will come out.
My parents have been calling me non-stop this week, even though I blocked the last number that my father called me from. I made the mistake of answering a call late at night while in the baby’s room, and I refused to do it again.
I’m tired of being scared all of the time. It feels as if they’re fucking with me so they can find me, but I know that’s not possible. My work schedule in Minneapolis allows me the freedom of movement, which means it’s supposed to be harder to find me.
I know this, I do. Logic simply isn’t as easy as panicking is.
“I have a problem and I need to speak to Hollis about it,” I say in a small voice. “Is she here by chance?”
Brice stares hard at me, his lips drawn in a thin line. “She’s not, Nova. Does this have something to do with how odd you’ve been behaving since she moved in?”
“I’m always odd,” I sigh. “It’s really hard to explain. I’m afraid that I’m going to sound crazy.”
“We deal with a lot of crazy things,” Mal says gently. “Come sit on the couch and talk to us.”
“Okay,” I say walking to the living room. “I should probably preface this by saying that I’m pretty sure Hollis’ friends Caleb and Lars are stalking me. If at any point you don’t believe what I’m saying, I’m sure the cameras will show that.”
“Good to know,” Felix says, forehead furrowing. “Why are they stalking you? Granted, I’ll admit that the fuckers are intense, but they adore Hollis. They grew up together.”
Forcing myself to keep breathing, my thoughts go wild. If they kick me out, I have Bertha to sleep in. I probably have like a good solid five minutes before that happens.
Fuck, I’m losing my shit.
“Nova,” Remy says, leaning forward. “Come on. It’s just us. Explain what’s going on.”
“They think I’m Hollis’ twin sister,” I rasp. “That’s insane, right?”
Brice sighs as he stares at me. “Fuck me,” he mutters. “It’s not as insane as you think it is.”
“What?” Malcolm asks, twisting to look at him.
“I had this odd feeling,” Brice says, his words drifting off. “When is your birthday?”
“December twenty-ninth,” I reply. “Why?”
“Hollis’ birthday is tomorrow too. She went to take some time to herself because she doesn’t like to celebrate her birthday. I have a feeling she uses today to think about her lost sister and wallow in grief,” Brice says. “I’m going to call her.”
I feel even worse now as I watch him call Hollis and the call goes to voicemail…twice.
“We’re going to have to wait for her to come home,” Malcolm says. “Start from the beginning, Nova. Please don’t leave anything out.”
“So you don’t think I’m crazy yet?” I whisper, my hands now in my lap as my fingers twist together.
“Not even a little,” Brice grunts.
Thank fuck for small favors.
