Page 83 of Happenstance
Were things supposed to be this awkward with your mother in-law? Even the babies quieted down when she was around. It was weird, standing alone with nothing but the breeze, the crickets, and her.
I should go back inside.
“Do you have any names picked out?”
“What?”
“Names,” she said, pointing the lit end of her cigarette at my belly. “I assume they will have some.”
“Oh, um, yes.” Parker and I’d had their names picked out for a week now, but we were keeping them secret. Though if Logan suggested Logan for a boy and Logan for a girl once more, I might tell him just so he’d shut up.
Lillianna stared at me.
I stared at her while animals called somewhere in the distance.
“Well, I should get back in there.”
I moved and stepped around her, but stopped when two beams of light cut through the inky blackness. My hand moved up to shield my eyes as I watched an unfamiliar car roll down the dirt road. Were there more people coming? Or perhaps things had gone really bad in there and they had to call in backup? A shiver ran up my spine, tensing my muscles. Was I about to see a body?
My thoughts were cut off when a bony arm wrapped around my neck and something wet was held against my face.
“I won’t let you taint my family,” Lillianna hissed in my ear.
I fought with everything I had, throwing my arms back while trying to twist away. But heaviness settled in my limbs, weighing them down as blackness seeped into my vision. The last thing I saw was Riley, running towards me with fury on her face.
I rolledover and smacked my lips together. Holy crap was my mouth dry. What the hell did I drink last night? Wait… My brows pulled together. I was pregnant, I couldn’t drink.
“Lana…”
Was that Harper? No, it was too deep to be my best friend.
“Come on Lana, wake up.”
My eyelids were too heavy, they refused to budge. I had no idea what was going on, or who was calling me. But I did know I wasn’t at home. Every morning I woke up to inhale the sweet scent from the garden outside. Right now, all I could smell was salty air, with a faint tint of fish. I stretched out on the hard bed and flopped my hand down. My confusion grew when my fingers brushed against the cool rough surface beneath me. Was I on the floor?
“Lana, please,” The voice desperately cried, “Wake up.”
Riley?
It all came rushing back to me then. The ritual, Lillianna, and the car.
“I won’t let you taint my family.”
I shot up, eyes springing open to check my belly. Relief washed over me when a hard bump jabbed me from the inside. Thank god, they were okay. My babies were safe. I didn’t realize Riley was behind me until she threw her arms around my shoulders and hugged me tight.
“You’re okay,” she whispered into my back, “You’re okay.”
I took a minute to search the room, looking for some hint of familiarity. Unfortunately there wasn’t much light in here. I could tell that we were about the only things in here. Our breathing echoed around my ears.
“Where are we?”
“I don’t know,” Riley jumped up and walked into the darkness, “But there’s a metal door over here.”
I think she kicked it, because the next second I was covering my ears to dampen the ringing bang vibrating through the room. What kind of metal door made that sound?
“Where’s Lillianna?” I asked Riley when she came back into my sight and began inspecting the closest wall.
“You mean Parker’s cunt of a mother?” her rage filled blue eyes rolled back to me, “I haven’t seen her.”
