Page 59 of Cupcake
“I’m sorry, Darla. That wasn’t my intention,” I said calmly.
She laughed, but the sound was nothing but evil. “Oh, sure. The poor pitiful bitch who had her feelings hurt didn’t mean to start trouble. You’ve always acted the victim to get what you want. The game is old now, and you really should get new material.”
“I’vealways acted the victim? Seriously?” I asked in astonishment. “You’re the one who has spent twenty-five years bullying me, Darla. I don’t know what I ever did to you to deserve it. Regardless, I’m done now. You can be you, and I can be me. As long as you don’t step foot on my property again, we’ll get along just fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a bakery to run.”
Her growl froze me in my tracks. “There you go again, rubbing in how successful you are because you run a bakery. I can make you unsuccessful in less than two seconds,” she said, her eyes wild and crazy. They were the last thing I saw before I was lying on my back, staring up at the sky filled with bright, twinkling stars.
“How do you like me now, bitch?” she asked, spitting in my face.
I tried to get up, but I couldn’t make my limbs move when I gave them the order. I couldn’t get words to come out of my mouth, either. Darla was starting to swim above me like a freaky monster from a horror film. It struck me that I was going to die here without telling Brady I was sorry.
“Are you out of words?” she asked, giving me a kick with the toe of her sandal. It dug into my hip, and I grunted, the pain flaring to life in every part of me. The only satisfaction I got was the motion made her tip to the side where she fell to her hands and knees on the ground.
When she stood back up, she took two steps to the left before she steadied herself. “Here comes the fun part,” she said, her hand reaching for something in her pocket as the stars dimmed, and the roaring in my ears gave way to silence.
Twenty-Three
Iparked my car onthe street, surprised that there were still no lights on in the bakery. Amber had texted me that Haylee was going to start baking at midnight, so I texted back that I was going to get here early to talk to her. It took some convincing, but she finally relented and agreed to let me try talking to her first before she stepped in. I knew Haylee was upset about Darla, but something told me there was more to it. She was scared of what was happening between us. The only person who could reassure her about that was me.
I checked the clock, and it was only a little after twelve. Maybe Haylee overslept, so I decided to head up to the apartment and pound on the door until she opened it. Anxiety filled my stomach with dread at the darkness around the building at this time of night. I always hated the lack of lighting at the back, but Haylee refused to put in motion sensor lights. She said it was unnecessary in a town like Lake Pendle. Maybe she was right, but the small light over the bakery door barely offered any light for her to walk up and down from her apartment.
I tripped on something lying on the ground by the steps and fell to my knee. “What the hell?” I asked until my eyes landed on the prone form by my leg. My breath caught, and my heart pounded in my chest as I gazed at the woman I love. She was out cold.
“Haylee,” I yelled frantically, slapping her cheek gently in hopes she’d come around. “Haylee, sweetheart, come on,” I said, my hand going to her neck to check for a pulse. She was breathing, and her pulse was steady, but she wasn’t responding.
I grabbed my phone and dialed 911, waiting impatiently for the call to be answered.
“911. What’s your emergency?” the operator asked.
“My girlfriend, she’s hurt. I think she fell down the stairs.”
“Where are you, sir?” she asked, her tone bored as she typed away on the computer keyboard.
“Behind The Fluffy Cupcake,” I said. “Uhh...the address is...dammit! What’s the address?”
“Is this Brady?” the woman asked.
