Page 10 of When Sinners Rise
I pull my phone from my pocket.
I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.
Are you okay?
Both messages are from Willow.
I want to find my sister.
I shut the phone off and go back to my room to shower and get ready for bed.
~
My dreams aren’t usually pretty, and while I don’t want to remember what happened to me, I’m usually grasping to remember what happened in the dream. It floats, just out of reach, like a whisp of cloud on the breeze.
And that’s how I feel as I bolt upright in the dark. Except I have this real panicked feeling in my gut, like I’ve forgotten something, and I just can’t place it. Maybe my dreams are worse than when I slip into a memory when I’m awake and I’m protecting myself, but it haunts me and puts me in a bad mood for the day.
With no hope of going back to sleep, I get ready, pack my bag, and wait for the morning to roll around and head to the gym.
Neil won’t be there, but it doesn’t matter. I can train on my own.
The gym is eerily quiet, with only the low hum of the machines and a fan or two that’s already blowing. Channelling some of my emotions has helped, but the confidence in knowing I can handle myself now makes the sweat and hard work worth it. It kills time, too. Something I never thought I’d want to do.
Back home, I had friends and plans, and now, my plans are empty.
I plug into my playlist and hit the runner for a warm-up before moving into the training room. It’s not a day to go too hard, but I still wrap my hands and check the cushioning before choosing the bag to take out my energy on.
In my head, I picture Jackson. And those men from the club. My anger rises, and with it, the pace of my hits against the bag. The leather and sand absorb my punches, but in my head, they crunch against bone and flesh. Pain. I want to cause it and direct it right at them – the Cortez family – because I have nowhere else to channel it.
“Woah, there, girl. Take it easy.” Tally’s voice pulls me from my focus. I take a step back and pull in a deep breath.
“Hey,” I murmur.
“You should know better than going at it on your own.” I nod and smile but inwardly roll my eyes. “You’re not usually here this early. Everything okay?”
Tally introduced herself to me after seeing me here with Neil. She trains all the time, and our paths have crossed so often that we’ve become friends of sorts.
“Bad day?”
“Kinda. You good?” I murmur.
“I’m great. It’s going to be a beautiful day.”
I scowl at her in question. “Really?”
Tally beams. “Yep. In fact, you should embrace the day. We should go out. Carpe Diem and all that.”
“Okay, let’s not get carried away. I’ve not had any caffeine yet.”
“I’ll call Ade, and you can bring Mandy and Peter. A spontaneous night out, what do you say?”
Going out is still something I’m growing into, despite the best efforts of this group of individuals who all seem to have adopted me as a friend. Tally and her girlfriend, Adriana, are always so positive about everything. Plus, they’re kind and seem honest and genuine.
Mandy started at the front desk at Broderick Media a week after I started. After two weeks, she pulled me to the side, dragged me up to the food court, put a coffee in front of me, and demanded I tell her why I looked so sad every day. I didn’t go into the exact details but gave her a PG version overview.
And Peter, well, we became friends after I punched him in the face. He works at Broderick Media building as a part-time security guard, but he also lives with his aunt in the building adjacent to Landon’s. He approached me on the way home from work one day, and my instinct and training took over.
I’m still not sorry for punching him, and we’ve grabbed coffee a few times when he’s had a break. It’s a bit of a random group of friends.
