Page 35 of The Secrets We Keep

It takes me almost 4 hours to make it back into my hometown. The place I ran from and never looked back at. It’s as if nothing has changed yet, everything has changed. My life as I know it, will never be the same. I’ve had enough time to settle my nerves and accept my fate, whatever it should be.

I’m about 5 minutes from home. Or should I say Sarah’s home? It hasn’t been mine for a while now. I decide to pull into a gas station to get a coffee. I have a feeling I might need it. Plus I’m hoping the heat of it will wake me up some so that I am fully alert.

After grabbing my coffee I head back to my car, upon approaching it, I hear my phone go off. I get in and take a sip of my drink before reaching for the phone. I dread looking at it so I decide to stall for a minute before finally picking it up. I already know it’s either Landon or Chet. My notification tells me it’s Landon and my heart sinks a little as I open the text.

Are you all right?

Shit. Did he come by Jessy’s and find me gone? Ugh! I can’t focus on him right now. I don’t bother to text him back. I have other things to deal with first. I toss the phone over to the passenger seat and head out towards my sister’s.

Within minutes I’m sitting parked outside Sarah’s house. Chet’s car is in the driveway. The same one I stole. It’s parked next to Sarah’s. Looking at the front of the house, there is one light on in the front. It’s the living room. If I was a stranger walking by I would think nothing is out of place here and keep going about my business. However, the outside of her home is nothing more than an illusion. Everything is wrong or at least it will be the minute I get out and knock on the door. Right now I’m just taking a minute to put myself together. I need to be strong. Taking another sip of my very hot coffee, I let it flow down my throat. It burns and I welcome it. I reach into my bag and grab the pocket knife shoving it in my bra. Just in case. Taking one more sip of coffee, I grab the bag throwing it over my shoulder and get out of my car.

“It’s showtime.” I say out loud plastering on a fake smile as I walk up to the door.

With a shaky hand, I knock twice and wait. Stay calm, I keep repeating over and over. The calm part flies out the window when Chet opens the door with a grin only the devil himself would wear. He’s dressed in solid black dress pants and a white pinstripe dress shirt. Smug looking asshole.

“Eleanor, we’ve been waiting.” He waves his hand for me to come in and I do. My eyes searching for Sarah. I need to see her. I need to know she’s okay. Chet’s chuckle brings me back to focusing on him.

“What’s so funny?” I ask. I’m trying my hardest to not act afraid of him. It’s better if I’m angry. I can’t let him see my fear, not yet anyway.

“Nothing really. It’s just you.”

What the fuck does that even mean? I quirk an eyebrow at him.

“Sarah is fine Eleanor. She’s in her room. Shall we?”

Chet gestures for me to go first. I don’t want to but I go ahead anyway. When we get to Sarah’s door, it’s cracked. I hear her crying and immediately rush in.

“Sarah!” I scream out. Just the sight of her almost has me in tears. She’s tied to her bed and she has a red mark across her face. Surely he has hit her. Mascara has run down her cheeks several times over. She reminds me of one of those sad clowns. I rush over to her and check her over.

“Are you hurt Sarah?” I ask wiping tears and makeup away.

“I’m okay. I just don’t understand.”

My poor sister still has no idea what’s going on. I turn to Chet who’s standing in the doorway with a sadistic smile on his face. It’s right then that my anger comes back full force.

“What the fuck is wrong with you Chet?” My words are laced with venom and I hope he sees me as a snake rather than a weak rabbit.

“Now Eleanor, no need for such language. Don’t want to upset your sister now do we?”

“Look Chet, I don’t know what game it is you are playing, I’m here and you need to let Sarah go. She has nothing to do with this.”

“Do with what?” Sarah asks.

She’s confused and I hate myself that I put her in this position. I hate Chet more though. If shit is about to go down, I’m going to make him tell her himself.

“Chet why don’t you tell Sarah just why it is that you have her tied up like a prisoner?”

I squeeze Sarah’s leg to reassure her.

“I haven’t told Sarah yet because if I’m going to let her go, she needs to know nothing.”

The cold stare that Chet gives me is everything I need to know. He plans to leave Sarah in the dark. If she doesn’t know anything, she can’t go to the police. That fucker.

“Fine. But you untie her right now and you and I will leave.”

“Eleanor, I love that you follow my lead so well… like a dog.” Chet smiles at me before walking towards us. I back away so that he can untie my sister.

He points at me as if to scold me like a child. “Don’t move. You stay right where I can see you.”

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