Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
I will let her ponder over my words, wondering which I prefer.
Chapter Fifteen
Theadora
‘One is better than the other, that’s for sure.’ What on earth does that even mean? I watch as he gets in his car, then he looks back.
“When should I be expecting you again?” I ask while standing, my hands running down my sides smoothing my shirt.
His hands are on the wheel. “We can run tomorrow.” Then he’s gone, pulling out into traffic so quickly the wheels spin.
Tomorrow? Shit!
I don’t want to run with him tomorrow. He is a distraction enough as it is. And his cryptic words make him hard to understand.
Getting inside, my cell starts ringing. I look at the caller ID and don’t recognize it, so I start undressing. When it rings again, I contemplate ignoring it because it would be the smart thing to do. It’s what I’d usually do, but something pulls me to it, and soon I’m answering.
“Thea.” My name is sung into the phone.
I know that voice, and I know it well.
“Lucy,” I say, surprised.
“Yes. Look, Thea, I don’t have long. He’s on his way back.”
“Who, Lucy?”
“Sir…” she pauses. “I mean Atlas. He went out this morning, and I snuck one of the men’s cell phones. Listen, Thea, you need to get away. Don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about Atlas. Just go.”
“Lucy… I signed up to help because you stole from him.”
“I had to,” she screams.
“Lucy…” It’s always the same with her. She gets herself worked up into a state where you have to calm her down with a soft voice. “Calm down and breathe.”
“He likes you. And Atlas doesn’t like anyone,” she says between harsh breathes. “Honestly. He doesn’t like anyone, Thea, and he likes you. Run. Now.” Then she hangs up the phone before she says any more. Looking down at my cell, I want to call the number back, but I can’t because she rang from a private number. Grabbing my keys, I head out the front and start running straight to Lucy’s home. Reaching the stairs, I take them two at a time, and when I finally get to the front door, it’s shut. It’s not locked, which I didn’t expect it to be, as every other time I have come here it’s been open, so I head straight in to Lucy’s room and start going through her things. Her drawers consist of a lot of underwear and skimpy clothing. What the hell does she do when it gets cold, freeze?
My cell rings again, and this time I’m too eager to answer it. “Lucy,” I say, hoping it will be her again.
“So, she did ring you.” Atlas’s strong voice comes through, so I do the only thing I can think of, I hang up on him and throw my cell phone. Lifting her mattress, I look underneath. When I do, I stop dead. There are pictures. Pictures of me. Pictures of Atlas. But none are taken of me in a sisterly way. No. These are pictures taken without my consent and without my knowledge.
Lifting one up, I look at it. I’m wearing my red skirt with knee-high brown boots. I remember this day. I had to meet with Chloe as we went brand shopping, and Jesse, her husband, was out of town. Why has she got pictures of us? And why are they under her bed?
Reaching for a picture of Atlas, it’s one of him in his familiar black suit getting out of his car with a woman by his side, who I know as the lady who delivers my dresses. She doesn’t look happy, but then again, she probably never does.
I collect the pictures and stuff them into a bag. I knock on the other bedroom door, Mandy’s room, to let her know I’m here. She’s probably too high to even know it’s me. Or even care, for that matter.
“Mandy.” There’s no answer when I call out her name. Knocking again, the door opens a few inches, and I see Mandy lying on her bed with her eyes wide open. I freeze, the bag in my hand dropping to the floor at the same time my cell starts ringing again.
“Hello,” I say in shock. How I manage to speak any words surprises me.
“Theadora.”
“She’s dead! I think she’s dead,” I say, my voice quivering as I walk closer. I look at her chest and hope and pray she’s sleeping with her eyes open, and that her chest is actually moving. Closing my eyes, Atlas says my name again. I blink my eyes open and look—she’s definitely not moving.
Two bodies in two days.
How is this my life?
How is death my life now?
I didn’t ask for this.
I do not want this.
So why do I have all this chaos in my life?
“It’s you… you are bringing death all around me,” I manage to say before stepping out of her room and shaking my head.