Page 64 of Scar

Worry for Scar made it difficult to eat, and the fact that they had grabbed fast food for dinner didn’t help much. Tally was not one for processed foods. She picked at the salad she’d ordered while Simone ate her cheeseburger and fries.

“Not the worst burger I’ve had,” Simone said around her bite. “Yours are better, of course.”

Tally forced herself to acknowledge that with a short, “Thanks.”

Fear of the unknown had her wired and distracted, but lack of sleep over the past two nights had at least helped her to nap some on the car ride up here. The smell in the motel room might give her nightmares. It wasn’t a crappy motel. According to Simone, it belonged to a larger chain of hotels, but it still wasn’t the nicest.

“What time did you want to head out in the morning?” Simone asked, like she was trying to fill the silence. “Early?”

“Yeah,” Tally answered honestly. The sooner they headed out, the sooner they got to Mount Grove, and the sooner she would get answers. If theVia Daemoniawouldn’t talk to her then that, in and of itself, was an answer. A shitty one, but an answer.

What if her dad was right about Scar? What if hewasa bad man? Doubt that she was leading her best friend into danger had her pushing her barely eaten salad away from herself.

Unable to stand the tension anymore, Tally got up and started to get ready for bed. Even some sleep was better than no sleep.

Tom had done something to both their phones that prevented them from being tracked, so Simone was able to call him and talk to Amelia and Grayson as she got ready for bed, too. From the sound of it, Simone spoke like they were keeping Grayson. Tally hoped so, but also knew, legally, it wasn’t that simple.

Maybe she could get her dad to pull some strings and?—

Fuck. Tally flinched. Her gut reaction was to call her dad. Because he washer dad. He’d always been there for her, never given her a reason to doubt him before yesterday. What was it about Scar that made her doubt her own father so profoundly now?

Or maybe it had nothing to do with Scar. Maybe it was how her dad had acted. All on his own. After all, it wasn’t like Scar had been conscious to defend himself against her father’s attack. It had been so quick, so blindsided. Cruel, even.

She knew her father was a hard man, professionally. But he’d never been with her before. Not until yesterday. Sure, one could argue that he was protecting her, that he feared for her safety, but then why not stay with her? Why leave as he did? Why rush out of his own daughter’s apartment like he’d finally discovered the treasure he’d been searching for all his life?

The story of Ahab and Moby Dick came to mind. Had her father finally captured his whale? Wasthatwhy he had acted so out of character? Why he’d practically run out of her apartment without even checking in to see if she was okay?

Tally shifted on the mattress, realizing something that hadn’t occurred to her until now with her current train of thought. If he truly believed that Scar was there to harm her, why hadn’t her father checked her over for injuries?

Simone was in bed now too, the two queen beds separated by a nightstand. Tally knew she was still awake though. Both quiet, Simone’s breathing implied she was not yet asleep either.

Guilt had her opening her mouth. “My dad started training me when I was four. He wanted me to be ready to face the world, to learn to live in itmy way, instead of fearing it. In the past, when I told people about it, they compared me toDaredevilor doubted my abilities to the point where they demanded proof. When I moved to Atlanta, I knew I’d have a spotlight on me for being ‘The Blind Chef’ and I didn’t want to stand out anymore. I just wanted to fit in, I guess. When I met you and Tom, and by extension Mark, it seemed like I was finally getting my wish.”

Tally took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I lied. I know it was a lie of omission, but it was still a lie. You’re right. I kept a part of myself hidden from you and I’m sorry. You truly are a great friend and I don’t deserve you.”

She heard Simone roll over on her bed to face Tally. “Remember when Tom and I first started dating? I told you how great he was and felt like he was too good for me? You slapped me upside the head and practically told me that I was being a moron, that my self-worth should never be defined by a man. I am beautiful and amazing and Tom would be lucky if he landed a girl like me.”

Tally’s lips twitched in memory. “I remember.”

“I don’t know what’s going on between you and this Scar guy. Personally, I’m not sold on him. There’s too much unknown. Butyou, Tally Meacham, need to stop defining yourself by yourindependence. You think you have to do everything on your own, to always prove yourself worthy of those of us ‘with eyes’. That’s bullshit, and it stops right now. You’re amazing and you know it. The entire culinary world knows it! But asking for help doesn’t make you weak, it doesn’t make youless. You need to be strong enough to accept help and still knowyourself-worth.”

Tally wiped the lone tear that had fallen from her eye. “I will work on it,” she vowed. “I might need some help,” they both chuckled lightly, “but I promise I’ll work on it.”

“Good. And I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

“Thank you, Simone.”

“Get some sleep, Tally. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Impatience for the next day rose up in her once more. “Goodnight, Si.”

There was a few minutes of silence before Simone let out a long, frustrated sigh. “Damn it, I need to pee again. I love my daughter, but damn, that girl messed up my bladder control. Be right back.”

As Simone walked off towards the bathroom again, Tally settled herself more under the covers. In a little over twelve hours, she would hopefully have some answers. The leather cut she was wearing under her pajamas warmed her bare skin as if in anticipation.

* * *

“All right,”Simone said with a bit a wariness in her voice, “based on the GPS, I’m assuming the entrance to their property is that big gate up ahead.”

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