Page 121 of Ordinary Secrets

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TREY

Last month,I made a special trip into Chinatown to purchase more healing products, and I’m so glad I did. I’m surprised by how well Healing Water and Healing Goo work on Arella. It works like it does on any other person. It only took two days of light application for that cut on her lip to disappear. As for the rest of her body, it took a week of me sneaking doses of Healing Water into her system.

I offered her “Sprite” with all of her meals, because lemon-lime flavored Healing Water tastes just like Sprite. Whenever she saidno, I filled her glass with regular Healing Water instead. Since it looks, tastes, and smells the same as filtered water, she didn’t notice a difference.

I’ve stopped giving her Healing Water now that it’s been over two weeks since the car accident. Thankfully, Victor hasn’t pulled any more stunts since then. Not for a lack of begging.

Lately, our phone calls have been conversations where I’ll spit out any excuse in the book to keep Arella away from him. Something’s been bugging me about Victor, and it’s not just that he purposely crashed a truck into Arella’s car.

It’s that he said he wanted to see if causing her to feel an “extreme emotion” would get me to sense her. If that’s the case,why did he cause a car accident when I was nowhere near Arella at the time? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to do it while I wasinthe car with her? I’d like to think he didn’t want to risk my life, but let’s be real—he doesn’t give a shit about me. So why did he lie? What’s he up to?

I don’t know the answers. What I do know is that it’s my job to keep Arella away from him. That’s why as she leaves for work in her new car for the first time after the accident, I call her so we can talk on her drive. This way, I’ll know immediately if Victor pulls another car crash. On her way home, I call her again, and we talk until she pulls into the driveway.

I do this every day for a week.

All is well until the next Monday. On Arella’s way home from work, I call her three times. Each time, it goes straight to voicemail. I’m at home, staring at my phone, waiting for either the glimmer to hit me or another call from the hospital with bad news. I swear, if that happens again, I’ll rush to Shadow Ridge myself just so I can punch Victor in the face.

I keep staring at my phone, willing for Arella to call me back.

She must hear my silent plea, because finally, her name and picture pop up on my screen.

“Where are you?” I ask.

“I just got to my apartment.” She sounds hesitant, and I don’t like it.

“Okay?” Woulda been nice if she had told me she was going there, but whatever. “When are you gonna be home?”

“Actually, I was thinking about having a night to myself.”

I shoot up from the couch. “What?”

“I haven’t spent a night in my own place for a while. I’m still paying rent on this, ya know?”

“Then stop paying rent and move in completely.”

“I can’t. My lease isn’t up.”

I pace toward my kitchen. My hands are jittery, antsy to hold her. “I’ll pay whatever fee your landlord wants.”

“Honey,” she says slowly, “I just want a night to myself, okay?”

“What for?”

“I . . . I need some time to think.”

“About?”

I wait for what feels like a whole minute before she finally says, “I don’t know. Everything.”

“Cool. We can think together. I’ll be there soon.” I’m done with this shit, and I need to see her. Now.

“Nooo, Tr?—”

I’m already out the door by the time I hang up.What the hell does she need to think about?

I’ve only beenin her apartment for five minutes, and our conversation has already turned into a heated argument. I want to know why she’s pushing me away, and she keeps giving me vague answers. She’s hiding something from me. I can feel it.

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