Page 57 of Come Back To Me
“Yeah. Want me to get it? I have some Tums in there too.”
“No. I could use the fresh air.”
“Okay. I’m going to go dance with Glen. Or force him to dance . . . but only if you’re really okay.”
“Yeah.” I try to sound more convincing. “I’m sure. Go have fun.”
“Okay. Come find me when you’re back inside.”
“I will. Go. Dance until you drop.”
His weight pushes on the door and he laughs. “Okay. See you in a bit. Or I better at least.”
Will I ever reach the point where people stop worrying about me and treating me with kid gloves? I check my reflection again and Gareth rubs my cheek, smiling at me.
“That’s some strong makeup.”
I hit his hand. “Yeah, but let’s not test it too much. Look what you did to my clothes.”
“Want mine?” His hand tugs at his sleeveless shirt.
“No. I’m okay. They won’t fit me anyway.”
“Okay. I can go get your jacket.”
I turn my head. “Like I said, I could use the fresh air.”
“Okay.” He pecks my lips and helps me get cleaned up. Adjusting my clothes, I fix my glasses and hat.
“Don’t worry. It’s too dark out there for anyone to notice anything.” His gaze follows mine.
“I’m sure you’re right, but I’ll still feel better with my jacket on.”
“Then go get it and I’ll be close behind you.”
Craning my neck again, I kiss him and go out the door first. My jacket sounds more like a good idea when the cool night air wraps around me as I’m almost to the car. The back door is luckily unlocked, and I pull it open, reaching inside. My hand lands on a jacket, but it isn’t mine. It’s gray and has wordswritten on the front. I drop it to the seat as soon as I get a closer look. “Arkansas,” is what the letters spell.
Was that in here all this time? No. No. No. I would have seen this before if it was Leo’s. Was he at the cemetery for a different reason than he said? He’s engaged and has been questioning his relationship. All the info slams into my head like a sledgehammer. I snatch up my jacket, shrugging it on before grabbing the one my fingers keep losing grip of.
Not remembering the walk from the car to the porch, my feet pound against the pavement and I ignore the voices at the side of the house until one sounds a lot like Gareth.
“Who are you again?”
“What do you mean? It’s me. Arkansas. That’s what you called me at least,” the other man says. It’s hard to really make out his voice with all the music and laughter around us.
“You left me that snow globe?”
“Yes. I don’t understand. How is this possible? They had a funeral for you.”
“I know it seems crazy, but there’s an explanation, I promise,” Gareth says. “Come with me somewhere more private and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Okay. I have just the place. Come with me.” They walk to the back of the house, and I look around the side, only seeing Gareth entering a white shed.
Taking a deep breath, I hold the gray jacket tighter to my chest and head in the direction they went in. The shed is way in the back, partly hidden by trees and harder to see from where the back door and patio are. I see it perfectly from where I’m standing and pace in front of it. What’s going on in there? What is Gareth telling him?
There’s a deep moan and then silence again. I yank open the door, nearly hurling when I step inside. Gareth is tearing at his chest with his nail and sinking his teeth into his forehead.There’s so much blood and darkness. “Gareth, what have you done?” I shut the door behind me, taking out my phone to use the light to make out his face.
“I got rid of the thing you were worried about the most. He’s no longer a problem for either of us anymore. He was lying when he said those things about you, wasn’t he?” His breaths are deep.
