Page 87 of Beneath the Scars
“And it’ll spread like wildfire.”
“Exactly.”
My phone starts ringing on the nightstand. My stomach drops when I see Greensboro Police on the caller ID. I show Michael before I answer it and put it on speaker phone.
“Hello, this is Adalaide.”
“Hi, this is Officer Peters. How are you feeling today?”
“I’m doing okay. Thank you for asking. What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to let you know that we served an arrest warrant for Miss Hoffer this morning, and she has now been detained. The bond hearing for both her and Veronica is scheduled for next week.”
“Will they be able to bond out?” I ask.
“I can’t say. It will depend on a multitude of factors.”
“Okay. Thank you for calling.”
“Of course. Have a good afternoon.”
I hang up with Officer Peters and look at Michael. “What happens if she gets out of prison and comes after me?”
“I’ll ensure that you’re safe and we’re kept up-to-date on everything. I can tell them I’m a cop. It might afford us a few luxuries when it comes to getting information.”
“And we don’t live in Greensboro, so maybe that will insulate us a little.”
“True. I can’t imagine Ronnie going to such extremes, but we’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Chapter 46
Michael
Ibite the inside of my lip as I stare up at the looming Victorian house.
In all the years I’ve been coming to Adalaide’s, it’s never felt this daunting to walk inside. I’ve been pushing this conversation off for as long as I could, but it’s past time to settle it once and for all.
With a long exhale, I step up onto the porch and open the front door. The house is still, and if I didn’t know he was here, I’d have thought it was empty.
Closing the front door behind me, I call out, “Zane!”
Hesitant footsteps come down the stairs at the back of the house. Shock has Zane freezing at the entrance to the kitchen.
“Mi–Michael,” he stutters. I have a feeling he just stopped himself from saying my childhood nickname. There’s something about that effort that allows me to relax.
Ever since Zane outed himself as my half brother, he’s never once pushed me to talk to him. He made it clear to Adalaide that he doesn’t want to make me feel as if I owe him anything. Our shared past is marred by darkness, and beingaround Zane only seems to bring those memories to the surface.
At the same time, looking at him with his straight black hair that’s sticking up everywhere as it always did and his warm hazel eyes, I’m also reminded of all of the good memories we have together.
“I wanted to invite you to guys’ night,” I finally say.
Zane’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “You want me to come?”
“Just because I need time to work through my trauma doesn’t mean you’re not part of this family, Zane. To be honest, I’m not struggling with anything you did. It’s the reminder of my childhood that’s hard. It’s taken a lot of time and effort to soften those memories. I’m still working to set them aside so they don’t disrupt my daily life.”
“And I’m a walking, talking reminder of how shitty your childhood was,” he says.
I cant my head. “Unfortunately, yes. I am working on it though. I would like to get to know you, and you deserve to be a part of this family. These people saved me in more ways than one. I have no doubt they’ll do the same for you. I want you to participate in things even when I’m going to be there. Plus, my therapist has told me that the more time we spend together, the easier it will be.”
