"How are you? Are you back in Keygate?" she asked as she washed her hands in the sink beside me.
"I'm only back for, uh, a little bit," I said awkwardly. "My stepmother passed away, and then, as you know, Callie's funeral.”
A somber stare crossed Angela's face. “I didn’t know her very well, but she was such a sweet girl. Gone far too soon."
I nodded, my fight or flight responses kicking in. "Well, it was nice to see you. Enjoy the rest of your dinner.”
I strode toward the bathroom door and whipped it open. I heard Angela call my name but refused to stop and acknowledge her. The shame and guilt rippled through me far too deeply to look her in the eye.
Mom paid for our dinner, despite my complaints, and we left the restaurant soon after. I felt Angela's eyes at my back as we walked out of the dining room, but I refused to turn around and look at her one last time.
On the drive home, my mom turned up the radio, for which I was thankful. I couldn't think of anything to talk about and wished to remain silent after my run-in with Angela. She suspected Noah of cheating, but would she stay after she confirmed her suspicions?
After ten minutes or so, my mom turned down another street instead of the one that would lead us home.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see.”
And I did see.
My mom drove down the long and narrow road through the Keygate cemetery. A prickle of grief ricocheted down my spine. My mom pulled to the side of the path and parked her car. Visiting hours would be ending as soon as the sun dipped to the horizon. Without a word, I followed my mom out of the car and onto the grassy knoll covered with tombstones as far as the eye could see.
Soon enough, we came upon a grave with fresh dirt surrounding the plaque. Even though we’d already paid our respects, I was grateful to be close again to the little girl I loved with all my heart.
Callie Jacksun
Beloved daughter and wild spirit
Without a second thought, tears sprang from my eyes. They streamed down my cheeks, several of them falling onto my lips. The salty taste electrified my mind. Callie, my dear, sweet Callie, lay in the ground beneath our feet. How was this possible?
Beside her grave, there were bouquets of flowers, a teddy bear and even a few pictures of her with friends. I recognized Rose in one of them. My heart ached for each and every person affected by Callie's murder. All the more reason to find her killer and bring him to justice.
My eye caught another flower, one hidden behind the others. A single yellow rose lay on its side, thorny yet beautiful. The rose pierced my soul as enlightenment spread over me like an ocean wave.
A single yellow rose. Somehow, I knew exactly who'd left it here.
Thirty-Seven
I clenched my hands into fists while color rose to my cheeks. The hair on the nape of my neck stiffened as I recalled all the times Noah handed me the same type of rose. Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, my birthday, and a dozen for our first anniversary. He loved yellow roses, although I never understood why. I never met anyone else in my entire life who chose to give a lone yellow rose to someone.
Nausea crept into my body, my senses heightening as dizziness clouded my vision.
"Elle?" my mother called. She raced over to me as I dropped to my knees, clutching my chest.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. Instead, I stared at Callie's grave, unable to comprehend what I'd just discovered. It couldn't be possible. It shouldn't be possible. Had the man I fell in love with so many years ago murdered a young woman? It couldn't be true!
I reached for Callie's grave, hoping for a sign I was wrong. That another person brought her the single yellow rose. It couldn't be Noah, could it? My body writhed as sickness fell upon me.
Noah was capable of many things, but murder? Then, to my dismay, visions of Noah and Callie together swarmed my mind. His hands on her. His lips against hers. His hands on her throat. I rubbed my chest, begging for air to flow freely. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Fat tears squeezed through my eyes that were tightly shut.
Even worse than the overwhelming grief plaguing my soul was the pure rage coursing through my veins. The idea of Noah leaving his pregnant wife at home to run off to sleep with a girl several years younger than him made me ill. Sweet, beautiful baby Callie. I would have done anything to protect her. I taught her not to talk to strangers, how to call 9-1-1 in case of emergencies, but I never thought to tell her how to protect herself from a monster in her bed. The monster, in this case, was the villain in my story too. He even had the nerve to attend her funeral.
Sick bastard!
Did Peter know about Noah's involvement? Was he protecting him? Angela mentioned Noah gone late at night; had he been with Callie?
"Elle, sweetheart? What's wrong? Are you sick?”
"Mama?" I said with a gulp. "Can we go home?”
She nodded and reached to help me stand up. I couldn't tell her the ominous revelations racing through my mind. Even if I wanted to, I'm not sure my voice would allow it. My heart pounded inside my chest, prepared to collapse at any moment.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe the rose wasn't even yellow. It could have been white and, with a trick of the light, appeared a different color. I tried to talk myself out of the revelation, but the truth of the matter was that it made sense.
Callie's boyfriend was married. Noah carried a reputation for cheating. He even showed up to her funeral. Not to mention, I saw him outside of Cafe Aroma! He wasn't coming to pick up something for Angela; he was going to meet the mysterious girl who texted him. My body's temperature rose. I heard the rushing of blood in my ears. It felt as though the world around me was collapsing.
In my mother's car, my labored breathing did not steady itself. My mom watched me from the corner of her eye. With any luck, she'd assume the sudden devastation came about upon seeing Callie's grave, but I couldn't tell anyone yet what I'd just discovered, not even my mom. She covered my hand with hers as we pulled into the driveway.
"Thanks again for dinner. There's, um, a few things, um, I need to look into. Okay?"
My mom nodded. We stepped out of the car, my knees weak. "Let me know if you need anything.”
I shot her a "thumbs up," unable to bear the burden of speaking. I raced up the stairs, taking two at a time until I was safely inside my old bedroom. My hands quivered as I pulled out my cell. I clenched my eyes shut, counted to ten, all the while breathing in and out.
Breathe, Elle. Just breathe. You're almost there.
While I didn't have Noah's contact information saved in my phone, I knew it by heart. I typed in his number as beads of sweat poured down my back. I glanced at my nightstand where a bottle of water stood. But it wasn't water. A war waged itself in my head. Part of me begged to numb the pain; the other part knew I needed my wits about me. I reached out for the bottle as if I were about to steal a sacred gemstone in a cursed cave across the world. I snatched the container and poured its contents down my throat. At first it burned, but then the warmth spread through me, feeling like a familiar friend had returned.
Instantly, a calmness settled upon my psyche. I was addicted to the wave of quiet that washed over me after that first taste. It was like someone turned the volume down on the chaos of life.