The Haunted - Jessica Verday [96]
I’d only been home for an hour at the end of another long shift on Monday when the second call came. Caspian was sitting nearby on the window seat, feet swinging back and forth, and I was testing some new perfume formulas. I glanced over my shoulder. The phone was on the bed.
“I’ll get it,” Caspian said, hopping down and reaching it in two long steps. A second later he dropped it next to me.
“Thanks.” I smiled up at him and opened the phone.
“Abbey, this is Aubra.”
Oh, no. My heart sank. I couldn’t cover for her again.
“It’s over!” she screamed, and I held the phone away from my ear. “I’m finally going to tell that bastard it’s over!”
“Okay… ,” I said.
“I need you to—”
I cut her off before she could finish. “No, Aubra. Sorry.” Her voice turned hysterical. “I need you to, Abbey! You don’t understand what he’s done to me. This is the only way. I can’t keep letting him control me like this.” She was breathing heavily, and I could hear a note of panic in her voice.
“I have to… I have to… ,” she babbled. “Or else… Or I’m going to do something else. I’ll end it. I have to.”
I sat up straight. “Aubra, what are you saying? You’re not going to do anything to yourself, are you?”
She stayed silent, and I had a terrible feeling that was exactly what she was saying. I shot a worried look at Caspian, and he made a What’s happening? gesture. “I’ll be right there, Aubra,” I said. “You hear me? Give me twenty minutes.” I hung up the phone, and all my nerve endings suddenly came alive. I had to get Mom. I had to hurry and get there. I had to make sure Vincent didn’t hurt her. I had to make sure she didn’t hurt herself.
“I have to go, Caspian. That was the girl from school I work with. She’s breaking up with this guy tonight, and I want to make sure she doesn’t do anything crazy. She didn’t sound right.” I rubbed at my left palm. It was burning.
Caspian’s face grew concerned. “Will she be okay?”
“I think so.”
He looked down. “Hey. Stop. Stop that, Abbey. You’re rubbing your hand raw.” I looked down too and saw the red scratch from Vincent standing out in vivid relief on my pale skin. Quickly turning my hand over, I pressed my palm against my leg. I’d been trying to hide that from him.
“What happened?” Caspian asked, his eyebrows arching downward into a frown. “Let me see.”
“It’s nothing. I just scratched it when I was outside. I have to go. I’m sorry. Can you come by later? Or I can come to you?”
He shrugged, but I turned away from him, grabbing for my phone. I didn’t have time for mood swings right now.
“I’m sorry to ditch you,” I said again. “Please, wait for me?” He nodded. “I’ll be here.”
I blew him a kiss before heading to the stairs, calling for Mom as I went.
When I got to the store, Aubra looked awful. Her hair was a mess, and mascara streaked down both cheeks. The store was empty except for a couple finishing their cones, and I grabbed her hand to haul her to the back. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Aubra gazed at me and sniffled, her eyes wide and glassy. For a moment I thought she was on something.
“Hurt me?” she said woodenly. “He broke my heart, the bastard!” She let out a scream, and I tugged on her arm.
“Aubra! Calm down. There are customers out there.” She shut her mouth and looked at me sullenly. “Now, I’m going to ask you some questions. Just shake your head yes or no. Has Vincent been here tonight?”
No.
“Is he supposed to come by tonight?”
Yes.
“Have you taken anything? Any drugs or pills?”
Silence. Then, “I took a Xanax that I had in my purse. It was my mom’s.” That explained the outburst and glassy eyes. “Just one?” Yes.
“Do you have any more?”
No.
“Good. Okay, listen. I’m going to go out front, and when Vincent gets here, I’ll come get you. You can talk to him inside the store. We’ll make the customers leave, or put out the CLOSED sign or something. But I’ll be here with you. You won’t have to face him alone.
Okay?”
Yes.
I looked around at the freezer room we were in. There didn