The Darkest Song (The Eternal Darkness Duet #1)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I jerked awake to the sound of my phone ringing, wincing as pain shot through my head. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut, even as I fumbled for my phone on my bedside table.

“Hello?” I groaned as I brought the phone to my ear.

“Hey, it's me,” Allie said on the other end. Of course it was Allie. My sister was the only one who ever called me.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound wide awake.

“I’m just calling to make sure you’re still coming today.”

Shit. “Yeah, I’m still coming.” Only because I couldn’t think of another excuse to put her off .

“Because you said that last time.”

“I’m coming, Allie.” For a moment, there was nothing but silence on the other end.

“I know this isn’t easy for you-”

“I said I’m coming,” I said, cutting her off.

Allie was silent for a moment before responding. “Okay. I’ll see you at four.”

I hung up without saying goodbye and immediately felt guilty. I hated that our relationship had become so strained. It was entirely my fault, but I didn’t know how to change things.

I got up to make a cup of coffee, and groaned when I saw I was down to my last scoop. I could go without a lot of things, but coffee wasn’t one of them. I upended the bag to get every last bit out and flicked the pot on. Then I went over to my backpack to count last night's tips.

I dug the money out of my backpack, and saw my mace at the bottom of the bag. A lot of good that did me. I usually walked home with it clutched in my hand, but I’d been in such a hurry because of the rain, I’d forgotten all about it.

I counted out my tips and had forty seven dollars. Fuck. I should’ve made twice that much on a Friday night, but at least it was enough to buy food. I’d been surviving on ramen all week and desperately needed something healthy.

I drank my coffee and got ready for the day, then headed out to buy groceries. When I opened my apartment door and saw the pink slip taped to it, I groaned. I was only three days late, but my landlord didn’t mess around. I pulled the paper down and stuffed it into my pocket before locking the door and heading downstairs.

I skirted past the homeless guy sleeping in the lobby, and went outside. I spent a couple minutes looking for my violin, hoping the police missed it in the rain, but of course it was gone. Anything of value that got left outside in this neighborhood was immediately stolen.

I felt heartbroken. Losing my violin was like losing part of myself. The best part. The only part worth having.

It was all I could do not to cry as I walked the half mile to the grocery store. When I got there, I carefully selected the most necessary items that I could cover with my meager funds. But I miscalculated, and when I got to the checkout I didn’t have enough and had to put some things back. There was a line of people behind me and I was mortified.

The cashier looked at me with sympathy. “It’s alright hun, it happens all the time.” Her kindness only made me feel worse, and I blinked as my eyes welled up.

By the time I got back home, I was sweaty and miserable. I stopped in the lobby to get my mail, then started trudging up the stairs. I made it to the third floor before one of my bags ripped and my groceries went tumbling down the stairs, and for the third time that day I blinked at the tears in my eyes.

I gathered it all up and continued up to my apartment. After putting my groceries away, I looked through my mail, but it was just junk and my electric bill. I ripped open the envelope and saw the pink paper inside, and knew it was a disconnect notice. Pink papers are always bad news.

I closed my eyes, feeling utterly defeated. Then I opened them and shoved away from the counter. I didn’t have time for self pity, I had a bus to catch.

I t was a three hour bus ride back to Mooresville. Being the small town that it was, there wasn’t even a proper bus station. They just dropped people off in front of the post office. My bus arrived fifteen minutes early, but Allie was already there waiting. She was parked right in front, in mom's old white Chevy Impala.

I stepped down off the bus, my feet barely touching the ground before the doors closed behind me. I was the only person getting off here.

Allie waved at me, smiling, but then her expression changed to one of horror, making me realize I hadn’t told her about my attack. Shit. It was a fifteen minute drive to the house, and I spent the first ten reassuring her I was fine.

She had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel as she berated me for my life choices. “You need to move! Your neighborhood is the worst! I don’t understand why you stay there!”

“It's all I can afford,” I reminded her.

“You could have stayed here with me.”

I turned my head to look out the window, and we drove the rest of the way in silence.

A few minutes later, I was standing in the drive, staring at the house. Allie went inside, leaving me alone in the driveway. I wanted to get back in the car and drive away. Telling myself this was the last time I’d ever have to be here, I finally mustered the strength to go inside.

It was exactly the same. Allie hadn’t changed anything. I walked through the downstairs of the house, seeing my mom everywhere.

In the living room her soft fleece throw blanket was still draped over the back of the sofa, and her books were stacked haphazardly all over the place. In the kitchen, her coffee mug was sitting on the counter. I walked over and picked it up, running my thumb over the small chip on the rim. It was pink with a rainbow on one side, and I love you on the other. Allie had painted it as a mother’s day gift when we were little, and mom had used it every day.

Allie walked into the room and I gave her a weak smile. “You’ve been using mom's mug.”

“I couldn’t let fine art like that grow dust in the cupboard,” she said with a laugh. I smiled and set the cup down. “I'm glad you're here,” she said softly.

I just nodded, letting my eyes wander around the room before landing on Allie. My sister was like a new and improved version of myself. My long hair wasn’t quite blonde, wasn’t quite brown, and had small, wispy pieces around my face that stuck out awkwardly when it was damp out. Allie’s was the color of moonlight, and as smooth as silk. My hazel eyes looked plain old brown most of the time, hers were a striking green. I was 5’9,” just tall enough that my jeans were always a little too short. She was a perfect 5’6.” I was angry and bitter about the hand I’d been dealt. She was kind and optimistic. Everything about her was soft and feminine. Just like mom. They were so much alike that I had a hard time being around Allie now.

“Mr. Brooks left some papers for us to sign,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “I think we should have a lawyer look them over first. What do you think?”

I sighed heavily and sat in the chair across from her. “We can’t afford a lawyer. And we can’t afford to keep the house.”

“But his offer is insultingly low!”

I didn’t doubt it, but it was the only offer we’d get. “No one else is gonna buy this house, Allie. This is the middle of nowhere. The only reason Brooks made an offer is because his place is next door and he wants to expand his pasture. His offer is crap, but it’s him or the bank. And if the bank takes it, we won't get anything.”

“It’s not fair,” she whispered, staring at the table. “What am I going to do?”

“You can come stay with me.”

She shot me a look that told me exactly what she thought of that idea, and I couldn't blame her. After all, I’d just been attacked in front of my building.

“With both our incomes we could afford a better apartment,” I told her.

She shook her head. “Why can’t you move back here? I could get you a job at the office?” She looked at me hopefully, but we both knew that would never happen.

We spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen, talking for hours about absolutely nothing. Well, Allie talked. I mostly listened. She filled me in on all the town gossip I'd missed out on over the last year.

“Mrs. Perkins died and her son moved back home and now he’s renovating the house, making all kinds of changes. And he’s still single, if you can believe it. Amber had her baby. It's a girl. They named her Grace. Dan still asks about you every time I run into him.” Allie chattered on and I just sat there nodding at the appropriate moments.

When we got hungry Allie made grilled cheese sandwiches with dill pickles in them, just like mom used to make. For a while, things almost seemed normal. Then she mentioned Mr. Brooks again and the mood soured.

“He comes by almost every day,” she told me. “I keep the curtains closed and pretend I’m not home, but the car is right there in the driveway, so he knows I’m just avoiding him.” She frowned. “Sometimes I think It would be smarter to just burn the place down and collect the insurance.”

I laughed, but had an uneasy feeling that she wasn’t joking.

“Are you going to read the papers?” she asked.

“I’m starting to get a headache,” I told her as I stood. “I’m going to bed.”

“Okay. The papers are on dad’s desk.”

I nodded and walked out of the kitchen. I went into my dad’s office, grabbed the folder off the desk, and walked out. I didn’t want to spend a second longer than necessary in that room. If I had my way, it would have been cleared out last year after he died. But Allie wouldn’t let me touch it. So I left and never came home until today.

I went upstairs, stopping by my room long enough to toss the folder on the bed before heading to the bathroom for a long hot shower. I wasn’t lying when I told Allie I had a headache, and my face was killing me. I stood in the shower until the hot water ran out, then I wrapped a towel around myself and headed back down the hall to my room.

Just like the rest of the house, my bedroom was exactly the same. It was like I was just coming home from a weekend away. Half of my clothes were still in the dresser, so I put on an old t-shirt and a pair of blue plaid pajama pants, then I grabbed the folder of papers and scooted back against my headboard to read.

I got halfway through the first page before I tossed the folder on the floor in disgust. It was an insulting offer. I wanted to tear it up and throw it in Brooks’ face. After paying off the bank, there’d be nothing left over for Allie and I.

I felt anger welling up inside of me. Allie was right, this wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that mom got sick. It wasn’t fair that we had to say goodbye to all our friends and move to the middle of nowhere because the doctor thought clean country air might help. And it wasn’t fair that mom died anyway. Then dad decided he couldn’t live with his grief and took the easy way out. He abandoned us when we needed him most. Damn him .

I closed my eyes and lay my head back against the headboard. All of mom’s life insurance money had been used to pay off her medical bills. Dad’s policy was declared void because of his suicide. And what small amount Allie and I made wasn’t enough to pay the mortgage on this place. So now we were behind on our payments, the bank was threatening to foreclose, and our only option was to sell to Brooks.

I wanted to sell immediately after dad killed himself, but Allie wanted to stay. The house was all she had left of our parents, and she couldn’t bear to leave. So I left instead. It had been a selfish thing to do; I knew that. But like Allie couldn’t bear to leave, I couldn't bear to stay. I couldn’t bear to be reminded every day of my parents. Being back here now was suffocating.

I opened my eyes. I had to get out of that house.