The Blackout Girl ✔️

chapter eleven

Chapter Eleven

When her mother's car pulled into the driveway, Lexi saw that Quinton was waiting for her on the front lawn. He jumped up immediately and ran to her before she could get the door open. As she predicted he would, he crushed her against his chest and lifted her a few centimeters off the ground. She stood on her tip-toes, wheezing.

"Can't breathe," she managed to say.

He released her. "Sorry, I got a little carried away there. You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

Lex made a show of bracing her back where he'd squeezed too hard. "Actually, I do. You nearly broke my spine."

"Now you're just being dramatic," their mom chimed in. "Let's get inside. You have to share your sister, Q."

"I know," he said, slipping an arm around Lex.

It felt good to be tucked in next to her brother, to feel the familiar love of her family. The jail cell was cold and isolated, but this was her home, and she hadn't realized how much she could miss it.

The house smelled like something was in the oven. Her mother must've been cooking because the scent of garlic bread and pasta filled the air. Lexi couldn't wait to eat since most of the food she'd been given in federal custody was lackluster at best.

She was struggling to comprehend her release. Like most adjustments, it was a surreal one. The odds had seemed so stacked against her but had dwindled in a matter of hours. They hadn't given her specific details, but she knew another murder had happened, and she knew her bloody sundress wasn't tied to any of the crimes. It was the ideal outcome, but not under the ideal circumstances. It left her conflicted.

Aunt Delaney darted toward her as soon as Lex passed the threshold. Instead of giving her a warm embrace, Delaney braced her niece's shoulders roughly and began speaking a mile a minute. "What were you thinking, Lexington? Were you thinking at all? There were cops poking around in our house and federal agents acting like they had the right to be here. You gave us a fright! I found a gray hair after you left, you know, and I'm going to need a salon appointment to cover this up and—"

"Delaney," Mom interrupted. "Give the girl a break."

Delaney's lips pursed. "I apologize, dear. It's been a trying couple of days. Thank the heavens it's over."

"It's not yet," Lexi corrected quickly. "I mean, er, they haven't found their killer yet. I'm off the hook, but that doesn't mean that it's really ended."

"It's done for us. We can pretend it never happened," Mom said. "Right, guys?"

Quinton gave a half-hearted nod, but he'd never taken an interest in the first place.

Lexi wasn't sure she'd be able to.

Delaney wasn't ready to jump on the bandwagon and probably would never be.

"The investigators are useless. They tried to put all of this on an innocent young woman because they had nothing better to chase. The bastards are cruel and incompetent. I ought to go in and give those agents a piece of my mind," Delaney mused indignantly.

Lexi knew her aunt would be watching the news every step of the way, but she let Delaney rant anyway. She was inclined to defend Nolan, Kaytee, and the others who were trying to do their jobs instead of rushing to conclusions. She wouldn't say they were incapable, but when Delaney got this way, it was better to let her go off.

"Lexi is here. That's what counts," Mom said good-naturedly.

Lex's father came in next, emerging from his study. "What did I miss?"