White Lies (Book 1)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A knock on the door was what had woken me up.

Groggily, I shot out of bed and put on the first ratty dressing robe I could find, eyeing my alarm clock through sleepy eyes.

6:38 am. Jesus Christ. Who the hell is even awake at this time?

I dragged my feet to the door, careful not to make any sudden noises. Mother was still asleep. I unlocked the deadbolt and welcomed in a cold blast of morning breeze. Just then, a nearby cyclist slipped across the muddy road up ahead. But that hadn't been the source of my sudden, complete incredulity. The person standing on the front porch held all of my attention – and astonishment.

I hadn't heard a word from her since the memorial. And that had been a month ago.

"Jesabel," Angelica Blight whispered urgently, her eyes frantic. "Get dressed. I need you to come with me. Quickly."

*

I whistled under my breath. "Wow, the rumors weren't rumors at all. You guys are loaded."

I stood in the center of what could only be called Blight Manor, trying to take it all in.

Smooth marble tiles, the endless staircase, and wall upon wall of fabulous modern paintings reached as far as the eye could see. The living room was a mix of priceless antique furniture, and modern luxury. Robbie had made his place out to be a modest, middle-class abode. Much like my own.

He had been well and truly lying.

Angelica watched me with faint amusement dancing in her eyes. "It's not too shabby?"

I inhaled a sharp breath, looking at her in shock. That was exactly what Robbie would have said. "N-no, not too shabby," I stammered.

How did she—?

"It could do with a bit of remodeling," she trailed off, moving towards a set of golden French doors.

Yeah. Robbie was a big fat liar.

"Are you coming?" she asked over her shoulder. I snapped out of my trance, and scurried to catch up to her. I followed her up the long, gleaming staircase. It seemed to go on forever, and by the time we reached the top, my calves were screaming obscenities at me. There looked to be a dozen doors on the second floor.

To my right I spotted a room unlike the rest in the house – one that wasn't spotless, nor picture perfect. A room with faded posters of bands half-peeling off the white walls, and a huge space in the middle for where a bed used to have been. An entire anime DVD collection was left strewn across the desk. Trinkets and moving boxes cluttered the floor, and it looked to be in the process of being cleared.

"This was Robbie's room," Angelica spoke softly. It didn't carry with the confidence she had hoped – it cracked. I looked at her face. The ache in her radiated outwards, making me want to look away from her.

She closed her eyes tightly, breathing out a shaky breath. When she opened them again, they were hard. Determined. Her jaw was rigid.

"Let's go," she picked up her pace again, faster this time. I had to jog to catch up.

My curiosity had reached its limit at this point. "What do you need me for, exactly?" I finally asked.

She stopped in front of two giant doors. Her hand rested on its coppery handle. "We're here," she simply said, before opening the doors. "Jesabel, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine."