Years ago tragedy struck the Calloway's causing the family to fall apart. Lucariah Augustine St. Francis Calloway was left in the ruins of it all with a mother who couldn't bother and a father who disappeared one night with his older brothers. For...
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Lith said we tell no one.
Not Evan. Not Jericho, or his wife. Not even his nieces could know.
This was a secret between Christophen, Ambrosia, Lith, Francesca, and I. Lith said the fire never happened, and there was no baby.
There never was.
So we kept our lips tight as the doctors did what they do. Pumped enough air into our lungs it was practically impossible to not breath. Rewrapped my cast with a color just about as similar as my last one. And discharged us with simple care instructions.
All of us dispersed the moment we reached the house, ridding ourselves of the stench that clung to our clothes and hair.
I couldn't help but collapse into my bed the moment I'd stepped out of the shower, gritting my teeth at the pain erupting from my leg. I'd noticed it before, but it was quickly becoming unbearable.
My hand flew to my nightstand, searching blindly for the bottle of painkillers I'd taken from the kitchen the night before. Only for my finger to brush against a paper I knew wasn't supposed to be there.
I shot up, snatching the paper off my nightstand and unfolding it. The contents made my stomach drop.
A corner of the picture I lost was stapled to the page. With a sentence that filled me with dread; "If you want the rest, you know where to meet me. Midnight. Don't keep me waiting."
It wasn't Dakota's handwriting. This was one I was all too familiar with. And I knew exactly who wrote it.
In smaller text still, a note was left at the bottom of the page. "Bring Francesca."
I froze, bringing a hand to my chest as it constricted. He knew Francesca. Meaning, Lith and all her family probably knew him.
And he had stepped foot in their home. And I stepped foot in their home. And Christophen said not to trust those people.
I gasped out loud, pulling my hair. The man who'd ruined my leg- the man that got me thrown out of the institution was right under my freaking nose.
In that moment, a knock fell upon my door. I crinkled the paper, shoving it under my pillow in time for Lith to open the door.
My hands shook as I watched her warily. She sat at the edge of my bed, holding her head in her hands with a sigh.
"Are you feeling alright, hun?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.
I held my breath and nodded.
She huffed out a breath, "I'm sorry for taking you there, Luca. If I'd known the place would catch fire I would have taken us elsewhere. But anyway, Christophen is taking Francis hom-"
"No!" I rushed out, chuckling uneasily, "umm- maybe you should keep her here for the night. The sixth made it sound like Frances' mother could really use some help."
