Fallen Crest Alternative Version

The tee shirt from the one week of camp I had attended.

Another wave of tears rushed over me, but right behind was anger. Fury.

She had left all those pictures behind and she hadn’t cared.

“Sam?”

His hand touched my shoulder and I whirled around. My chest was now heaving. My tears wouldn’t stop. My mouth hung open as I gaped for breath.

“Sam?” His eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?” Then he looked down at my feet.

Blindly, I looked around. When had I stood?

“Oh.”

I spat out a sound. I didn’t know what it was. Anguish, revulsion. I didn’t care. My eyes were bright. The tears shimmered in my depths. “She looked at this box. She looked at it and she kicked it to the side.”

I was going mad. I shook my head. Everything was swimming around me.

“Sam, calm down.”

I saw his hand reach for my shoulder, but I reeled away. Everything was coursing through me. “Everything was packed up. We came inside to see if we’d forgotten anything. Mason and Logan stayed outside, but James came in. He asked her here, in the living room, if she had everything. She was looking at the piano. How could she not have seen the box? But then, no…then she walked closer to the piano and her foot moved out.” I gasped. “She kicked the box away. Why would she do that?”

I turned now and met his gaze. The pity broke me. Sobs reared back up and I bent over, gasping for breath.

“Samantha.”

I shook my head and pushed him away again. “No. NO. She knew what was in that box and left it on purpose.” My head snapped back up. I spat out, “That was my life. Those pictures are my life. Not just hers!”

“I know.” His voice was soft.

I gasped again, reeling. Oh god. Oh god.

Then everything stopped. I jerked back upright and turned swiftly for the door.

“Sam. What are you doing?” The pity was gone. His concern was evident.

I shrugged him away, for the millionth time, and whirled around. “Get off me.”

“What are you going to do?” He tried to block me at the door.

I shoved him away and snarled, “Get off!”

“Sam!”

I threw the door open and hurried to my car. I couldn’t move fast enough. My heart was racing. Everything was tumbling away.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

David yelled my name until I was in the car and turned around. The drive to the mansion didn’t take long, not when I was speeding, and I slammed the front door shut behind me when I entered. “Analise!”

Nothing.

I knew they were home. His car was there. Her car was beside his. They couldn’t have gone without them.

“Analise!”

“Good gracious, Samantha.” She sounded annoyed from down the hallway. Her high heels pitter-pattered down the tiled floor.

My heart thumped. It had slowed during the drive over, but my chest still heaved. I was restraining myself. Barely.

As my mother came closer and her face entered the light from the foyer, she frowned and braked. A hand went to her throat and her white pearls around her neck lifted up in a sigh.

She wore red.

My mother wore a red dress, made of lace, with white slippers on her feet. They were simple slippers, but it gave her a Cinderella look.

My eyes snapped to hers. They widened a fraction and she stepped back, but stopped. “Sam, really. What is it? Have the boys gotten in trouble again?”

“Sam?” James had followed behind her. He was still in a dark suit, and I realized they were leaving for dinner.

My voice came out mangled. “Where are you going?”

“Drinks and dinner in the city.” Analise frowned now. She swept a hand around in the air. “Really, honey. This is getting annoying. What is wrong?”

“You.”

I said it so simply and waited. I had to—I wanted to bash her head against the doorframe.

“Me?” There was amusement now in her voice.

“Sam? Where are Mason and Logan?”

I shook my head. They weren’t my concern then.

“Listen.” Her hand moved and rested on her hip. The bracelets on her wrists jangled from the movement. “Since you’re here and I never see you anymore, you are moving back on Sunday? Garrett had his time with you, for two weeks. Now that he’ll be here permanently, I think you should move home again. You need some consistency in your life, Sam. I worry about you.”

I laughed. It came out hollow. “Are you kidding me?”

She quieted. “What do you mean?”

“I might call Mason.” James moved away. His voice was heard farther away in a soft murmur.

“Sam.” Analise moved forward a step. Her arm lifted to grab me.

I snarled at her and shoved her backwards. It was violent, but it was done before I knew it. Her head bounced against the wall and she cried out in pain. As her hand rose to touch where she had been hit, she looked at me again. The annoyance was gone. This time a horror took its place. Her lips grew white around the edges. “What is wrong with you?”

“You.” I said it again.

“Me,” she scoffed. As she turned for James, she winced from the pain. “James, I’m the problem.”

He came back. Everything was a mask over his face, but he looked at me. “Mason said you went to your dad’s house.”

I held my breath. My heart pounded.

“She’s staying there. Why wouldn’t she?” ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">