Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
She put her hand on her chest. “You gave me a fright!”
“Sorry, Twinkles. I just wanted to check on you. You looked upset.”
“I’m just worried about Maeve. Like all of us are.” Immy chewed at her lower lip and Jenner got up, pushing it away from her teeth.
“Don’t do that, baby,” he whispered, drawing her into his arms. “Everything is going to be all right.”
“You don’t know that, though,” she said. “We don’t know what’s going on with Maeve or why she’s here.” She rubbed her tummy anxiously. She was feeling ill.
That happened when she got anxious. Normally, when she was feeling like this she’d cuddle Snowy and watch cartoons. Maybe eat some cookies and animal pasta.
Not together.
That was just gross.
But she didn’t feel like she could leave Maeve. She might wake up and need her.
“I do. Because I’m going to make it happen.”
Immy sighed and nodded. “Maybe I should make her some mac and cheese. She loves that. And some cookies. I should bake her some cookies. Shouldn’t Eric be here by now?”
“He’s coming. Don’t panic. Let’s just go sit with her for a while. Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered, taking his hand, she let him lead her back into Maeve’s bedroom.
She sat on the armchair as Maeve started moving.
“I’m not getting up, Mom,” Maeve suddenly said. “I don’t care what chores need doing.”
“Maeve?” Immy asked.
Maeve frowned. “Immy? Whatcha doing in my room? Please tell me the Deity doesn’t want to see me.”
“Oh my God! Does she have amnesia?” Immy cried. “Does she think she’s back at the Camp?”
“Immy, calm down,” Sampson barked. “She’s probably dreaming.”
“Sampson? Oh no, the Deity doesn’t want us to have sex again, does he?” Maeve asked.
Immy gaped at Sampson, who was standing at the end of the bed with his arms crossed. She was aware that everyone else was staring at him too.
Sampson sighed, running his hand over his face.
“You look tired, Sampson,” Maeve said, staring up at him. “You want to lie down for a while?”
“Not with you, he won’t,” Jenner said sternly.
“You had sex with Maeve while we were at the Camp?” Immy snapped at Sampson.
Maeve tried to sit and Immy turned to her.
“What are you doing?” Immy asked. “Lie down.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine,” Jenner said, pacing back and forth. “You’ve got a bruised face and from the way you’re moving there are probably other bruises under your clothes. You were so exhausted when you got here that you collapsed and you’ve been sleeping for hours. You’re not fine.”
“Okay, let’s just all calm down a bit,” Isaiah said calmly. “None of this is helping Maeve.”
“I’m all right, guys. I promise.” Maeve sat up slowly, glancing around at them all. “First of all, Sampson didn’t do anything to me when we were younger. The Deity ordered him to and we just pretended.”
Sampson grunted. “Fucking bastard, thinking he could order me to fuck her. She was only fifteen.”
Immy glanced over at Jenner for some reason. He looked so pale that she was worried he was about to collapse.
“Have any of you told Cat what happened?” Maeve asked frantically.
Uh-oh.
Immy rubbed her tummy. Should she not have called Cat?
“I tried calling her,” Immy whispered. “I left a message.”
“She’s going to insist on coming here,” Maeve said with a groan.
“Tell us what’s going on, Maeve,” Isaiah said quietly.
“Wait, shouldn’t we get Eric here?” Immy asked. “To check her over?”
“I’m fine,” Maeve protested.
“I’ll call him,” Jenner said.
Just as he left the room, her phone started ringing. Immy looked at it, grimacing. Now she felt terrible. “I’m sorry. It’s Cat.”
“It’s all right,” Maeve reassured her.
Immy answered the call. “Hey, Cat, I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Where is she? What the fuck happened?” Cat demanded. “I go for one facial and the world goes to shit.”
“Nothing has gone to shit, Cat. I’m fine,” Maeve said tiredly. “Wait, where’s Squish?”
“Didn’t someone get him out of the truck?” Sampson asked.
“I think he’s downstairs,” Isaiah said.
“I’ll get him,” Abe offered, slipping out. He returned quickly, giving the toy to Maeve.
“Maeve! Immy, turn me around,” Cat demanded.
Immy turned her phone with an apologetic grimace.
“Maeve, oh my God! What happened? Alejandro! Alejandro! Come here!”
“What? What is it?” Alejandro asked off-camera, sounding frantic.
“Maeve está herida! ¡Necesito que mates a alguien!”
“What? What the fuck!” Alejandro’s face appeared on the screen. “How did you get hurt? And who am I killing?”
Cat was speaking rapidly in Spanish in the background.
“How bad is my face?” Maeve whispered to Immy as Alejandro tried to calm Cat down.
“Pretty bad,” Immy told her. What was going on? What had happened to Maeve?
“Eric will be here soon,” Jenner said, entering the room again. “That Cat?”
“Yes, it is me,” Cat said, her accent pronounced. “Someone needs to tell me what happened. Now.”
“Yes, we’d all like to know what happened,” Sampson added.
Immy listened on in horror as Maeve told them about her stalker, about the notes he’d left her.