his brow. That wasn't right. He didn't kill her. He'd never killed anybody. "I didn't—" he started.
"Are you sure?" Blair interrupted.
"I..."
"Leave town, Garrett," said Blair. "Leave town or I will destroy you."
She turned slowly, giving him a slow view of her swaying hips, and sauntered out the library door. Garrett watched her go, feeling lightheaded and strange. He blinked hard and rubbed his forehead. His head was starting to hurt. He needed a cigarette.
* * *
Ramona hadn't been able to stop thinking about the missing Dawn Trimbley in Texas. She also hadn't been able to stop thinking about Garrett. After an afternoon of obsession, she was able to convince herself that the discovery of Dawn's missing twin was a good enough excuse to bother Garrett at work. She told herself that she wouldn't even mention what had happened the night before, since she wasn't entirely sure if it even meant anything. Ramona was no stranger to one-night stands. They happened. And usually, she was pretty good at being friends with the people she had them with afterwards. She wasn't always good at being friends with her ex-boyfriends. She hadn't talked to Ben in years, for instance. But guys she'd just fucked, those guys she could keep in touch with no problem.
Ramona was in such a rush to get to the library to see Garrett that she tripped over one of the roots of the oak tree growing in front of the building and went sprawling on the sidewalk. After lying there for a few seconds, contemplating how ridiculous she must look, she got to her feet and began to brush herself off. She'd scraped her knee. Great. The blood was coming through her cream trousers, which were dirty, but miraculously not torn. The blood would ruin them. There was no doubt. Ramona stared at her knee—red blossoming through her pants. She swore under her breath and debated just going home for a band-aid. Maybe it was a sign. She shouldn't talk to Garrett. Maybe he'd think she was smothering him. Maybe he'd be rude.
"Ramona, are you okay?" said a voice.
Ramona looked up, and Blair was coming out of the front door of the library. Ramona immediately thought of Garrett's story about Blair the night before. Was Blair a ghost? A clone? A monster? "Jesus, you saw that?" Ramona asked. "I'm so embarrassed."
"You're bleeding," said Blair. Her voice softened in concern.
"It's nothing," said Ramona. "I'll be fine, even if my pants aren't."
"Are you sure?" said Blair. "It looks like it's bleeding pretty good."
"Yeah," said Ramona. "I guess I should just limp on home now."
"Were you going into the library?"
Ramona nodded. Wasn't that obvious? She hadn't come over here just to trip over the oak tree root. Blair wasn't an idiot, was she?
Blair turned around and peered inside the window into the library. "Doesn't look like anybody's in there," she said. "Let's go in, though. Maybe we can find a first aid kit somewhere."
"Isn't Garrett in there?" asked Ramona. "I came to see him."
Blair shrugged. "He was when I was in there a minute ago, but I don't see him now. Don't worry, though. I'm sure we can find some band aids."
It wasn't a terrible idea. She just didn't know if she wanted Garrett to see her talking to Blair. Maybe he'd feel betrayed or something.
That was stupid.
"Okay," said Ramona.
Blair opened the door to the library, and Ramona felt the cool rush of the air conditioning wrap itself around her legs and arms, pulling her inside. She followed Blair into the building. The room was still. No one was behind the counter.
"No one's here," said Ramona.
"I think Garrett's here somewhere," said Blair. "I think he went into the basement."
"Should we get him?"
Blair shook her head. "I don't think he'll mind." She made her way back to the room where the steps were. There was a little break room with a table and a sink and microwave. Ramona had always thought it was a little awkwardly placed, because library patrons had to walk right through it to get to the steps
"Are you sure?" Blair interrupted.
"I..."
"Leave town, Garrett," said Blair. "Leave town or I will destroy you."
She turned slowly, giving him a slow view of her swaying hips, and sauntered out the library door. Garrett watched her go, feeling lightheaded and strange. He blinked hard and rubbed his forehead. His head was starting to hurt. He needed a cigarette.
* * *
Ramona hadn't been able to stop thinking about the missing Dawn Trimbley in Texas. She also hadn't been able to stop thinking about Garrett. After an afternoon of obsession, she was able to convince herself that the discovery of Dawn's missing twin was a good enough excuse to bother Garrett at work. She told herself that she wouldn't even mention what had happened the night before, since she wasn't entirely sure if it even meant anything. Ramona was no stranger to one-night stands. They happened. And usually, she was pretty good at being friends with the people she had them with afterwards. She wasn't always good at being friends with her ex-boyfriends. She hadn't talked to Ben in years, for instance. But guys she'd just fucked, those guys she could keep in touch with no problem.
Ramona was in such a rush to get to the library to see Garrett that she tripped over one of the roots of the oak tree growing in front of the building and went sprawling on the sidewalk. After lying there for a few seconds, contemplating how ridiculous she must look, she got to her feet and began to brush herself off. She'd scraped her knee. Great. The blood was coming through her cream trousers, which were dirty, but miraculously not torn. The blood would ruin them. There was no doubt. Ramona stared at her knee—red blossoming through her pants. She swore under her breath and debated just going home for a band-aid. Maybe it was a sign. She shouldn't talk to Garrett. Maybe he'd think she was smothering him. Maybe he'd be rude.
"Ramona, are you okay?" said a voice.
Ramona looked up, and Blair was coming out of the front door of the library. Ramona immediately thought of Garrett's story about Blair the night before. Was Blair a ghost? A clone? A monster? "Jesus, you saw that?" Ramona asked. "I'm so embarrassed."
"You're bleeding," said Blair. Her voice softened in concern.
"It's nothing," said Ramona. "I'll be fine, even if my pants aren't."
"Are you sure?" said Blair. "It looks like it's bleeding pretty good."
"Yeah," said Ramona. "I guess I should just limp on home now."
"Were you going into the library?"
Ramona nodded. Wasn't that obvious? She hadn't come over here just to trip over the oak tree root. Blair wasn't an idiot, was she?
Blair turned around and peered inside the window into the library. "Doesn't look like anybody's in there," she said. "Let's go in, though. Maybe we can find a first aid kit somewhere."
"Isn't Garrett in there?" asked Ramona. "I came to see him."
Blair shrugged. "He was when I was in there a minute ago, but I don't see him now. Don't worry, though. I'm sure we can find some band aids."
It wasn't a terrible idea. She just didn't know if she wanted Garrett to see her talking to Blair. Maybe he'd feel betrayed or something.
That was stupid.
"Okay," said Ramona.
Blair opened the door to the library, and Ramona felt the cool rush of the air conditioning wrap itself around her legs and arms, pulling her inside. She followed Blair into the building. The room was still. No one was behind the counter.
"No one's here," said Ramona.
"I think Garrett's here somewhere," said Blair. "I think he went into the basement."
"Should we get him?"
Blair shook her head. "I don't think he'll mind." She made her way back to the room where the steps were. There was a little break room with a table and a sink and microwave. Ramona had always thought it was a little awkwardly placed, because library patrons had to walk right through it to get to the steps
Similar Books
