Chapter 52

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

ASHLEY

14 Years Ago

Mom and Dad are fighting. They're trying to do it quietly, but I can still hear them from my position on the stairs. They're in the living room, and the door is slightly ajar. Their voices drift out through the hall.

When Dad mentions divorce, I bite my lip. I know they've been under a lot of pressure lately, I'm not sure why, but I didn't think it had come to this.

I creep down the stairs and open the front door. When it creaks, I freeze, looking back, and wait for someone to come and check. No one does, and they don't stop arguing. A couple of seconds later, I'm out on the street.

Jason's house is on the other side of town, but if I jog, I can get there in about twenty minutes. The town is small, a place where it's almost impossible for people not to know everyone else's business, and I'm not scared as I make my way through the dark streets.

When I reach Jason's house, the front door is open, which is odd. His best friend's car is parked on the drive. I've met Zain a few times, and there's something about him that makes me nervous. I don't think I've ever seen him smile. I've definitely never heard him laugh. But Louisa, his girlfriend, is the complete opposite, always laughing and teasing both of them.

I think Jason likes her more than he should, and it worries me that he might end up falling out with his friend over it.

Pushing open the door, I step inside.

"Jace?"

There's no answer, which is odd. I walk through the house to the kitchen. It's empty. So is the living room. I walk back to the stairs and look up.

"Jace?" I put my foot onto the first step, and then stop.

What if he's asleep?

No, the front door was open.

I walk slowly up the stairs, and I've just reached the upstairs hall when there's a noise. It sounds like a voice speaking in a low tone, and the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

There's something in the air. An odd smell. I don't like it. When I reach Jason's room, I don't go inside. I hesitate, one hand on the door knob, and my heart picks up speed.

"Jason?" My voice comes out as a whisper.

A voice in the back of my head is telling me to turn around. To go home. To not open the door.

But my hand is already moving, my palm touching the wood. The door swings open silently.

" Nononono ."

It takes me a second to work out what the voice is saying.

The voice in my head gets louder .

Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.

But I do. I walk through the door and turn to where I know Jason's bed is, and what greets me makes no sense.

I blink, hoping the image will change. But it doesn't.

My lips part, and I don't know whether I'm about to scream or speak, but Zain's voice stops me.

"Fuck. What the fuck are you doing here? Ashley, get out. Don't look."

My eyes jerk up from the bed to the man standing beside it. His face is white against the dark hair falling over his forehead.

"What—"

"Get out of here and call 911."

I step forward, and he throws out one hand. A hand painted red. I blink again.

"Don't come over here. Get out."

I can't take my eyes off his hand.

It's not paint. It's not paint. It's not paint.

That voice in my head is screaming. Telling me to run. To get out.

"Zain …"

"Don't fucking look. Get out of here."

I jump backward, and my foot lands on something which upsets my balance. I glance down to see what caused me to stumble, and my mouth opens.

There's a knife. A knife on the floor. It's covered in red.

Oh my god. It's not paint.

The scream that threatened bursts free, and I whirl and run from the room.