She wouldn't keep me cooped up in this house on purpose. She's just doing this to protect me and the baby.
I tell myself it's nothing. I glance through the window and see her outside, stuffing the trash can. I barely get a minute to myself these days. Alli goes out once weekly to get groceries from the caretaker, and my next doctor visit is fast approaching. I'm planning on doing some research while Alli's gone. And just as it happens, her weekly trip that takes all of forty-five minutes is scheduled for tonight.
For the rest of the evening, I keep up pretenses, and wave Alli off when she leaves. But the moment she rounds the corner, I'm back on my feet.
There are a few bedrooms in the house, and Alli and I have each got one. She doesn't like it when I come into her room, which has left me suspicious. But tonight's my chance. I can see what she's trying to hide so much. Why she always flinches when I appear in her door frame.
I think of her leaving with her basket tote and me waving her off.
She'd feel so betrayed if she knew what I was doing. But I can't help it. I need answers.
Minutes later, I'm digging through her room. I look under the mattress, under the bed. I check all her drawers. In the end, I find my answer hidden in plain sight.
I'm assuming there are three sizes of them, each labeled with a trimester. The first and third are there. The second one is missing.
I stare at the fake pregnancy bellies in disbelief. Why the hell does Alli have these? What could she possibly need them for?
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
I startle at the sound, then turn around to face Alli.
She's dressed just as before, still holding the wicker basket. But now her hand is resting on her stomach. Her belly has expanded in size. It looks just like mine.
"What the fuck?" I hiss. "I should ask you the same thing."
Her lips thin out as she wordlessly puts her basket down. She closes the door and turns the key in the lock.
"Oh my God," I whisper. "Please tell me there's a reasonable explanation for all this, Alli."
Her back is turned to me. I watch her shrug off her jacket and get the belly off. When she faces me again, her face is a picture of innocence.
"Of course there is, silly," she grins. "I've been wearing these so nobody suspects you're up here with me. Don't you think people would get suspicious if I started buying baby formula and didn't look pregnant at all? Everyone knows everyone in Eden Falls, you told me that yourself, P. We can't risk the guys finding out about you. They'd take the baby from you."
I want to believe her so much, but something in her story doesn't quite add up. I feel sick to my stomach as I follow her with my eyes.
"But you shouldn't go through my stuff, Pandora. I don't do that to you either," she says firmly.
Because I tell you everything like a naive fool, I think. Because I don't keep filthy little secrets. And you just might be doing that...
"Of course," I reply with a smile. "I'm sorry, it must be the hormones. I'm going crazy."
"Understandable." She smiles coolly.
"So, are you going to get the food?"
"I'll go when you're sleeping," she replies. "Wouldn't want those hormones kicking in again. You need supervision. And I'm here to help. Anything you need."
She pulls me in for a hug. Her nails dig into my back.
"Anything for that baby," she whispers in my ear. Her words send a shiver down my spine.
Chapter Eight
Pandora
"But at the beginning, you said a doctor would come by every two weeks."
"God, P, you're really starting to whine a whole lot." Alli sighs and places a bowl of oatmeal on the table for me. "I told you, the guy is busy with appointments in town."
I stare at the bowl, my appetite waning.
"Maybe we should go into town then." She looks like she's about to speak up, but I hold up a palm to stop her. "Please, I know what you're going to say. But I need a proper medical exam. I need to know the baby's okay, and nothing bad's going to happen. I'm getting paranoid. Think of the baby's safety."
"Fine," she hisses, rolling her eyes. "I'll call the office. I'll get him to come by this week."
I knit my brows together. "Your phone works here?"
"The caretaker’s phone does work, he's a little lower in altitude than us," she replies smoothly after a barely detectable pause. "I told you, there's no service up here."
And I believed her. That is, until I traced the wire for the home phone and found it had been snapped in two.
"Of course," I smile stiffly. "Let me know when he's coming. I have a lot of questions."
"Just ask me, P." She smiles wide, motioning to the pile of baby books she's been studying non stop. You'd think she's the one giving birth, not me.
"But you're not a doctor."
Her smile fades instantly. "And you're not the first mother in the world."
"Well," I shrug. "I am about to be one, though. And you aren't."
She seems pissed off, but she just smirks and heads into the other room.
I groan, palming my growing belly. We've been stuck here for a month now, and I'm getting more and more symptoms from the pregnancy. Whoever said this was a wonderful, magical time, was either lying or severely delusional. For me, it's been nothing but all-day sickness, swollen ankles and awful fatigue.
I guess in some ways I am lucky I have Alli. But then why do I keep feeling like a prisoner in this house? And why does she control everything? She even has me tracking my water intake, and she brought me natal vitamins, for God's sake. All acts that could be perceived as sweet and caring, but she somehow makes them seem the opposite of that.
When I met Alli, I was so desperate for an emotional connection, for a friend, I didn't see any of the red flags.
But the more time I spend in her company, the more I'm noticing all the subtle little things that seem... off with her.
Later that evening, she triumphantly tells me the doctor is coming the next day. I'm relieved. I tell myself I'm being paranoid. She's not a bad person, she's just doing what she thinks is best for me and the baby.
She does really care about the baby.
Sometimes... almost too much.
We're sitting at the dining table that night and digging into the dinner she's prepared for us. That's when she brings it up.
"I was hoping you could sign something tonight." She takes a sip of her juice and gives me an expectant look.
"Oh? Sign something?"
"It's just a simple will," she waves her hand dismissively.
"A will?" I knit my brows together. "Why on earth would I need a will?"
"What if you die in childbirth?" she contests.
I laugh. "I'm sure I'll be fine."
"These things happen." She shrugs. "All I'm saying is, God forbid something happens, you need to be sure your baby's taken care of. If you died, it would go to the father. You really want this kid growing up with one of those guys? Three perverted fucks, one dead guy—so fuck knows who'd get him then—and one murderer."
"Dex isn't a murderer," I hiss for what feels like the millionth time.
"Sure, P," she rolls her eyes. "You keep telling yourself that..."
"You don't even know him." My voice is dripping with ice. "You've never met Dex."
"So? The facts don't lie."
"He didn't kill Lai."
"Then who did?" She challenges me with her stare, but I hold her gaze defiantly.
"Maybe it was my father," I offer.
"Doubt it."
"What about one of the other guys?"
"They'd never hurt Lai," she huffs.
"You don't know them," I remind her again. "You don't know any of these people."
She just stares at me with that infuriating smile plastered on her face. If she wasn't so hearstoppingly pretty, her face would almost look frightening with that expression.
I throw my paper napkin on the table as I get up and mutter, "I'm goin
g to sleep."
"Don't forget your vitamins, the baby needs them," she yells out after me, and I mutter a not very nice word under my breath, hating myself for letting her get to me. "We'll talk about the papers soon."
But the seeds of doubt have been planted.
And every day I spend in Alli's company, they grow more and more...
***
"So, to conclude, everything looks just fine." The doctor smiles to reassure me as he slips his gloves off. "It should be a normal, natural birth without complications. Was there a special birth plan you had in mind?"
"Yes," Alli cuts in. Both the doctor and I glance at her. "We'll have a home birth, right here in the house."
"What?" I laugh out loud. "No way. I'm going to the hospital, there's no question about it." I shift my attention back to the doctor. "When should I come to the hospital?"
Alli's hand lands on my shoulder, thin, bony fingers digging into my skin. "I said, we'll be having a home birth."
I count to three in my head before facing her again. "No, we won't."
"Trust me," she winks at me. "I've done all the research."
"But it's not your baby!"
The words come out an octave too high. In moments, the air in the room is constricting and a chill goes down my spine. The doctor clears his throat, putting his things away, and I wipe my belly in frustration and throw the paper towels on the table as I pick myself up.
"I'm sorry, Alli, but I'm going to a hospital. I know Mother had a complicated birth with me, and I need someone there to make sure it's okay."
"He's okay," she corrects me, giving the doctor a sad smile. "See? This is what I'm talking about. She doesn't even acknowledge he's a person in there."
"I didn't want to assume the sex like you are," I hiss, glancing at the doctor.
I rub my stomach as I pull my dress back down.
"We'll be seeing you in a few weeks then, Doctor?" I ask as the guy says his goodbyes.
"We'll see." Alli leads him away from the cottage. "Gotta go now. Dr. Meyer is very busy."
"What about my questions?" I call out after them, but Alli doesn't stop walking. The doc glances over his shoulder, but she quickly shoos him around the corner before he can reply. Defeated, I return to the house.
With guilt, I glance at the maternity books Alli has compiled. I haven't read a single one of them. In fact, I still don't quite believe this is really happening.
That I'm actually going to have a baby.
Even with my body changing so much, it's hard to believe I'm so far along.
Shame threatens to swallow me up. I feel awful for not being more dedicated to the baby. Like Alli is—she lives and breathes for this kid, and he's not even hers.
The thing that's bothering me about it... something I haven't been able to admit to anyone, not even myself, is...
I legitimately have no idea who the father is.
It could be any of them.
Cruel, handsome Julian.
Artistic, tortured Caspian.
Twisted, smart Easton.
Poor, dead Lai.
Or my bully, Dexter.
While Dex does have a higher chance of being the father than the others, I can't be certain until they do a paternity test. But at the same time, not knowing would keep me—and the baby—safer.
"I'm back!" I turn to face the front door where Alli just walked in. I don't reply, feeling too annoyed, but she just has to approach me. "Why were you such a bitch to me in front of Dr. Meyer?"
I laugh out loud. "You can't be serious."
"I'm very serious." She crosses her arms. "You made me look like a fool. I'm the one who's been doing the research. You haven't even picked a name!"
"You're forgetting something very important," I remind her with a saccharine smile. "None of that matters, because at the end of the day, I'm the one who gets to have the baby."
Her bottom lip twitches. "You're such a sad little girl, Pandora. Just crying and feeling sorry for yourself all the damn time. Nobody cares about that baby more than I do. Least of all you."
"What happened to you?" I scrutinize her with my gaze. "You've changed so much since I met you, Alli."
She ignores me and pulls out a stack of papers from a drawer. "It's time we talked about these papers again."
"Not the will?" I groan. "I told you, there's no reason for me to sign that."
What I'm not telling her is that even if something happened to me, I wouldn't want her near the baby. Not with her controlling, crazy attitude she's had lately.
"You have to think about the baby now," she goes on as if I haven't spoken at all. "You can't be so selfish, Pandora. You can't just think about yourself."
I thin out my lips as she spreads the papers on the table before me and starts pointing out places for me to sign.
"Here, here and here."
"I'm not signing that." I sit back with my arms crossed and she glares at me. "You can't make me."
"Don't underestimate me, P." Her voice is icy and when our eyes meet, a chill goes down my spine.
How could I ever trust this girl? I don't even know her.
"I can get you to do whatever I want. After all... what are you going to do? Who are you going to call? You've got no one left. Just me. So you'd better do as I say."
Defiantly, I raise my chin and meet her gaze to say, "Or else what?"
Her expression changes. Her lips twitch before she smiles sweetly. "I'll call your father."
"Why?" I demand.
"To tell him you're insane," she chirps. "That I've witnessed some troubling behavior since I've been with you. That you couldn't possibly take care of this baby by yourself. That you need professional help, and it's best if he has you committed. And that the baby is better off with him than with you. You'll just fuck him up."
My mouth hangs open at the amount of vitriol she's spewing. "You're fucking delusional, Alli. How can you say that? I thought you cared about the baby."
"More than you do," she scoffs. "That's for certain. I only have his best interests at heart, and I'm sorry, P, but you clearly aren't thinking straight, because you're not the best thing for this baby. I am."
"How can you say that? You're nothing to it. We're not even related!"
Her mouth opens in a snarl but she covers it up quickly, leaning over the table to stare me in the eyes. "You're so fucking dumb, Pandora."
"Excuse me?"
"You're clueless. Stupid. A fucking idiot. The truth's been staring you in the face and you refuse to see it. Can't you see?"
"See what?" I mutter.
"Everything," she whispers.
I knit my brows together and stare back at her. What the hell is she talking about?
"Dexter Booth didn't kill Lai," she says with a sweet smile. "I did."
My heart jumps in my chest and I stare at her in disbelief. "W-What?"
She laughs out loud, as if this is all a game to her. "Dumb little toy."
"You... I..."
"That's right." She yawns, stretching her long, lithe limbs. "You think about it, P. I'm sure it'll take you longer to figure out since your IQ is lower than the number of guys you've fucked."
"You're... I..."
"Starting to put the puzzle pieces together?" she winks at me. "Or do I need to help you out there, genius?"
"Why would you k-kill Lai?" I stutter. "You didn't even know him... You said you've never even been to Eden Falls..."
"You're so naive," she scoffs. "You actually believed me? Wow, you're even dumber than I thought. Come on, think, P. Who was here before you? Who have you been constantly trying to live up to? Whose shoes did you have to fill? Who did your mother mistake me for?"
I take a deep breath. I don't want to say it. To say it means admitting there's truth in it, and I can't possibly face the facts right now. But the words fall from my lips before I can stop myself.
"Lily Anna," I breathe.
"Say it again," she whispers, her face close to mine. I examine
her beauty, and there it is—every little sign, every feature I ignored because I was so fucking preoccupied with my own problems I never saw her for the wolf in sheep's clothing she is.
"Lily Anna Oakes," I whisper. "But... but you're dead."
She grabs my hand then and presses the palm to her chest. I flush, feeling her fast heartbeat beneath my fingers. Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Still kicking," she grins.
"But how..."
"Figure it out," she says, waving her hand. "Work those brain cells, bitch. And by the way? Now that you know, the fun times are over."
"What the fuck?"
"I'm done being sweet, boring little Alli." She smirks. "Now you get to meet the real me. And trust me, P. You're in for a fucking treat."
Chapter Nine
Dexter
4 months later
She's constantly on my mind.
Pandora Oakes. I should've known the one person I thought least likely would be the girl to bring me to my knees.
It's been months now, months without her, months of looking for her without any kind of success. She's just gone—disappeared into the ether, without a trace.
When we arrived back in Eden Falls after paying a visit to Pandora's mother, we kept a close eye on the train station CCTV, but it was too late. The footage showed Lily Anna and Pandora arriving that morning, stepping off the train and heading god fucking knows where. That's the worst part about this fucking mess—they must be right here, in town. At the touch of my fingertips. And yet we have no idea where to look anymore.
With the help of the guys and Emilian Oakes, I've turned this town upside down in my effort to find them.
But I didn't. And that failure will follow me until the end of the days, and I'll have to live with it.
My hands form fists. I groan, resisting the urge to smash my fist into the wall again. I think about my options. Sending more teams out to find them. Checking more security footage. But there's nothing out there, fucking nothing. I'll never find them. And besides... it might already be too late.
The thought makes me, Dexter motherfucking Booth, scared.
A Hurt So Sweet: Complete Dark Bully Romance Series Box Set: Elite of Eden Falls Prep Page 52