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The gnarled green trees and bright blue sky did nothing to ease the pain in Leslie’s heart. Taylor’s admission had stayed with her. She’d barely slept, hardly touched her breakfast, and though she and her sister were on their way to pick up Derek to go shopping, her enthusiasm had sputtered. How could she enjoy herself when someone else was in so much pain? And what should she do with the information about Beau? He had to be stopped. But who could she turn to?
“You’re awfully quiet?”
She glanced at Dawn behind the wheel, grateful she had been spared Beau’s psychotic rages.
“Are you sure you want to go to the Halloween party at the river? Beau will be there. We could avoid him and maybe check out some of the other events—”
“No, I want to go to the party,” her sister insisted. “Besides, I’ll be in costume. He won’t know it’s me.”
Dawn’s resolve came through in her voice. Leslie wished she wasn’t so damned stubborn.
“I’m not going to run with my tail between my legs whenever I see Beau. We’re going to go and have fun.” Dawn hesitated as she turned off Main Street. “What made you change your mind? I thought you wanted to go.”
Leslie forced a smile to her lips, her heart heaving as she remembered Taylor’s emotionless face.
“I wanted to make sure you were into this. We’ll have to hustle to get our costumes ready.”
Dawn chuckled, sounding upbeat. “It will be fine. You’ll see. We will come up with some great costumes. I know it.”
When Dawn pulled into the driveway, her smile wavered a little.
“You’re sure Derek wants to join us?”
Leslie undid her seatbelt, chasing the apprehension from her voice. “Of course. He wants the three of us to hang out, and what better way than shopping?”
Dawn sat back in her seat, her gaze sweeping over her sister. “You never doubt him, do you? You’re always optimistic about your future together.” Dawn slapped the steering wheel. “I couldn’t even get Beau to talk about going to the same college, let alone getting married. But you two have it all worked out.”
Leslie wished she could erase all of Dawn’s disappointment, but a part of her knew it could have been worse. She could have ended up like Taylor. Leslie drove the thought from her mind, unable to comprehend something so horrendous happening to someone she loved.
“He wasn’t the right guy for you. Let him go. You’ll find him one day.”
Tears gathered in Dawn’s eyes. “No, I’m not like you. You’ve always known what you wanted. Ever since we were little, you had everything figured out while I was still struggling. You were the smart one, the interesting one, and I ... well, I was just trying to keep up.”
Leslie turned off the ignition and raised her sister’s chin, determined to get through to her. “I want you to listen to me. You’re just as smart, as funny, and definitely as pretty as me. And you never had to prove anything to me or anyone else. We’re sisters, twin sisters, and nothing you do will ever make me jealous. I want you to be happy. That’s all I ever wanted. I knew you weren’t happy with Beau.”
A teardrop slipped down Dawn’s cheek. “I’m sorry, Leelee. I was a bitch to you when I was with him. I shouldn’t have been. You’re my sister and I—”
“Hey,” Leslie cut her off. “You never need to apologize to me.”
A knock on the window made both girls jump. Dawn wiped her face when she saw Derek.
“Are you guys okay?”
Leslie opened her door and climbed out, anxious to chase away her blues. “We’re great. Get in and let’s go shopping.”
Derek wrapped her in his arms and kissed her nose. “Shopping? You said we were going to hang out.”
Leslie took an extra second to escape inside the warmth of his embrace. The world seemed a beautiful place when he held her. The ugliness, the hate, the anger didn’t touch her in his arms.
“Hey.” Derek held her back, studying her face. “What is it?”
She yearned to tell him but couldn’t. It wasn’t her secret to share.
“I’m just glad to see you.”
“I’ve got news.” He lifted her chin. “Mom got that job at the law firm. She’ll be working as a secretary in Covington. No more diner.”
Leslie’s troubles washed away. “That’s great.”
He nodded. “Yep. She’s so excited. I can’t remember when I’ve seen her so happy.” He kissed her lips. “Thank you.”
“Hey, you two,” Dawn called from the car. “Get in. We’ve got Halloween costume shopping to do.”
Leslie peered up at the blue sky before she climbed back in the car, thanking the heavens for keeping everyone she loved safe.
“Are you guys sure you want me to go with you?” Derek asked as he secured his seatbelt. “You could just pick out costumes without me.”
Dawn put the car in drive. “Leslie and I have already decided we’re going to have matching costumes.” She giggled as she looked back at Derek. “If you’re not with us, we might choose pink tutus and ballerina shoes.”
He furrowed his brow. “Yeah, that’s not a good look for me.”
Leslie relaxed in her seat, snickering at his remark.
In the distance, she caught the tips of the white spires of The Abbey peeking out over the treetops. The dread lingering in the back of her mind resurrected, displacing her jovial mood. There was something about the place. She didn’t know what it was, but Leslie was sure of one thing—it wasn’t good.
