Page 53 of Traces of Her

Looking up, his eyes meet mine before he scans the room scratching his head. “Man,” he starts, directing his gaze back to me. “I don’t think I have any chalk or anything to draw with here.” He gives me a small shrug with an apologetic look, filled with nothing but sarcasm.

“It’s over,” I say loudly. This can’t keep going on and there is absolutely no getting through to him.

“Meh.” He shrugs again as he walks past me to the door. “I’m gonna go eat, I’m fucking starving. Go back to bed, I’m sure your little ghost is up there waiting for you.”

Trusting him to go upstairs without me there is the last thing I will ever do again. He goes nowhere near Rowena again unless I’m there and even then, he won’t be going near her.

Torn between going and staying, I trust my gut and follow him upstairs back to where I belong.

As I open the door to go to Rowena, Jared pauses at the end of the hall.

“Hey, little bro,” he calls over. “Do me a favor and take care of that shit downstairs. Better yet, have Ghost do it, you know so she can get some good experience.” He pauses and smiles. “I’m sure this won’t be her last time.” He winks and walks through the doorway into the kitchen.

Walking into the room, I quietly shut the door, staring down at Rowena lying on the blankets in the same spot, with her long white hair spread out across the pillow. Her mouth is slightly open as she sleeps, with the look of innocence that should never be tainted with the ugliness surrounding us.

This wasn’t her first time in a volatile situation like this, but it will be her last.