Page 68 of Traces of Her
Forty-Two
GRIFFIN
AFTER DROPPING RYDER OFF AT HOME, I send Lydia a text and take Rowena back to the house to retrieve our already packed bags. She remains silent as I run into the house and get back in the car and slip the keys into the ignition. As the engine turns over, my phone rings from the center console, making both of us jump.
Looking down, I see that it’s only Lydia and take a deep breath before answering the call.
“Hey,” I say into the phone in a calm and casual voice.
“Uh…hey?” she replies, sounding more like a question with the confusion in her voice.
“That didn’t take very long. I wasn’t expecting you to call so soon,” I say as if I’m actually surprised.
“Yeah.” She lets out a light laugh, laced with sarcasm. “You’d be surprised how fast you can get your kid in bed when you get a text like that.”
I’m silent for a moment. “I didn’t mean to cause any panic,” I speak slowly, choosing my words carefully. “I just had a few things I needed to talk to you about.”
“Out with it then,” she says, wasting no time.
Nervously, I clear my throat. “I’m not sure where to start,” I say slowly. “It’s safe now, though; you can come home. There’s nothing left to worry about here.”
“What does that even mean, Griffin?” she questions. “I’m probably not even safe anywhere I go with Jared still out there.”
“That’s the thing, Lydia,” I say, keeping my voice neutral. “We took care of it. He’s gone.”
She gasps before letting out a choked sob.
“Gone?” she asks, sniffling into the phone.
“Gone,” I declare. “I didn’t want to tell you over the phone, but the details aren’t important. Just know that it’s over.”
“Wait.” She pauses. “What about the other girl? Rowena, I think?”
Taking a deep breath, I sigh heavily into the phone, looking at the passenger seat of my car. “She’s fine and safe now,” I say quietly. “We got to her just in time.”
“Who is she to you?” Lydia blurts out and quickly clears her throat from embarrassment.
I’m silent for a moment. “She’s everything.” My voice cracks as I struggle to stay quiet. “Do you remember the girl who helped us get you out of there?”
“The ghost girl,” she says, her voice barely a whisper.
“I’m sorry I’ve kept you in the dark,” I say solemnly. “There’s so much to tell you, about it all, about her, but now isn’t the time for that.”
I can hear the light bulb go off in her mind. “That’s why you were so protective of her, and why she was of me.”
“I promise, I’ll tell you everything,” I assure her. “After we get back.”
“Wait, you’re leaving?” she asks in a panic.
“Yes,” I tell her, sadly. “We’ll get to that, but first, I have some other things to tell you.”
Lydia replies with silence, waiting for me to get to the point.
“So,” I start. “Ryder can give you the full story, because he needs to, but you had everything wrong when you left. Ryder never wanted anyone other than you.”
“Oh God,” she groans. “I ruined it all, didn’t I?”
“I mean, shit got fucked up,” I half laugh. “Trust me, you come back here and see him, and none of that will even matter. You have no idea how he is right now, Lydia. He doesn’t leave his house for anything. He doesn’t talk to anyone at all. And he didn’t even resort to drinking this time. I mean, shit, this is Ryder we’re talking about.”