beautiful thieves | ✓

twenty-six

The next morning, Maeve and I watch as Jayden and Blake and fifteen intimidating men and women dressed in all black walk across the gardens, searching the grounds for any sign of the attacker. They've brought dogs with them, huge Bloodhounds and German Shepherds that seemed cute and playful when they arrived here but now look like they promise to murder. Jayden was clearly very happy as soon as he lay eyes on them and got way too close to them.

They end up finding nothing except a trail of blood in the woods that leads to nowhere. Enoch runs the prints on the knife only to find that they lead back to me. I feel a swell of disappointment, as I guess I'll never know who it was that tried to murder me, but also of relief as it means that it isn't certain whether or not I had killed her. I think I'd rather stay in the unknown.

With Jayden sad about giving the dogs back and everyone stressed and on high alert, a few of us decide to get out for the day. It ends up being me, Jayden, Chelsea, Maeve and Colby going down to the beach for yet another day in the sun.

Back where I used to live, we lived pretty much on the sand. I loved being there, as all it took was a step out of the door to be given an escape. I'd spend hours walking along the coastline, even in torrential rain or the rapid wind that nipped at my skin and almost blew me away. I'd walk and talk with my Dad, play with my brothers in the ocean, and watch as Connie finally got to cartwheel and dance with the other kids when our mother wasn't around to tell her not to. I wish they were all here now.

Holding Posie takes that longing away from me just for a moment. I cradle her in my arms while I listen to the summer music playing through our speaker and watch the others play an intense game of catch, one in which Colby gets hit in the face multiple times and they all start pushing one another into the ocean. Posie's awake and happily gurgling to herself, the Colic finally starting to fade away. I sit her on my lap so she can watch the guys play.

"You have a crazy family, huh," I smile, poking her in the belly. She giggles as if she understood what I said, and I reckon she probably did. "You're going to be one spoilt kid."

"Fuck yeah, she is," Maeve chuckles, plopping herself down to lay beside us. Her pale skin is speckled with sunburn and she leans over to blow raspberries on Posie's chubby cheek. "All these rich aunties and uncles who love her to pieces. Anyone that hurts her better watch out."

"Especially with Chelsea as her mother," I say, my point being proven as soon as Chelsea practically throws Jayden into the sea. "No one will stand a chance."

Maeve nods in agreement, before she coughs awkwardly.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Um... I'm sure it's nothing, but I couldn't help but notice that there's someone watching you."

My heart drops as I frantically scan the beach. "Not again."

"She was over by the beach huts," Maeve says, pointing to them. "Over there."

"She?" I ask. Could it be the same woman from yesterday?

But no. It's not. Because when I watch the beach huts of all different colours and styles, I see my mother stood there, staring at me. My heart starts thudding against my chest so hard that Posie must be able to feel it, and the nausea is suffocating. Suddenly, I'm more scared of her than I was of the woman from yesterday.

"Who is it?" Maeve clearly notices my sudden anxiety.

I should lie and say it's nothing, but instead find myself saying, "it's my Mum."

Maeve's eyes widen, looking over to where my mother is, before they narrow into slits. "She even looks like a bitch."

"I don't know what to do," I say helplessly, just about managing to stop Posie from eating the fistful of sand she just grabbed.