(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Fifty-Two - Red Beacons

RILEY

I DASHED ACROSS A LAMPLIT ROAD, passing by rows of decorated houses. All their windows were illuminated from the inside. I imagined gatherings like the one at Heather's occurring within each home. Dread filled my heart the more I approached the playground, my eyes scouring the brumal dimness.

While everybody celebrated inside, the outside was sleepy. Snow was laid out like a blanket as flakes twirled in the breeze. The adrenaline tingle around my joints masked the pain from all the hits. For now.

I finally inched closer to the park, running down two streets. Tracks were sparse but the last one was leading right here. Empty swings screeched under the wind, swaying back and forth. Behind me, music thrummed from one of the houses. I stopped, breath short.

Browned patches drew my attention to the base of a street lamp, seeming to point ahead of the playground. I tried Dad's phone number, moving away from the area. Please be okay...

"Riles?"

"Dad! Where are you?"

The background sounded quiet. I raced forward to cross the street.

"I'm still waiting... Why are you yelling and out of breath? Is everything okay?"

"I—" My boots plowed through fresh snow as I cut straight across the sidewalks. Was he really home or was someone standing over his shoulder? No, Dad wouldn't comply with that. He sounded like his usual self, apart from the growing worry in his voice.

I know I promised Luc to never tell him, but if I made it out of this somehow, I might not be able to offer excuses anymore. I couldn't care, right now. Everything else was on fire.

"I have to stay a little longer."

It was so not convincing. Of course, he didn't buy it. "I'm sure they can understand. Do you want me to come and get you? Why do you sound like—"

"No!" I shouted, and it carried off into nullity. The roundabout exit was approaching as fast as the houses were disappearing from the vicinity. "You stay where you are!" I slowed down just enough to steady my breath. "I'm fine. It's someone else."

"Someone else?" he asked, almost shouting, too. "Riley, you have to explain to me what's going on back there. You know what, I'm going to the car. What's the address?"

I paused, about to start begging and crying. Anything to reassure him so he could wait home, except that would have the opposite effect.

"It's Luc. He... He's injured after an accident. I need to be there, so just... let me stay in the emergency room with him. I'll call when..." It took a monumental restraint for me to keep neutral. Was this the last time I would hear his voice? Maybe it was, and I was lying to him. "I'll call as soon I can."

He stayed silent for a looong bout. I'm so sorry.

"Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine," I rushed out and pressed a hand to my queasy stomach. "I gotta go."

"Riley—"

I hung up. If I allowed one more second of that call, I think I would have shattered into a million pieces. Someone else was out there. I still had to check. I was too close to turn around now and abandon someone to die or who knows what else NIO could do to them. It could be Emma.

Two red beacons shone in the far distance, on the all-too familiar highway ramp.

Not one step later as I started for the town exit, before I could shove it back in my pocket, my phone rang again. God, it was him on the screen. I'd been gone too long already.