Read Online Better Left Buried by Belinda Frisch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Belinda Frisch
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overlaid her suicide scar exactly.
“Get the glue,” she said, holding the sink’s edge for balance.
A piece of broken coffee cup crushed under Adam’s boot as he walked across to the counter. He picked up the largest pieces and threw them in the trash. “Be careful where you step. There’s broken coffee cup all over the place, and it looks like the microwave clock finally died.”
She looked over her shoulder at the clock frozen at 2:34 AM. “It was the power outage. I think that must’ve been when I dropped the mug.” Details she couldn’t make sense of, things she wouldn’t admit to, came back to her piecemeal.
“What power outage?” He unscrewed the top off the tube and patted her arm dry, closing the cuts one by one.
“Right before you came home. The TV went off, then the light—”
“I don’t think so. Everyone else’s lights were on when I pulled in and besides, everything would’ve gone off at the same time, not in sequence.”
“No, I’m sure of it. I came out in the kitchen to get a flashlight, which is when I dropped the mug.”
“I thought you were sleeping?”
“I was—I mean, I think I was.” The more she tried to explain things, the less they made sense.
“And if the power went out, the clock would’ve reset.” He unplugged the microwave, counted to thirty, and plugged it back in, hitting the side when the clock didn’t immediately light up. “See,” the clock flashed 12:00, “like that.”
“Then I must’ve been sleeping, right?” Harmony blew on her arm and patted the shiny streaks to see that they were dry. Her skin felt tight, but the glue helped with the pain. “Things just aren’t adding up the way I remember them.” She took a couple of aspirins and wrapped a roll of white gauze around her forearm to keep the glue from cracking.
“If that’s true, we have a new wrinkle.” He swept the kitchen floor, his gaze distant.
Whether it was paranoia or not, she imagined he was thinking about taking her back to Spring View.
“It’ll be fine. I won’t take the pills again. I shouldn’t have taken them in the first place.” She knelt to hold the dust pan. “It was an accident.” She set her hand on his thigh.
“An accident, huh?” He dumped the crumbs and rinsed off the knife. “I’ll be right back.” He tucked the butcher block under his arm.
“Where are you going?”
He picked up his car keys. “To make sure there aren’t any more accidents .”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Adam pulled into the high school’s senior lot and parked in a space marked “Visitor”.
“What, you don’t feel like braving the bus loop today?” Harmony was doing her best to keep things light.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Do what? Go to school? Not really, but I don’t have a whole lot of options. I’m three absences away from not graduating, four tops. I’ll be fine.” She leaned across the seat and kissed him. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll be with Brea and I have my phone so I can call if I need you. I know you’ll be right here.”
“Always,” he said, tracing his hand along her fingers. “I’ll pick you up at 2:00.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Harmony opened the truck door, noticing the gossip seemed louder than usual.
“Seriously, Jaxon’s lost his mind.”
“I know, right? I mean, Brea Miller. What a freak.”
“What’s wrong?” Adam said.
“Nothing. I’ll see you at two.” She hopped down and headed across the lot.
“I love you,” Adam shouted through the partially open window.
It was something she had never said. To anyone. She lifted her backpack strap onto her shoulder and pretended not to hear him.
The main entrance came into view and she saw what all the fuss was about.
“What the hell?”
Jaxon stood outside the vestibule next to Brea, holding her books. He laughed and talked as casually as if they’d known each other their whole lives. Brea looked like she was about to be sick. She cast back and forth
“Get the glue,” she said, holding the sink’s edge for balance.
A piece of broken coffee cup crushed under Adam’s boot as he walked across to the counter. He picked up the largest pieces and threw them in the trash. “Be careful where you step. There’s broken coffee cup all over the place, and it looks like the microwave clock finally died.”
She looked over her shoulder at the clock frozen at 2:34 AM. “It was the power outage. I think that must’ve been when I dropped the mug.” Details she couldn’t make sense of, things she wouldn’t admit to, came back to her piecemeal.
“What power outage?” He unscrewed the top off the tube and patted her arm dry, closing the cuts one by one.
“Right before you came home. The TV went off, then the light—”
“I don’t think so. Everyone else’s lights were on when I pulled in and besides, everything would’ve gone off at the same time, not in sequence.”
“No, I’m sure of it. I came out in the kitchen to get a flashlight, which is when I dropped the mug.”
“I thought you were sleeping?”
“I was—I mean, I think I was.” The more she tried to explain things, the less they made sense.
“And if the power went out, the clock would’ve reset.” He unplugged the microwave, counted to thirty, and plugged it back in, hitting the side when the clock didn’t immediately light up. “See,” the clock flashed 12:00, “like that.”
“Then I must’ve been sleeping, right?” Harmony blew on her arm and patted the shiny streaks to see that they were dry. Her skin felt tight, but the glue helped with the pain. “Things just aren’t adding up the way I remember them.” She took a couple of aspirins and wrapped a roll of white gauze around her forearm to keep the glue from cracking.
“If that’s true, we have a new wrinkle.” He swept the kitchen floor, his gaze distant.
Whether it was paranoia or not, she imagined he was thinking about taking her back to Spring View.
“It’ll be fine. I won’t take the pills again. I shouldn’t have taken them in the first place.” She knelt to hold the dust pan. “It was an accident.” She set her hand on his thigh.
“An accident, huh?” He dumped the crumbs and rinsed off the knife. “I’ll be right back.” He tucked the butcher block under his arm.
“Where are you going?”
He picked up his car keys. “To make sure there aren’t any more accidents .”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Adam pulled into the high school’s senior lot and parked in a space marked “Visitor”.
“What, you don’t feel like braving the bus loop today?” Harmony was doing her best to keep things light.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Do what? Go to school? Not really, but I don’t have a whole lot of options. I’m three absences away from not graduating, four tops. I’ll be fine.” She leaned across the seat and kissed him. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll be with Brea and I have my phone so I can call if I need you. I know you’ll be right here.”
“Always,” he said, tracing his hand along her fingers. “I’ll pick you up at 2:00.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Harmony opened the truck door, noticing the gossip seemed louder than usual.
“Seriously, Jaxon’s lost his mind.”
“I know, right? I mean, Brea Miller. What a freak.”
“What’s wrong?” Adam said.
“Nothing. I’ll see you at two.” She hopped down and headed across the lot.
“I love you,” Adam shouted through the partially open window.
It was something she had never said. To anyone. She lifted her backpack strap onto her shoulder and pretended not to hear him.
The main entrance came into view and she saw what all the fuss was about.
“What the hell?”
Jaxon stood outside the vestibule next to Brea, holding her books. He laughed and talked as casually as if they’d known each other their whole lives. Brea looked like she was about to be sick. She cast back and forth
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