Anew

28

It was completely dark by the time Scarlet entered her house. Laura was watching TV in her work clothes, a pair of high heels kicked off beside the living room couch.

“Where’ve you been?” she asked with a smile.

Laura had no idea Scarlet’s whole life had just changed. She had no idea the girl standing before her was semi-immortal and probably going to drop dead at any second.

“I was at Gabriel’s house,” Scarlet said, because it was true and void of all details. The last thing Scarlet wanted to do was chit-chat about curses and immortality with Laura.

She would probably make Scarlet go to therapy. Or worse—put her into the foster system.

The idea shot icy panic through Scarlet.

If Laura thought Scarlet was crazy, she’d might want to renounce her custody and hand Scarlet over to the state.

And who knows what would happen to her then?

No, Scarlet thought. I definitely can’t tell Laura the truth.

Not yet, anyway.

“At Gabriel’s?” Laura smiled. “Did you meet his family?”

Scarlet nodded slowly. “Yes. He has a brother.”

A secret brother.

“Really?” Laura said, her voice raising in pitch slightly.

Scarlet kept nodding. “A twin brother.”

Scarlet thought for a moment.

Why had Gabriel kept Tristan a secret?

Yet another unanswered question.

Laura furrowed her brow. “You didn’t know about his twin? That’s weird.”

“Yeah, I don’t know. Gabriel’s really secretive about his family or something.” Scarlet needed to stop talking before she spilled her guts and Laura had her committed to an insane asylum.

Laura eyed her closely. “You look…tired. Are you okay?”

“Yeah….” Her voice sounded far away. “I just need to get some sleep.” Scarlet blinked and made her way upstairs.

“Good night,” Laura called after her.

Scarlet climbed until she reached her bedroom and collapsed on her large bed, hoping her life would be less crazy and confusing in the morning.

She closed her eyes, but sleep didn’t come.

Tears did.