They Came With Secrets

6|Rosewood

I'm convinced Bill Finnegan is Ace's dad. It can't be a coincidence— the looks, the fact that they share a last name. But he was last seen in an estate in the next town: Rosewood. It's a brisk place and I don't know my way around. So I need someone to tag along with me.

Gaia is currently the only person that speaks to me and she lives next door so it's easy access. The problem is I barely know her, so asking her to follow me into another town might be much. I lift my hand to knock on the door but hesitate once again. Maybe I should just go on my own.

Suddenly the door swings open and she appears, holding a watering can. Her face is covered in some weird black face scrub and her hair is in a state of chaos.

"Uh-"

"What are you doing here?" she asks, placing her hand on her hip.

"Uhh I could use a favor from you," I chuckle, rubbing my nape. She narrows her eyes at me. "What kind of favor?"

"So there's something I have to check out in Rosewood... could you follow me? That's if you know your way around..."

"Yeah I go there to play poker every night," she replies. Poker? Is she some kind of gangster? "Great! So what do you say?" I beam.

"I'll follow you... under one condition." Conditions are never good. "What's that?"

"Afterwards we stop for some shots of alcohol." What? Alcohol? I can't take alcohol, my body is a temple.

"Alcohol... is a bit extreme," I reply. "Can't we do something else? Like, check out the library? Think about it... activating your imagination when you dive into that great book."

"Don't play with me, girl."

"Okay, fine I'll... drink," I shudder.

"Excellent... you can wait in the living room while I shower," she offers and takes a step aside. "Why are you holding a watering can?" I ask.

"I don't know it's fun," she smiles. "Here try it." She hands it to me. Confused, I take it from her not seeing what's so thrilling but at least she agreed to follow me.

"So wait here... I'll be back in a sec," she tells me and hastily mounts the stairway. I put the watering can down and take a good look at her living room. It's bathed in natural light, featuring large windows adorned with flowing sheer curtains gently swaying with the breeze. The counterpiece of the room is a plush cream-colored sofa. A hand crafted, wooden coffee table sits in front of it, adorned with a vase of fresh flowers. I go to sit on the couch, sinking into it.

I spot her family photo on the coffee table and pick it up to get a closer look. I don't how but I quickly recognized Gaia in the middle of her sisters although they all look very alike. This is a younger version of her, probably 12 or 13– couldn't be anything past that. I can't help but smile at the endearing grin plastered on her face, showcasing the wide gap where her two front teeth were supposed to fill.

"Hello, Cassi."

I turn my head, shocked to see one of her sisters waving at me with a warm smile. I notice she's dressed in a nurse's uniform, carrying a leather handbag. "Nice seeing you," she says.

"Uh, yeah," I mutter, waving back in confusion. "Tell Gaia I left for work," she states before leaving the house. It's crazy how she said that like we've known each other for a long time.

I put the picture frame down and slump back, picking up my phone. It begins to ring and my mum's name pops up on the screen. How do I still have her number? I turn off my phone. Nope, I'm not gonna talk to her. Then I get a notification.