Isolated

Chapter 83

Chapter 83

For every mental bitch slap in my life, each was more shocking than the last. There were a lot of those moments. Guys... I cannot stress this enough: this took the fucking cake.

Usually, my brain will scramble in panic, trying to fathom whatever shocking news I'm given. But this just blanked me. Like a bomb that shattered any line of thought. My mind was reduced to nothing but a sponge. It could absorb, but not react. All I could do was stare at her.

She stared back, a perfectly sculpted brow raising in amusement. As if waiting for me to respond, but I didn't. She finally unfolded her arms and snapped a finger in front of my face. "You okay in there?"

No reaction from me. Just... a sponge.

She scoffed. "I expected a bigger reaction. Then again, for all I know, my family never told you about me."

Finally, after a few seconds, my chest started to quiver. I made a teepee with my hands over my mouth and nose. "Jesus fucking Christ. Jesus fuck...." I suppressed the tears that rose to my eyes. That sponge in my head ran dry; she wasn't saying anything. It kicked my brain into gear. She needed to say something. Because all I had was what I knew of Hailey Prenta up until this point. And what I knew... required answers now.

She was the youngest of Jan and Mike's four kids. Shannon, Francis, and Luke's younger sister. She was kidnapped on the way to school. Taken. Luke blamed himself. Because while he was walking with his little sister, he eventually went his own way because he went to a different school that year, leaving her to walk by herself. That was the last time he saw her. She never made it to school and was never seen since. Presumed to be kidnapped. It's a moment that scarred the Prenta family, especially Luke, ever since she's been gone. And fuck, Hailey has been gone for 20-some years now. Luke carried unbearable amounts of guilt for it this whole time. Still does and always will.

I never considered the possibility of Hailey being connected to this shit-show, but it made sense. It made complete sense. Later, I would unfortunately learn a few other things that made sense too.

She shifted her weight and spoke with more amusement. "So you've heard of me?"

"How are you here? Alive? You.... You," I shook my head, inhaling sharply. Taking a step back, staring at her with new eyes... Fuck, this whole time I was here, this was Hailey. My damn hairdresser! It was almost a relief in a sense, seeing that she wasn't like the others here. She worked here. Then again, that was even scarier in a way. "Your family tried so hard. Luke was never the same. He told me everything that happened, and they tried looking for you for so long and they never found you, but they love you. Every year, for your birthday, they get together—" My rambling voice broke. Eyes watered more. Spinning around, I raised my hands on top of my head.

"Told you everything huh? Family is a whole other story. Anyway, yes. I'm here and it's really me. Don't wreck your hair," she said, dragging my arms back to my sides from behind me.

How could this be real? Happening? What are the chances of meeting like this? Too slim. Wait.

I spun back to her. "It's no coincidence that you're my hairdresser, is it?"

"If this were a coincidence, pigs would fly, and I wouldn't know Cle' de Peau Beaute' from Cover Girl." Sighing, she stood taller and pursed her lips. "Reid bought me back from the owner he originally sold me to over ten years ago. Then he assigned me to be your hairdresser once you arrived here."

Of course he did. My god. He wanted this to happen, for us to meet. She was brought back here just to meet me! For me to figure out who she was. It was all mind games. All entertainment to them. No doubt they would see this on camera and get a kick out of it. But my god, it was worth it. I found her. I fucking found her, she's alive, she's here!