Nadia took a deep breath and heaved open the door to the study. It had been two days since the second body showed up in the marina and she had finally made good on her plans to start clearing out her grandmother's things. She had gone through two closets and boxed up everything that would need to go to town for donation. The boxes were now sitting on the porch, waiting for her to load them into her car.
Unfortunately, Nadia was still building up the courage to go into town and face the accusations again.
At least she hadn't been sleepwalking, waking up with no sand or dirt on her body. But that didn't mean she was sleeping better, each night bringing more and more dreams about Remy. Or the ocean. Which was... weird.
She had spent most of today napping as it was, but Nadia figured even if it was nearly dinner time, she could start going through the study. There were sure to be a lot of things that needed to be donated.
She stopped in the doorway and flipped on the light, slowly taking in the room. It was void of dust, telling her that Chloe must have cleaned up this room along with the rest of the house before Nadia arrived.
The back wall was filled with large windows with a big oak desk positioned in front of them, giving whoever worked there the perfect view out over the ocean. Windows also lined the wall adjacent to it with a low bookshelf underneath full of books of varying sizes and colors. The one common denominator was that they looked old. Another large bookshelf - also full of books - lined the wall that ran to the door. The wall to her left had a few old filing cabinets.
There were also photos on the walls, the desk and lining the top of the low bookshelf, all of them featuring her grandmother, mother, and her grandfather.
Nadia took a step into the room, a sort of reverence coming over her. She was afraid to touch anything, noting that this room had been kept pristine. Walking over to the desk, she looked over it, finding it organized, though the items were obviously dated. Reaching down, she picked up a worn day planner and flipped through it, finding it full of appointments and recipes. Placing it down, she walked over to the tall bookshelf opposite the desk, looking over the titles of the books.
Most of them appeared to be folklore based on the titles. They had names like "Stories of the Sea Folk" and "Shifters of North America."
"Interesting," Nadia murmured before turning and walking back to the desk.
Maybe she would keep the books. If anything, they looked like they could be great reading material. And they were all obviously old. Maybe the town library could use them? And well, she was a bit surprised to find that her grandparents had been fans of folklore. Or maybe it wasn't that strange.
She didn't know anything about her grandparents.
Pulling out the large leather chair, Nadia sat down in it and looked around the desk, trying to decide on which drawer to start with first. She ended up opening the top drawer on her right, finding folders, pens, and the usual things that filled desk drawers. Pulling the top yellowed file folder out, she placed it on the desk and opened it.
Her heart nearly stopped.
She immediately recognized her mother's handwriting.
Nadia quickly flipped through the folder, finding there were several in there. All were short and worded in a strange, vague way. They were also not signed and contained instructions to burn them, which her grandmother had obviously not followed.
Her mother had been writing to her grandmother all these years. And while they never said her name, Nadia could tell they were about her. Mostly how she was doing at school. That she liked writing. Putting the letters aside, Nadia froze when she came to the papers at the back, her eyes widening and filling with tears as one hand came up to her mouth.
It was the newspapers she had made as a child.
The papers were worn, as though they had been held and read often. Cautiously, she reached out and lightly brushed her fingers over them. She had used photos from whatever magazines or catalogs she had found lying around, trying to rip them out carefully since they never seemed to have a pair of scissors around. Her childish scrawl and uneven letters told stories about the dog that lived on the corner and her teacher that she didn't like in the second grade.
Nadia rapidly blinked her eyes, looking up at the windows.
Her mother had written to her grandmother all these years. Updated her about Nadia's life, though her letters were almost written in code. But yet, she hadn't told her about her grandmother. She hadn't told her anything.
What did any of this mean?
"Yo! Nadia! Get your ass down here!"
Nadia jumped, Chloe's voice yanking her out of her thoughts. She quickly jumped up from the chair and ran over to the door, not wanting Chloe to know what she had found for some reason. She quickly flipped off the light, shut the door behind her, and rushed down the stairs.
"Do I need to take your key back?" Nadia asked, quickly erasing any remnant of what she had found upstairs from her face.
She came to a stop, finding Chloe unusually dressed up in a style that was a far cry from her usual sturdy boots, jeans, and t-shirts paired with chunky cardigans. The cafe owner wore tight black leather pants, matched with a cropped KISS t-shirt and motorcycle jacket. Her dark hair was down in sleek waves.
Chloe looked badass. The question was: Why?
"What's going on?" Nadia asked, taking a step back from her.
Chloe's ruby red lips spread into a wicked grin.
"I'm kidnapping you. You've been shut up in this cabin for two days and I intend to get you out for a night of fun," Chloe declared. She then crossed her arms in front of her, looking Nadia up and down. "But not like that. You got something cute?"
"Uh, no. I'm not going out," Nadia said. "Have you forgotten that the town hates me?"
Chloe rolled her eyes dramatically as she huffed.
"They don't hate you. They just don't know you. Which is why I'm taking you out. It's a win-win. You get to blow off some steam and they get to see that you're just like us," Chloe said. "Now seriously, tell me you brought some going-out shit, otherwise I'm dragging you to my house. I think I've got some things that'll fit you."
Nadia laughed haggardly, shaking her head. Chloe was crazy. That sounded like a horrible idea. And she didn't even think there was anywhere around here to go out to.
"No," she said again, her thoughts going to the study upstairs.
All she wanted to do tonight was open another bottle of wine and take her time going through the study. She had a feeling there was a lot more in there for her to discover.
Chloe raised an eyebrow at her and then stomped up to Nadia. She didn't stop walking as she grabbed her arm and yanked her along.
"Hey!" Nadia shouted, finding the slim woman was surprisingly strong.
"Not gonna work. You're going out if I have to tie you to a chair to get you ready and drag you to the bar myself," Chloe stated.
Nadia gulped, not for a second doubting her words.
Looked like she was going out.
Nadia stood nervously just inside the entry to the loud, busy tavern called Marge's that was on the outskirts of the other side of town.
In normal circumstances, it would be just her sort of place. Blues music filled the air, punctuated by laughter and shouted conversations. There was no real theme with the decor - just a bunch of random band posters and memorabilia up on the walls. A few people were dancing in front of a stage where bands likely performed, while others congregated around the bar, tables, or the pool tables at the back. It even had an old jukebox in the corner.
However, even though the smoky haze, Nadia could see the looks aimed her way from more than a few people. Oh God, this was bad. She shouldn't have let Chloe talk her into this. Nadia started to turn back around to leave, even though Chloe had driven them here.
"Hey, it'll be fine," Chloe said, grabbing her and turning her back around. "You're here to show them that you're a badass and strong. And completely innocent. Running will make them think you're not."
Chloe's words hit her in the right spot. Nadia had already run away from too many of her problems. Maybe it was time to face this one. She was going to have to face the town at some point anyway.
Buoyed by Chloe's words and the never-ending pep talk she had given Nadia while getting her ready strengthened her resolve.
"Right. Okay. Yes. I'm a badass," she said, giving a short nod.
Even if she didn't feel much like one lately, maybe this is all she needed to reconnect with her previous badassery.
Chloe snorted as she grinned and led Nadia over to the bar. She held her chin up slightly, meeting the eyes of anyone who was glaring at her, almost daring them to say something to her face. A few seemed a bit shocked and quickly looked away. Some even looked a little worried.
Good.
By the time Nadia leaned on the bar next to Chloe, there were two shots waiting. Nadia narrowed her eyes, frowning at a grinning Chloe.
"Drink up, Buttercup," Chloe said, nodding towards the shot. "You'll feel better."
Nadia rolled her eyes, grumbling under her breath that all this would do is guarantee she had another horrible hangover, but still reached for the shot and downed it. Wincing at the burn, she glanced around the bar again.
"Stop," Chloe ordered.
Nadia's gaze sliced over to her, finding a stern look on her face.
"We're going to have fun tonight and you are going to forget about all the idiots in this town," she continued.
Chloe then turned to the bartender and ordered two more shots.
"Chloe, I don't think-"
"Uh-uh. No thinking tonight. Just doing. Now take this shot and fucking loosen up," Chloe barked.
Nadia jumped slightly, her eyes wide at the authority in Chloe's voice. Without thinking, she found herself reaching for the glass as soon as the bartender filled it and drinking the shot.
Chloe started laughing and whooping as she took her own shot, then wrapped her arm around Nadia's shoulder and pulled her closer.
"We're going to have so much fun!" she shouted over the music.
"Yea... I hope so..."
A few hours, too many shots, and a certain amount of beers later, Nadia tossed her head back as she twirled around on the dance floor with Chloe to "Mustang Sally," swinging her hips around in a way that she would normally be embarrassed of had she had less alcohol.
She had changed her mind. A night out was exactly what she needed. A night out with drinking and dancing.
While it had taken a large amount of prodding on Chloe's part, Nadia was feeling much better. And she was convinced that all the dark looks must have been in her head, because people were now being super nice. Especially the bartender. He kept giving them free alcohol and that made him top notch in her book.
Fred. No, was it Carl? That wasn't right. It had to be Charles. No...
"CHARLIE! We need another round of beers!" Chloe shouted out, her hand up in the air.
Ah, yes. That was it. Charlie. Nadia turned and grinned at him, catching the big burly man shake his head slowly, a smirk on his face.
"You sure about that? Newbie there looks like she's about to drop," he shouted back.
"I'm absolutely fine!" Nadia shouted with a giggle.
Okay, maybe not absolutely if she was giggling. But she had a good buzz going on and wasn't about to let it stop. If only the entire town would get a good buzz and stop giving her nasty looks. At least the people in the bar seemed to have lightened up. Some were even laughing and dancing with them. Joining in on shots.
Chloe was totally right. Nadia just needed a night out. This was actually working.
In fact, Nadia was now convinced that nothing strange was going on with her at all. Sure, she might be sleepwalking and having weird dreams, but that certainly didn't mean she was murdering people. That was ridiculous.
"Come on, my feet hurt," Chloe said, dragging Nadia back to the bar.
The two collapsed on some stools just as Charlie placed two bottles of beer on the bar. Nadia reached for hers and took a long drink, relishing the crisp taste.
"Easy there, Killer," Charlie warned.
"I'm a grown ass woman. I'm fine," Nadia stated.
Charlie snorted and shot an amused look at Chloe.
"Hey, if she said she's fine, I believe her," she replied with a shrug. She then turned towards Nadia, placing her beer down. "So. Now that you're all liquored up, how are you feeling? For real?"
Nadia rolled her eyes and took another drag of her beer. She had been feeling good and Chloe was going to bring her down. It was then that she looked around the bar again. More than a few furtive glances were shot her way. People tilted their heads together, lips moving as their eyes bored into her.
Okay, maybe she had been wrong. People in Fisher's Bay still hated her.
"Might as well join the club," she muttered before taking another drink.
"Join what club?"
Nadia looked over at Chloe, her eyes wide. She must be tipsier than she thought. She hadn't meant to say that loud enough for Chloe to hear. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Just... I don't know, Chloe. Maybe it's not worth trying. They obviously hate me," she said, motioning around the bar.
"They just... don't let them bother you. I mean, it's impossible that you could be behind this," Chloe insisted. "Fuck, I've already told everyone I know that I was with you the night fo the storm. You've got a solid alibi. Which Tate knows. For all the hell I give him, he is a good sheriff. And he definitely doesn't think you have anything to do with it."
Nadia slowly took another drink of her beer, her insides warming up at the fact that Chloe was standing up for her. And that Tate didn't think she did anything wrong. However, she also knew that regardless of what Chloe said, she had - at some point - gone outside and had no memory of it.
But... if Chloe was defending her...
"Chloe... did we... go outside the night of the storm?" she asked, putting her beer down.
Chloe's brow furrowed, obviously confused.
"No. I mean, gods, it was storming like crazy until the early hours of the morning. If you had tried, I definitely would have stopped you. But we drank until the electricity went out and then I put you in bed," she said. "I crashed on the couch, but I'm pretty sure I would have woken up if you got up or anything. I'm a pretty light sleeper."
Nadia nodded slowly, taking in the information as best she could with all the liquor in her system. She must have gone out after Chloe left. Which made her feel mildly better. It at least meant that it was unlikely she had killed the fisherman. Or, well, she assumed so.
Wait, she didn't even know when he had been killed. Her stomach began churning. Crap.
"Is something wrong?" Chloe asked, leaning closer to her.
Nadia forced a smile as she reached for her beer, shaking her head.
"I'm fine," she said. "It's nothing."
She suddenly wished that there was something to distract her from the current turmoil in her life. Something that would derail this entire conversation so she wouldn't have to have it with Chloe.
As if Fate, the gods or whoever heard her prayer, the music changed suddenly and Nadia turned her head towards the jukebox, vaguely recognizing the song. The name escaped her for the moment, but it was decidedly different from the old blues music that had been on prior. Much newer with a breathy singer claiming to be rarer than the diamonds she was wearing. The heavy beat pulsed through her, hitting her with a jolt that traveled quickly through her veins and straight into her core.
It was dark and dirty. And for some reason, Nadia had to move. Dance.
She didn't understand it, but it must be because she was drunk.
"Come on. I thought tonight was about letting loose!" she shouted, reaching for Chloe as she put her beer down on the bar and got up.
Fake it til you make it. It had always worked before. Maybe if Nadia forced herself to have fun, she would finally feel like she was having fun. Or at least again. She had been having fun earlier. She just needed to get back to that.
Chloe gave her a strange look, but followed her back to the dance floor. Nadia let go of her hand and started dancing, moving slowly with the music, a sultry smirk gracing her face.
All her worries and fears melted away as she began to swing her hips in time with the music, her hands gliding up and down her body, feeling every curve. She was vaguely aware of a few whistles and hoots sounding off around her, but paid no heed. God, it had been such a long time since she had gone out dancing. Nadia had nearly forgotten what it felt like to work out her stress like this.
It was almost as good as sex, but it wasn't as though she was getting any action while she was in Fisher's Bay.
The bar got hotter and Nadia could feel sweat forming on her brow. A tingling zipped through her body as everything faded away except for the music. Sure it wasn't some crowded club in Boston, but it would do. The tension in her body schlepped off and Nadia felt free in a way that she hadn't felt in a really long time.
Damnit, Chloe was right.
The tingles in her body continued to increase and grow until they hit a near fever pitch. Nadia closed her eyes as she continued dancing, her fingertips brushing along the bottom hem of her tank top. It really was getting hot. She had the sudden urge to pull her shirt off, but retained enough common sense to remember that she was in a public place.
Large hands rested on her hips and pulled her back, forcing her eyes to fly open as the tingles erupted into an inferno at the contact. Without thinking, Nadia arched her back and grinded into the hard body behind her, hearing a low growl in her ear that sparked up a pulsing in her core.
"Fuck," an all too familiar voice hissed.
Nadia smirked as she continued moving, now grinding up against Remy. She hadn't turned around, but she knew it was him. His grip on her hips tightened as he pulled her closer, his nose trailing down her neck and causing shivers to break out across her skin.
She spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck, excitement pulsing through her as she met his eyes. She swore they were more gold than hazel this close, and absolutely burning. For her.
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the music, but Nadia didn't give a damn. She just wanted more.
"Didn't take you for a dancer," she murmured, a small smile on her lips.
"Sweetheart, I'll be just about anything if it means you're in my arms," he replied, the sound of his voice stoking the flames inside her.
Nadia bit her lower lip as her fingers traced up the back of his neck and then played with his hair. Remy closed his eyes, quickly pulling in a deep breath through his nose. When he opened his eyes, there was no doubt they flashed gold. But Nadia didn't notice so much as the overwhelming desire to pull Remy into a bathroom and have her way with him came over her.
"Uh... guys..."
"Go away," Remy ordered, his eyes never leaving Nadia's.
"Seriously, Rem-"
"We're fine," Nadia choked out, not even realizing that they had stopped moving.
All she could focus on were the flames coursing through her veins and the fact that she could feel just how much Remy wanted her. Fuck, why was it so hot? Why was she wearing so many clothes? Did they need to go somewhere? She wasn't an exhibitionist, but for some reason she felt she wouldn't mind so much if he threw her on the pool table right now and ripped off her clothes.
Just so long as it ended up with Remy thrusting deep inside her and quenching the now nearly insatiable desire coursing through her.
Nadia reached up, gently running her fingers down his cheek and nearly moaning at the feel of his course stubble under her fingertips. She felt his hands tighten yet again, then move lower. He bent down, burying his nose in her neck and inhaling deeply.
"Fuck, you smell so good," he groaned and Nadia nearly gasped.
They hadn't even done anything and already she felt like she was on the cusp of climaxing.
And God, this was so much better than her dreams. Had she somehow manifested this? Nadia didn't believe in that woo-hoo shit, but she just might after tonight.
"Remy," she breathed.
He growled again, his hold tightening as he raised his head, a nearly feral look on his face as he yanked her against him, grinding his very hard member against her. Nadia grasped his shoulders, feeling her knees start to give out.
"Oh my God," she moaned.
"I'm fucking serious! STOP!"
Remy ripped his eyes away from her, looking at someone over her shoulder. She turned to see what was going on, but a sudden rush of dizziness came over her. Nadia stumbled as she brought her hand up to her head, blinking rapidly.
Holy shit, she had drunk way too much.
"What the-"
"Guys," Nadia slurred, holding onto Remy as she tried to regain her balance. "I don't feel so good."
"Nadia?"
She raised her head and looked up, seeing Remy looking back down at her, his hazel eyes full of worry.
"What's wrong?" he asked, tightening his hold on her.
"I... I don't..."
For the second time that week, Nadia's eyes rolled into the back of her head and everything went black.
Author's Note: We're back with another chapter! Something about Mondays, sheesh. I keep forgetting to post. But I remembered today and I'll try to post on Friday to make up for missing Monday.
Thanks for reading!