Page 51 of Little Twisted Things

“You poor thing. Don’t worry about the gallery today. Take the day off and rest. Maybe go get your neck checked out.”

“I think I’ll do that. Thanks, Tess. I’ll talk to you later.” I ended the call.

Grabbing my purse and keys, I climbed into the car, rolled down all the windows, and blasted some music. Another text came through from Alex as I was driving.

Are you okay? You didn’t respond.

Sighing, I replied.

I’m fine, Alex. At work. Can’t talk.

I tossed my phone into my purse.

I parked on Duval Street and climbed out of my car. The island buzzed with life. People were walking up and down the streets. Music could be heard everywhere you turned. The warm, salty air, with a hint of jasmine, filled my senses.

I wandered into a tiny bookstore and looked around. Then I stepped into a sweets shop and sampled homemade fudge. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted, so I bought some. As I wandered down the street, a jewelry shop caught my eye. I stepped inside and walked over to a display of bracelets made of pale blue sea glass. They were beautiful. I bought one and slipped it on my wrist.

Glancing at my watch, it was twelve-thirty. I sat outside a café with a Cuban sandwich, chips, and an iced tea, watching people pass by. After refueling, I entered a cute little boutique and bought some new clothes. I carried the bags to the car and tossed them into the backseat. As I opened the driver’s door, I stared at my reflection. Dahlia would wonder where all the new stuff came from.

Dahlia was about to make a mistake. This time, she was the victim of a cheater, which fueled her anger and pain. Her first reaction was to get rid of Alex quickly. And if we’d let her stay in control, she’d make a choice that would imprison every one of us. So we did the only thing we could. We let her sleep. But it wouldn’t be too long before she woke up and took control.

When I arrived back at the house, I took my shopping bags upstairs. There was a knock at the door. Shit. I took my wig off, popped out my contacts, and ran my hands through my hair. Racing down the stairs, I opened the door, and Alex stood there, holding a bouquet of beautiful red roses.

“Hi.” He smiled.

“For me?” I grinned.

“Always for you.” He handed me the bouquet and stepped inside.

“They’re beautiful. I love them.” I hugged him. “I bought some fudge today. Would you like some?”

“Fudge?” His brows furrowed. “Didn’t you work today?”

“Uh, yeah. I bought some on my lunch hour.”

“I’m not a fan of fudge. I thought I told you that before.”

I shrugged. “Maybe you did, and I forgot. Did you eat yet? Let’s order dinner.” I bounced into the kitchen, opening the drawers, looking for the takeout menus.

“You’re in a fantastic mood.” Alex smiled.

“Because life is beautiful.” I grinned. I found a Thai menu. “How about Thai?”

“Thai sounds good,” he said. “Your usual?”

“Uh, I think I’ll go with the Pad Prik with shrimp.”

“Really? I thought you didn’t like that.”

“You thought wrong, mister. I love it.”

“Okay.” He pulled out his phone and placed the order.

My phone rang. When I glanced at it, Tess was calling. I hit the decline button and let it go to voicemail.

When our food arrived, I took down a couple of plates, grabbed some silverware, and took the containers into the living room.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked.