by Wendy Hudson
It was all over.
She knew that now.
Eilidh had won.
Night fell around her as a multitude of options circled her mind. She could run back to Norway. Or another country entirely? Maybe Darcy wouldn’t call the police. Would stand up to Eilidh and allow her to leave.
The thought of never seeing Darcy again tore in to her gut.
What was the alternative? Stick around and hope that Darcy was able to continue as normal and forget all of it had happened? She laughed out loud into the damp air. There was no fucking way that was happening. At least not with Eilidh still around, whispering in Darcy’s ear, driving her and Anja further apart.
She could stay in Inverness, quit her job, and keep some distance. Allow Darcy time to process it all, time to calm down, get over the initial anger and maybe see how Anja had been led down such a dirty path. Anja would agree to get help, to talk to a professional, to show Darcy that the side she loved was real. It existed. It hadn’t all been a lie.
No matter what route she considered, one person was always a clear obstacle. The reason she was sitting cold and wet in the goddamn muddy woods on the outside, while that someone lay warm and cosy in Darcy’s arms.
Eilidh.
Her smug face as Anja had left the cabin taunted her. She knew she had won. Had stolen Darcy from under Anja’s nose without a second thought. The only thing Anja had left in the world now belonged to Eilidh, and it made no sense.
Why would Darcy pick her over me?
Even before Darcy had known the whole story, the stalking, the family shit, the lies—disregard all that and she had still fallen for Eilidh over Anja.
So what if she didn’t call the police? So what if Anja stuck around? So what if Darcy eventually forgave her?
Anja would never have Darcy back.
Not as a friend.
Not as anything more.
Their world would never be the same, and Eilidh would always be a fucking part of it.
What did they say? It was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Could that be right? Was losing Darcy the only way for Anja to move on?
If she walked away, she would always know Darcy was out there.
With Eilidh.
Fucking Eilidh.
She’d ruined it all. Why the hell should she get to live out Anja’s dream? Why did they get to be happy together? While Anja continued to suffer and tear herself apart over everything that had been done to her because of the choices others had made.
The rage she had tempered down as her love for Darcy had grown wrapped its ice-cold fingers around her heart once again. Her mother’s voice chided her still.
Don’t let them get away with it.
Time to finish what you started.
Chapter 54
The smoke cloyed in Darcy’s throat, and she clawed at it, gasping for one clear breath. The blood coated her eyes and nostrils, as suffocating as the smoke. She tried to hold her breath a moment, to give herself time to figure out how to get out of the car, how to make her limbs work again.
Then someone was shaking her, calling her name. It was the voice. Her saviour.
“Darcy, wake up.”
Her body shook again, and she tried to drag her eyelids open. Wake up? Was the accident only a terrible dream?
“Darcy,” the voice shouted close to her again, and she felt her body being lifted upright.
She thought her eyes were open, but her vision was blurred; it stung. The smoke still sucked life from her lungs, and she coughed, bending double as it scorched her throat.
“What the fuck?”
“Quick. We need to get out of here, Darcy. The cabin’s on fire.”
It wasn’t a dream. Darcy was wide awake as Eilidh’s words hit her.
She scanned around, disoriented, and then remembered the sofa underneath. They were in the living room, had fallen asleep on it. “Eilidh, what’s happening?”
Eilidh held her sleeve over her mouth and tugged at Darcy’s for her to do the same. “I’ve no idea. All I know is we have to get out of here.”
The smoke came at them in all directions; flames licked high at the door and front and side windows, the wood providing eager kindling. “The back bedroom,” she shouted through heaving coughs. “The porch drops off to the burn. We can lower ourselves down to it.”
Eilidh nodded and gripped her hand. “Stay close. Don’t let go.”
Darcy clung on, willing her bad leg to keep Eilidh’s pace as she charged for the corridor that led to the bedrooms. The smoke dissipated a little but still hung heavy. Eilidh let go of her hand and tentatively tapped the door handle, feeling for heat. She nodded that it was safe, and they jumped back as she swung the door open. Blackness billowed from the room, and Darcy immediately caught sight of the flames rising outside the window.
Eilidh tugged her to it and cracked it open. They both pressed their mouths to the gap, but there was no relief to be found. “It’s the porch that’s on fire. We’re surrounded.”
They both ducked under the windowsill, close to the floor. Darcy was nearing panic; she felt it rise with every parched and painful breath. “It’s too dangerous to try and jump it from here. The drop is too high.”
Eilidh held her close, eyes screwed against the smoke. Darcy knew she was searching for an answer and wracked her brains for one of her own.
“The front door. It opens outwards, right?”
Darcy nodded. “We could make a run for it? The steps are right in front of the door.”
Eilidh grabbed her hand and yanked her back towards the hallway. Her leg gave way and she stumbled, losing her grip on Eilidh. Strong arms hooked under hers and lifted her upright again before Eilidh tucked her head under one of Darcy’s arms and offered more support. At the bathroom door, she repeated the same procedure as before, and they burst through into another room smouldering in flames. “Stand there.”
Eilidh left her propped up against the tile while she saturated towels in water. She draped one around each of their shoulders before doing the same with two more. She lifted Darcy’s arm again and retook her previous position. “Are your crutches by the front door?”
“Aye. But I’ll be fine without them.”
Eilidh started them back down the hallway into the living space, keeping them as low as possible. The front wall was blackening, and shards of glass lay scattered where the window had popped. The blaze rose within, reaching for the ceiling, the curtains, for anything that would feed its insatiable appetite.
She watched as Eilidh grabbed a crutch and angled it to push down the door handle from a distance. The door swung open, and flames immediately filled the space. She returned to Darcy and tented the towels over their heads. “When I say run, we go together. Block the pain, Darcy. Make that leg move. Get through the door and don’t stop. Keep your face covered as much as you can.”
Darcy squeezed her arm around Eilidh’s waist and held her gaze a moment. “We can do this.”
“Ready?” Eilidh set herself, taking much of Darcy’s weight. “Run.”
Darcy half-ran and was half-dragged, but she didn’t stop. Pain tore up through her leg, and her lungs cried out as Eilidh led with her shoulder and they burst through the front door. The steps were invisible and came upon them fast. They crumpled together as gravity took them, a mass of limbs falling through the heat and acrid stench.
She heard Eilidh cry out before they landed with a heavy thud. Darcy gulped at the air, searching for relief. She felt around for Eilidh and found her lying nearby, eyes closed and still.
Darcy’s leg protested as she shuffled across the ground, but concern for Eilidh pushed her through. “Eilidh, can you hear me?” She shook her shoulders and tapped lightly on her face. A groan came from her and then she was coughing, her eyes still closed as she heaved mighty breaths whi
lst clutching at Darcy’s arms.
“It’s okay. We’re okay.”
“My ankle.” Eilidh choked out.
“Is it broke?” Darcy was afraid to look but forced herself. It seemed to be in the correct position, but that didn’t mean damage hadn’t been done.
“I’m not sure. Help me up.”
Between Darcy’s leg and Eilidh’s ankle, they struggled but eventually made it upright. Darcy clung on to her, as she surveyed the blazing mass that had been her cabin. The night was broken by pops and crackles, as more windows gave way to the inferno and all Darcy’s earthly belongings were consumed. It was oddly mesmerising, and despite the tears that streaked her face, Darcy couldn’t look away.
“I’m so sorry, Darcy.” Eilidh tucked her face in to Darcy’s neck and drew her close. “I’m so sorry.”
A wild scream cut through the moment of grief as Anja streaked from the depths of the woods, a log held high in her hands. It came down before either had a moment to grasp what was happening, crashing against Eilidh’s arm as she raised it to protect them both.
Darcy fell to the ground as Anja raised her arm again, swinging the makeshift mallet against Eilidh’s body.
From the ground, Darcy reached out and clutched Anja’s legs, redirecting her attention from Eilidh. But Anja fought against it, and the blows continued to rain. Anja sat on top of Eilidh, the log discarded; she continued the assault with her fists.
Eilidh had stopped defending herself, her eyes closed again, her body limp.
Darcy rose to her knees and threw herself at Anja, tackling her from behind, hooking her arms around Anja’s neck and dragging her away from Eilidh’s battered body. Anja fought against her, and they rolled a few times, each vying to pin the other to the mud.
Darcy’s wrist was her downfall. Anja straddled her and brought a stinging hand across her face. It made Darcy’s ears ring, but she could still hear Anja’s chastising words. “It was meant to be me. You were meant to pick me. This is all your fault.”
Over and over, the words tumbled from her lips, dripping with scorn. “Anja, stop. Look at me. Look what you’re doing.” Darcy tried in vain to avoid each vicious swipe. She tried to meet Anja’s eyes, but they were gone, glazed with cruelty. Her hands wrapped around Darcy’s neck and squeezed. “No. An, no.” Darcy’s cries were stifled, and she clawed at Anja’s fingers. “Please.” Her body bucked as she tried to throw Anja off, but it only made her clutch harder.
Anja wasn’t listening. “It was meant to be me. It was meant to be me.” She spat the words through gritted teeth before raising Darcy’s head by the neck and slamming it in to the ground. “It was meant to be…”
A dull thud broke the cycle, and Anja’s eyes widened. Her grip released, and Darcy slapped her hands away as she fell sideways. In her vision, Anja was replaced by Eilidh, stood on one foot, her face bloodied and the log in her hands.
Darcy scrabbled fully away from Anja’s crumpled body, and Eilidh threw the log aside in disgust. “Are you all right?” She reached for Darcy’s hand and helped pull her up.
Darcy rubbed at her throat. “Fuck. Aye, I’m okay.” She gripped on to Eilidh. “Do you think she’s alive?”
They both stared down at Anja’s still form as sirens rang blissfully in the distance. “I don’t intend on checking.”
The fire flared up through the roof of the cabin, and Darcy knew it was lost. All of it. She leaned in to Eilidh, and they propped each other up. “I can’t watch anymore.”
Eilidh tugged her away, and they retreated from both Anja’s menace and the crumbling cabin. Through the pain, they made their way down the track as the glow of orange flames became blue flashing lights.
“You’re safe,” Eilidh murmured close to her ear. “We’re safe.”
Chapter 55
Darcy began to cry as soon as her mum’s face appeared on the screen.
“Hey, sweetheart. What’s wrong?” She reached out as if she could touch Darcy through the computer. “Are you in pain?”
Liz’s tone was soothing, and Darcy would have given anything in that moment to feel her mum’s arms wrap around her.
“Anja.” She choked out. “Cameron’s daughter. My stalker.”
She watched her mum’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Anja’s your stalker? And what about Cameron? You’re not making sense.”
Darcy blew her nose and then gulped at some water, trying to find a measure of composure that would allow her to tell her mum everything that had happened.
She watched as Liz’s eyes widened with every new revelation before she dissolved into tears as Darcy relayed the moment it had all come apart at the cabin and the weight of it sank in.
“I don’t understand why on earth she decided to blame you. And the deception? Darcy, I’m so sorry, my love.”
“It’s not your fault, Mum. Don’t ever think it’s your fault.”
“I know, but—”
“But nothing. Anja, or Annika, whatever her real name is, this is all on her. This isn’t how she needed to do things no matter what ugliness happened in her past.”
“I just can’t believe it’s been her all along. I can’t believe I trusted her to take care of you when I couldn’t be there after the accident. If I could get my hands on her…”
“I know, Mum. I feel so angry at everything as well. At the situation, at her, at myself. I can’t believe I fell for it. She fooled me for so long and then tried to excuse it by saying she loved me.”
Liz shook her head. “That’s not love, sweetheart. That’s a very broken person who never got the love and help they needed.”
Darcy sighed and slumped back in her chair. “I can’t help wondering what might have happened if Cameron had tried harder to see her. Does that make me a terrible person? I’m not blaming him, but maybe we did give up too easily? She could’ve been part of our family.”
“Ah, hindsight is always what makes us feel guilty, Darcy.” Liz sighed and scrubbed her face of fresh tears. “Cameron tried his best where that girl was concerned, but her mother was impossible. As far as he knew Annika was being taken care of. He sent money and presents, but with the threats her mother made, I guess it became easier for him to make peace with the fact that he wasn’t going to see her again. So he focused on you and Olivia. I have every faith though that if he hadn’t died, Cameron would have gone looking for her once she turned eighteen.”
“Maybe. Although by then it still might have been too late.”
Darcy wondered how long the “what ifs” and “buts” would plague her. She imagined they would never leave her and she would always carry a measure of guilt, despite so many of the events that lead to Anja’s self-destruction being out of her control.
“I guess we’ll never know.” Liz took a steadying breath and moved closer to the screen. “What can I do to help, darling? And what about Eilidh? Is she okay? Is she with you?”
Darcy nodded and was surprised when a small smile came to her lips. “I’m staying with her for now. Until I can figure this whole mess out. She’s been great through it all.”
“She sounds pretty great to me. First saving your life and now this. It seems I have a lot to thank her for.”
“Aye, one day, Mum. I hope you’ll get to meet her.”
“Why wait? You should come to visit and bring Eilidh with you. I’m betting a bit of quiet time by the pool is exactly what you both need right now. It would give us the chance to talk properly. I miss you, Darcy. Every day.”
Liz visibly perked up at the suggestion, and a flutter of excitement and hope passed through Darcy at the thought of seeing her mum and Olivia. She missed them too. It had been too long, and the opportunity to put some distance between herself and Anja was tempting.
“Really? I mean, it wouldn’t be for a while yet. There’s a lot to sort out at this end with the police, my court case,
and the cabin.”
She stifled another sob at the thought of her beautiful cabin razed to the ground. She knew the most important thing was that she and Eilidh had escaped alive, but seeing the charred ruins of her former safe haven had devastated her.
“Whenever you’re ready, we’ll be waiting for you, my love.” Liz reached out towards her again. “Come be with your family, Darcy. Come to Australia.”
Chapter 56
Eilidh plonked two more pints on the table in their usual corner of The Castle. She dropped heavily on to a chair and waited while Sam took a couple of hefty gulps and composed himself.
“I don’t even know where to begin. This is so fucked up.”
Eilidh took a healthy swig of her own drink. “Tell me about it. I think it’ll be a long time before I can wrap my head around it all.”
“Nae wonder.” He squeezed her arm. “I’ve got like a hundred questions already.”
“Imagine how Darcy feels.”
Sam blew out a long breath. “Poor Darcy. After everything she’s been through already. It’s all so unfair.”
“I know, mate. I’m so fucking angry and it’s all I can do to hold it together. We’re going to be picking up the pieces for a long time yet, but I guess all we can do is take it one day at a time.”
“Aye, I get it. The anger, I mean. I’m raging for you both. I don’t understand how someone could lie and twist things in their own mind like that for so long, yet seem so normal to everyone else.”
“She fooled us all, Tommo. No one was immune to her bullshit.”
“Where is she now, then?”
Eilidh shrugged. “Locked up, obviously, but we aren’t sure where yet. She probably went to the hospital first. The police will want to interview us more, and my guess is there’ll be a whole number of assessments done where Anja’s concerned. I’m not sure prison is where she needs to be.”
