Tapping her pen against the desk, Sarah wondered what Jax’s reaction had been to the nasty scene she’d left him. She wasn’t one for blood, but still sometimes things just had to get messy.

You did what you had to do, Sarah.

The voices had been relentless lately. She wondered if she should go back on the medicine she’d taken when she was younger.

Not that that had stopped them.

No, the voices were always there lingering in the shadows ready to comment on her every movement and to direct her steps.

It had been like that since she was nine years old.

Sitting back in her chair, she could still hear her brother, Tristan’s laughter in her echoing in her ears.

“Crazy Sarah, Crazy Sarah!”

After the incident with Mollie and her subsequent commitment, Sarah was returned home to her parents. She’d been sent away for four years.

“Now, Sarah, today’s the first day of school. It’s time to start over again, time to start a new chapter. No one at this school knows what happened with Mollie.” Her mother brushed her long brown hair so that it hung in glossy waves down her back.

“Yes, Momma.”

“All that nasty business with Mollie is over. Her family moved to the next town. You won’t see her again. Just keep your mouth shut about it. You’ll make lots of new friends.” Her mother kept babbling to her in her usual cheerful manner.

“Of course, Momma.”

“Haven’t you missed school, Sarah?” Her mother turned her around to face her.

Sarah nodded. Her new pink dress had an acrylic collar that itched her neck. She desperately longed to scratch, but knew her mother would fuss at her for fidgeting.

“Well, today is a whole new school year! You’re in the 7^th grade now and I expect you will conduct yourself in a more mature fashion. Your father and I went out of our way to buy you a whole new wardrobe for this year so that you would fit in and do well here.”

Sarah swallowed hard. She knew her incident with Mollie had cost her parents dearly both emotionally and financially. They’d spent thousands on her mental health treatment and had advocated relentlessly to have her released.

And declared sane.

The psychiatrists at the hospital had finally deemed her ‘fit’ to return to society. They claimed she’d been suffering from a delusional disorder which wasn’t full blown schizophrenia.

At least not yet.

Dutifully, Sarah took her pills that morning before school. She hated them as they made her so sleepy and feel like a zombie. But the goal was to quiet the voices in her head.

The joke was on them. The voices were never quiet. They merely settled down to a dull roar.

Sarah learned to ignore them. Pushing their whispers aside, she set off for school with her new pink backpack slung over her shoulder.

“Crazy Sarah!” Her brother, Tristan laughed as they waited for the bus together. He was going into the ninth grade, but would be riding the same bus as they lived in a rural area.

“Shut up, Tristan! Momma said not to say anything.” Sarah twirled a silky brown lock of her hair around her finger.

“What? I’m not supposed to warn people my sister might try to kill them? That would be irresponsible of me, wouldn’t it?” He mocked her with his laughter.

Sarah stomped her foot.

“Tristan, leave me alone!”

Looking behind them to ensure their mother wasn’t watching, he shoved her hard knocking her to the ground. The gravel cut her knees. Sarah stood up brushing her dress off and wiping the trickle of blood from her legs.

“Fuck you, Sarah. You’re not my sister just a crazy girl our parents insisted on getting back. I don’t know why they spent all that time trying to get you home. I don’t want you here you’re crazy.”

His words cut her to the core. Tears stung behind her eyelids as she blinked several times. Before the Mollie incident, they’d been close. He’d changed since she’d been gone.

“Then stay away from me, Tristan. I don’t want you as a brother either!” She drew back her fist to strike at him as the bus pulled up to their driveway.

“Crazy Sarah!” He taunted her one last time as he hopped onto the bus. Sarah climbed up onto the bus after him.

Walking down the aisle of the bus, Sarah looked for an available seat. Every time she moved to sit down, the other child on the seat scooted over.

“Seat’s taken.” They each said. Tristan laughed as Sarah desperately tried to find a seat. The bus driver tapped his hands on the steering wheel impatiently.

“Find a seat, girl!” He growled.

Sarah looked around in desperation. Tears tickled beneath her eyelids. She fought to keep from crying.

“Sit down!”

“I can’t,” she whispered hugging her backpack to herself.

“Somebody move and give her a seat! NOW!” He slammed his fists on the steering wheel.

Sarah looked around her as a thin girl with mousy brown hair scooted over.

“You can sit here.”

Sarah sat down as the bus pitched forward.

“I’m Haley. You’re new here, aren’t you? I haven’t seen you around before.”

Sarah sat rigidly in her seat. Haley’s friendly tone relaxed her slightly. She sat her backpack on the floor between her feet.

“Yes. I’m Sarah. I used to go to Washington—” She began before she could catch herself.

“You’re Tristan’s sister?”

Sarah nodded.

Haley’s brown eyes widened as she realized who Sarah was.

“Holy shit, you’re the one who tried to kill Mollie Simmons!” She clapped her hand over her mouth.

So much for the new start, Sarah thought.

“It wasn’t like that,” Sarah whispered.

Haley twirled a long lock of hair around her finger thoughtfully. She didn’t look alarmed.

“Mollie Simmons is a big hoe now. I’m sort of sorry you didn’t finish the job. She sucked my boyfriend off last year.”

Sucked off? Sarah didn’t know what she meant.

“Only in the seventh grade she’s been screwing guys since last year. I couldn’t believe it when he told me. That’s gross. I bet she’s screwed half the JV football team.” Haley rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry about Mollie.” Sarah looked down.

“Hey, I don’t care. I know they say you’re crazy, but I think you look okay. Don’t worry this school is better than Washington.” Haley beamed at her. Sarah started to feel relief wash over her.

“Good.”

“Just watch out for her.” Haley jerked her thumb towards a petite blonde with long curly hair sitting in the back row.

“Why?”

“She’s Mollie’s best friend now. Once she hears who you are.” Haley drew her finger across her neck.

Sarah gulped getting the implication.

She was doomed yet again.

As the years passed, people began to forget about the Mollie incident as did Sarah. In high school, she was very popular and had lots of boyfriends. The voices were quiet for many years and Sarah began to think the worst was over. Even her brother, Tristan lightened up and began to repair his relationship with her.

The voices even left her alone long enough to complete her graduate degree in English landing her a job as an editor at Meridian International. She re-discovered her passion for reading.

A few years after working as an associate editor, she found Jax Paulson. His books spoke to her on a level she’d never experienced. She felt a powerful connection to him that she just couldn’t explain. She quickly became a huge fan buying all his swag and wearing panties with his logo on it daily. She’d had a boyfriend at the time, but all she could think about was Jax.

There was something magical between her and Jax, something akin to a destined connection.

Then she overhead Jessica talking in the office about needing someone for a special job involving Jax Paulson. She clamored for the position practically begging her supervisor to let her do the side job.

And she’d nailed it.

As well as Jax.

She knew she wasn’t supposed to sleep with him, but when she actually laid eyes on him she was smitten.

Then the voices started again. They tormented her day and night warning her that Jax was evil. He must be watched at all times. Sarah panicked, scared that the voices were going to ruin her life again. She tried medicating herself with anti-anxiety pills and alcohol.

But they wouldn’t stop.

Now she knew it was more than just a paid job to stalk Jax. She was supposed to watch him for real. It saddened her to think that the man she’d so adored was evil.

But she knew the voices were right. They had been right about Mollie. She had no reason to doubt them.