Chapter 95: Miranda-Past

The pounding that came from the hall startled me. Disoriented and unsure of what was happening, I sat up straight. My sudden movement jostled Austin. How he continued to sleep through the clamor was beyond me. My heart raced, although I couldn't say whether it was from fear or irritation. When the fog cleared, I realized that it was unlikely an intruder had bothered to knock, much less a knock as angry as the one that continued to rattle the wood.

"Miranda," Daddy bellowed. "I know you're in there. Open this door, right now."

Crap, crap, crap. Any other day since my sister's accident, if my dad had come to my door, I could have let him in without hesitation. Not only had I always been fully clothed, so had Austin. Now, I sat on my knees in the middle of my mattress buck naked and paralyzed.

Austin scurried out of bed the instant he recognized the voice. There was no way out. Nevertheless, Austin looked for places to either escape or hide while he gathered his clothes.

"Girl,