by Nora Cobb
“What about Rosemonde? You obviously aren’t hot for her.” My curiosity has a firm hold on me. “What’s he promised her?”
Rhys scoffs. “She’s a dumbass fool. She wants to marry Silas.” He laughs at my stunned expression. “Some of us work, and others of us marry.”
“And who do you hope to marry?” I ask.
Rhys isn’t scared anymore or interested in our conversation. He stands up and moves toward the door. “You proved you’re smart, now get out.”
I refuse to move and cross my legs while I get comfortable. “Are there any more cameras tucked away?”
His eyes look toward a closed door, and I follow his gaze. Rhys looks away quickly, but it’s too late. I hope his major isn’t acting. I’m on my feet, moving toward the door.
“That’s Silas’s bedroom? You stay here while I look,” I order him.
“What happens if he finds you?” he whines.
I glance over at Rhys while I open the door. “You better plan your green card wedding fast.”
Rhys gives me a withering look that should kill me.
I stop short when I enter Silas’s bedroom. Slowly, I sit down on his bed, taking in the scope of the room. His bed is made with black satin sheets, and I roll my eyes but quickly lift my hand up in disgust. I see along one wall a humongous bookcase filled with labeled binders. The labels are in alphabetical order and dated by year. Some go back fifteen years. I pull out one binder and read a random entry.
LS is no longer driving expensive Lexus. Now driving a Ford. Engagement ring is no longer on finger. His mother got involved. Gold digger. May need a new daddy?
I check the date on the binder. It’s from the beginning of the year. I can’t decipher the initials. But that jerk has been keeping records on all of us. I search for the binders marked S and look for my initials.
VS. Very wealthy. Pretty enough, but hardheaded and rude. Definitely a user. Probably went to rehab. Multiple times? Can’t access records. Family in tech. Have DV check her out. Has potential, or is a threat?
I listen to Rhys moving through the rest of the suite. He doesn’t seem to care what happens. Then I realize that maybe Rhys has texted Silas. Maybe Silas will catch me. But Rhys peeks into the room then stands in the doorway. He smiles, but I don’t like his creepy expression. He enjoys watching me struggle with my troubled thoughts. He has the jaded look of a person who gives less than a shit about others.
“I didn’t agree with everything he wrote,” he says, looking at the binder. “You’re definitely more than pretty enough.”
I suck my teeth. “You wanted me to come in here and see this.” I get up and shove the binder back onto the shelf. “You wanted to fuck with my head the same way you fucked Theo.”
“Take it easy, pussycat,” Rhys grins devilishly. For a moment, I can see how easily Theo was tricked by his good looks. “But I do want to help you.”
“With what?” I freeze as realization crashes down on my thick head. “What else does he know about me?”
“Only what’s in that book.” Rhys leans against the doorjamb and folds his arms. “Silas will never marry Rosemonde. She’s not the right type of girl. She doesn’t have it. But you have it.”
I narrow my gaze. “What is it? A trust fund?”
Rhys laughs. “You don’t get it. You’re this weird combination of naive and cynical.” Rhys likes to lead people on by talking riddles. “I think you would be grateful if I helped you find something hidden in his room.”
“A camera?” I scoff.
He shakes his head. “No, you’re so cold.”
I tilt my head and watch Rhys intently. He doesn’t say a word, but I follow his gaze toward the far right. I take a big step toward it.
He grins wider. “That’s a bit warmer.”
I step toward the left and look at him.
“Brrr, I’m freezing.” He hugs his slim body.
I step toward the right again and place my hand on the top shelf.
He gazes down toward the bottom shelf. “A little warmer.”
I crouch down, looking at the letters lined up in a row. One of the binders has a blank label. My fingertip rests on it.
“Sizzle,” he says, “out of the pan and into the fire.”
Rhys walks off, not bothering to watch as my hand yanks the binder off the shelf. I flip the book open, but it’s empty. I don’t mean the pages are blank. It’s a hollow book. My hand grips the thing inside the empty cavity. My fingers caress the clear plastic baggie, and I become mesmerized by the fine white powder shifting back and forth inside. Sweat instantly beads across my forehead. That asshole Rhys tricked me.
I hear voices out in the living room, and in a panic, I put the baggie into my pocket and shove the binder back onto the shelf. Why I didn’t put the baggie back in the binder, I don’t know. My head swims as I get up quickly and haul ass back into the living room. Rhys is in the doorway to the suite, keeping someone back. Dom pushes past him and freezes in place when he sees me standing there, frozen.
“What are you doing in here?” he frowns.
“I had to talk to Rhys,” I stutter a little. “About Theo.”
Dom gives Rhys a scathing look. The disgust for weasel-boy is apparent. I take a step toward Dom, and he looks at me with concern. My hand is gripping the baggie in my pocket as my mouth opens to speak. To confess. I want to tell him to take it from me, but I don’t. I can’t because Silas immediately walks through the door. He doesn’t see me at first. But Silas knows something is wrong because Rhys looks as if he’s going to shit himself.
Silas spots me, and an ugly scowl distorts his face. “What’s she doing here?”
Dom wraps his arm around my shoulders. “She’s with me, and we’re just leaving.”
My other hand clutches onto Dom’s denim jacket. I don’t dare look at Silas as Dom walks me toward the door. Silas takes a menacing step toward me, and my fingers clutch Dom tighter. Please just help me get out of here. Dom pushes me through the open door as if he heard my silent prayer.
“Don’t bring her in here again, Dom,” growls Silas.
I don’t dare look at Rhys, but I can feel the relief flood over both of us as Dom takes the blame.
“Not very neighborly,” laughs Dom. “Won’t be back again, even if you beg us.”
The door slams behind us, but I just stand there with my feet glued in place. My hand squeezes the baggie as my breathing becomes louder than my thoughts. All I have to do is hold it out to him. He’ll take it from me. But I don’t. Dom lifts my chin with my finger, and I gaze into his eyes. Checking me out? What does it mean? Was he faking everything?
“Thanks,” I mumble, then quickly flee into my suite.
***
All night long, I keep getting out of bed, and I know why. I check the time, and it’s 1:00 a.m. Sighing, I throw back my head onto my pillow. I have a class in the morning. Shit. My stomach is tight, and my nails rake over my skin. My mind knows what I have, and my body wants it. A bump wouldn’t hurt. Even dipping my finger and taking a tiny taste. It would relax me. Help me to go to sleep. That’s a lie. Somehow, I drift off, but soon I’m fighting to wake up again.
I’m back in the dark woods again. The same place where Dom took me. He’s setting up his iPhone on a tripod. Lights are shining on a beat-up school desk draped in tacky black satin. Silas holds up an empty baggie. The residue of white powder sticks to its corners.
“Tsk, tsk, you greedy girl,” he says, leaning over me. “I would’ve shared.” He looks over his shoulder at Dom, then at Chase as they finish setting up. Silas faces me again. “I’m all into sharing.”
I try to move, but I can’t. I’m restrained to a hospital bed. The same kind I slept in for a year, but it’s draped in black satin sheets. I squirm and try to lift my arms, but I’m in restraints made of thick, black leather.
“Let me up!” I shriek. “I didn’t take it. I didn’t take it.”
Silas glares down his nose at me. “But you did.
”
“I mean—I didn’t use it,” I speak hastily. “I don’t do that anymore. I don’t use it anymore.”
Silas sneers. “But you did, Victoria.”
“Vicki?” Luna is grabbing my arm and shaking me. “You’re moaning and tangled up in your covers.”
“I’m okay.” Sweaty and exhausted, I sit up. “I just have to use the bathroom. What time is it?”
Luna frowns at me with concern. “It’s almost 5:00 a.m. You’re a wild sleeper. Your covers are either wrapped around you or on the floor.”
Squinting, I frown as she turns on the desk lamp and shuts the top of my computer. “Why are you up?” I ask her. She looks so healthy and bubbly in her yoga pants and lightweight jersey sweater. It’s making me nauseous.
“To use the gym.” She looks at me like I should know. Luna sighs. “Sorry. Would you like for me to stay?”
“No, I just need the bathroom.”
My bathroom is smaller than Luna’s, but it’s attached, making my room an en suite. She helps me to the door, and I shut it, leaning against it. I hid the baggie in with my toiletries. I wouldn’t have dared to leave it in my bedroom. I grab it out of my carry-all and hold it over the shut toilet lid.
My shoulders heave with every breath as I fight myself to let it go. The temptation is building, but ultimately, I stop myself from pushing my face into the baggie. I know I can’t be around it. I can’t use it as leverage. It’s too dangerous to keep. Without thinking about my actions, I flip the lid up and flush the powder down the toilet. I breathe a sigh of relief as I sit on the closed lid, hugging myself.
When I come out, my bed is perfectly made. Luna even fluffed the pillow and changed the sweaty sheets. God, I love that girl.
Chapter Fourteen
Of course, I oversleep the next day and miss English class. I can afford to miss one. The last place I want to go is class. I need space alone. I throw on yesterday’s sweats and run downstairs to my car. I just want to leave this stupid campus. My classes are good; I’m really into what I’m learning, but the people are amazingly fucked up. But how ignorant am I? I should’ve left the baggie where I found it instead of flushing money down the toilet. Drugs cost money. And Silas is going to want his back.
I start the engine, but before I can pull away, Dom jumps in beside me. “Where are we going?” he asks.
“Anywhere,” I reply, as if this is perfectly natural. “The Bait Shop?”
He nods. “Time to put it in drive and push the pedal to the floor, baby girl.”
The center curtain starts to move to the side. I grab for the clutch, reverse, and take off down the driveway. We sit in silence while my Mustang handles the road. The evergreen trees form a shaded tunnel of dark hunter-green mixed with spots of dabbled light as we speed toward the main road. I take the turn out a little too fast, but I smile to myself as I hear the gravel kick up. My car is a part of me, and I belong to her—body and soul. She gives me freedom.
“What happened after I left?” I ask. “What did you tell Silas?”
Dom leans back in his seat. “Rhys folded like a cheap umbrella.”
“What a snake,” I mumble.
“Nope, snakes have guts.” Dom stares at me, but I refuse to look at him. “You look a little beat up, Saunders.”
Whatever, my history is out there, but I won’t admit to anything. “I don’t always sleep well.”
“You should try something for that,” he replies calmly.
I keep my eyes on the road. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Dom shakes his head. “Little liar. You’re taking risks that no sane person would ever take. But I always thought you were a little loco.” His expression hardens. “Silas will retaliate, Vicki. What you did was dangerous, and not admitting to it doesn’t prove your innocence.”
I turn on him. “Why are you telling me this? Are you protecting me? You don’t like me anyway. Hot one day, pissed off the next. You’re worse than a chick.”
Dom mimics me. The bastard. “You treat me like shit, and it only makes me want you more.” He sighs. “All that crap with Chase. It puts me off. And I’m jealous. Happy to hear it? I don’t want him near you.”
The car lurches to a stop in the parking lot and jolts Dom forward. He puts his hand on the dash and squeezes it. I know he wants to say something. I bite my lip so I don’t laugh. We get out of the car and walk side by side toward the shop door. Dom holds the door open for me, and I respectfully nod. Watching us, you’d think we were overly polite strangers. He pays for my coffee, and I wait as they make him a grilled cheese. I don’t have the stomach for food.
We sit outside at the picnic table even though it’s a little brisk today. I pull up my hood and wrap my fingers tight around my coffee. Finally, I speak. “I didn’t know you cared.”
“Don’t be trite. You sound like a fucking greeting card,” he says.
I grimace when he calls me out. I sip my coffee, pretending that I’m too into it to talk as Dom takes a bite of his sandwich.
“What do you know about child actors?” he finally speaks to me.
I shrug. “Not a whole lot. Not my expertise.”
“But tech is, obviously.”
We stare at each other for a long moment, figuring each other out. We’re both lying, and we know it, but we don’t know why. But I’ve been straight about my feelings. Point blank, I told Dom that he flip-flops, but he still does it. I can’t figure his ass out. What did Rhys say about me? Naive and cynical. But Dom will talk to me as long as I’m talking to him. And as long as I’m talking to him, I’m protected, but not my friends. Can I trust him? Can he trust me?
“The only thing I know is that they’re fucked,” I reply. “So, tell me something else about Silas, the former child actor.”
Dom nods. “He’s not only fucked in the head. What has Chase told you about Silas?”
“He has no off switch,” I reply, using air quotes.
Dom drums the table then points at me. “And you still mess with him?” He looks off in the distance and sighs. “I’m not saying you were, but if you were in his room, you would have seen his binders.”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
“He has dirt on people going back fifteen years in those binders. That boy can pick up a phone and call in a favor with just the sound of his voice, and you want to mess with him.”
“I don’t see a way for us to even be friends.” I finish my coffee and crush the cup against the wooden picnic table. I must be crazy to drink caffeine when I can’t sleep.
Dom picks it up and tosses my cup in the trash can, making the basket. “So, are you dating Chase?” he asks indifferently.
I look down and don’t dare meet his gaze when he looks at me again.
“Or are you just using him too?” Dom asks.
I mumble as I tap the table. “I wish I had a cigarette.”
“Or a gram?” he asks.
“I’m still clean,” I reply, narrowing my eyes, “and if I’m using, it’s because I’m being used.”
“Welcome to Hollywood, Li’l Vicki.”
I can’t hold my anger in any longer. “What does it mean, you checking into me?”
Scoffing loudly, Dom shakes his head. “So, you did go into his room.”
“Didn’t Rhys tell?” I shout.
“I was bluffing!” he shouts back.
I jump up and march back to my car. Behind me, Dom hurries to catch me. I hold my arms tight to my sides, but it doesn’t stop him from grabbing me and spinning me around. He pins me to the car door and presses his body against mine.
“I didn’t know when I met you in Malibu who you really were,” he says. “I was pissed when you showed up at Redwood. By then, Silas had told me to check you out. I treated you badly to keep you away from me, so I could honestly tell him nothing.”
I place my hand on his shoulder and I stroke the muscle underneath gently. “Maybe you do care?”
“Vicki, I know you think I’m a bi
g problem, but I’m really working overtime to keep you out of harm’s way.”
***
I hurry back for my afternoon class. I don’t have time to drive to the town house, so I park in the day lot. Dom and I keep a low profile and walk away in different directions toward the campus. I pull my hood down over my forehead. I debate going all the way with a pair of sunglasses. But I’ll look guilty, so I put my glasses away. I’m not a user, but I go into that mode. I shift from thriving to surviving in sixty seconds flat.
No one pays attention to me in class. Obviously, Silas isn’t going to write to “Dear Misery” and tell everyone that I stole his coke.
