by Arthurs, Nia
“Why didn’t you do it before?”
“Because being poor isn’t as noble as the movies make it out to be. And Seb adored me. I figured I wouldn’t get hurt since he liked me more than I liked him.”
“That’s a hard way to live. You deserve happiness, Maribella. I hope you find it one day.”
“I guess that’s your way of letting me down gently?”
“I’m with Ember. I hope I didn’t give you the impression that—”
She holds up a hand and sighs. “You don’t need to say anymore. I get the gist.”
“Let me buy you a drink.”
“I’m good.” She shoves her purse strap higher on her shoulder. “After getting rejected and finding out I’m engaged to a murderer, I’m feeling a little nauseous.”
“Then I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I’m fine. Really.” She steps out of the booth and lifts her chin. “You’ll have the recording by tonight.”
“Maribella…”
She freezes and looks over her shoulder.
“Thank you.”
She doesn’t reply but a grin curves her lips before she whirls her head around and clacks toward the exits.
* * *
True to her word, Maribella sends me a message later that night. I’m at my parents. We’re eating dinner and watching Family Feud when the text and voice recording comes in.
The moment I see Maribella’s name on my screen, I jump out of the couch.
Mom tilts her head. “What? Is there a roach?”
“What roach?” Dad roars, pulling his legs up into the chair.
Mom narrows her eyes at him. “You’re supposed to be protecting me, Greg. What is that?”
I smile at their bickering, imagining Ember and I doing the same when we’re older. “Sorry to scare you guys.” I head to the foyer and grab the keys from the rack. “There’s somewhere I need to be. I’m taking Kolby’s car. I’ll return it before he gets back from practice tonight.”
“Wait!” Mom trots toward me. “Where are you going? You won’t disappear again, will you?”
I take her shoulders and stare into her eyes. “No. I promised someone I was done with that.”
“Who? Ember?”
I scratch the back of my neck. “Uh…”
“Humph. You let your own mother waste away for ten years, but give into your girlfriend. I see what I mean to you.”
“Come on, ma.” I give her a hug. “You know I love you.”
“Let the boy go,” Dad yells from the living room.
Mom releases me. “Be safe.”
“I will!” I wave and trot down the stairs. The wind howls through the trees. Goosebumps prickle up my skin. A scraping sound grabs my attention. I whip around.
There’s nothing there.
“You’re being paranoid, Axle,” I mumble to myself as I get in and start the engine.
My pep talk falls flat and I find my gaze darting around the quiet street while I drive. I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for, but I’m prepared for anything.
When I spot a semi fast approaching, I tighten my fingers on the wheel and prepare to yank my car into the grassy flat next to the highway. But the semi just blows past me without a second thought.
I drive on hyper alert until I roll into Bee’s complex and shut the engine. A breath of relief blows past my lips when I walk inside and find Ember safe and sound on the couch.
She scrambles up to meet me. “Is it done?”
I nod.
“Did you listen to it?”
“Not yet. I wanted to wait so we could listen together.”
Aunt B trots into the room. “Did I hear voices…?” Her eyes lock on me, furious. “Axle, what are you doing here?”
“Bee!” I back away from the woman charging toward me with a bat in hand. “I can explain.”
Ember jumps in front of me, her hands thrust wide. “Aunt B! Stop!”
She freezes. “Em, are you seriously taking up for this scum?”
I flinch.
“I told you. Axle had his reasons.”
“Bull!” Aunt B shakes her bat. “Come over here. I’ll show you my ‘reasons’.”
I step out from behind Ember’s protection. “You have every right to be angry, Bee. I shouldn’t have taken off like that. But I’m back now and I’m not leaving this time.”
“Ha!”
“I’ll do my best to regain your trust.”
“Have fun with that. You might be able use that charm and pretty face on this lovesick fool, but I’m not that easy.”
“Hey!” Ember protests.
“Now that we’ve come to an understanding,” she nods at me, “what are you here for?”
I brush my thumb against my phone screen and press ‘PLAY’. “Listen.”
For a minute, the recording is just dead air. Until a familiar voice fills the room.
“Mar, what a nice surprise. It’s been a while since you’ve come to my office without being begged.”
“You mean summoned.”
“I see you’re in your usual good mood. What do you need? Tell me and it’s yours.”
“Answers.” There’s a pause. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that party. The one before Diandre died.”
“What about it?”
“I saw you that night. I saw you stop to give Diandre a ride.”
“What? You must have been mistaken…”
“Don’t try that with me, Seb. I’m not crazy. I know it was you. Diandre was drunk and he got into your car. After that night, no one saw him alive again.”
“Are you insinuating I’m responsible for that?”
“You tell me.”
A beat of silence then… “Fine. We did give Diandre a ride that night.”
“What happened after?”
I listen in awe as Maribella teases the entire story out of Seb. Ember and I lock eyes over the phone.
We’ve got him.
Seb’s voice from the recording is full of confidence. “You can never tell anyone about this.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Bee whistles as the recording shuts off. “Remind me not to get on that girl’s bad side. She’s vicious.”
“She’s effective,” Ember corrects.
Bee glances at me, eyes narrowed. “You put Seb behind bars and I’ll think about forgiving you.”
“Done.”
Ember throws her arms around me and hugs me tight. “It’s almost over.”
I let out a breath and soak her in. The guilt that’s been chewing me out from the inside crawls away. I’m finally at peace.
And it feels great.
26
Axle
“How are you feeling?” I turn to Ember who is sitting in the passenger side with her eyes closed.
“I don’t know. Nervous.”
“Nervous? We’re just going to the police station to make a report.”
“Yeah, but,” she opens her eyes and looks at me, “what if they arrest you too?”
“If that’s what happens, I’ll have to accept it.”
“How can you say that like it’s no big deal?”
“For ten years, I’ve been living in a prison of my own making. A real jail cell is nothing in comparison.”
She blows out a breath. “Still…”
“Relax.” I smirk. “You’ll still come visit me if I end up behind bars, right?”
“Don’t even joke about that. I’m already worried about how my mom will take this. It’ll be even harder if I introduce you as my convict boyfriend.”
I wince. Facing the rest of Ember’s family is something I conveniently forgot about.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Ember nods. “Right.”
My phone rings.
“Could you get that?” I ask.
Ember grabs my cell and answers. “Hello?” Suddenly, she looks at me. “It’s Maribella.”
“What?”
A moment later, Maribella’s voice fills the cab.
“Axle, can you hear me?”
“I’m right here. What’s wrong?”
Maribella sounds out of breath. Her voice trembles. “I don’t know, but I-I think Seb found out I was recording him.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure.” There’s a clatter in the background. Broken shards falling. A chair creaking.
I lean forward. “Where are you right now?”
“I’m at my mother’s place, downtown.”
I swing the wheel. “We’re coming.”
“Are you okay, Maribella?” Ember asks.
“I’m fine.” She blows out a breath. “My mom’s furniture, not so much.”
I find out what she means ten minutes later when I stride into her family’s apartment. Chairs are upturned, pillows are scattered, and picture frames litter the floor. It looks like a tornado tore through here.
I walk forward. My shoes crunch against broken china.
Ember’s gaze darts about. “Seb did this?”
“Yes. I called the police. They’re out looking for him, but if Seb was smart enough to figure out I betrayed him, it won’t be easy for them.” She shrugs. “At least my mom wasn’t home.”
“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
“It’s fine, Axle.” She swallows. “But I should warn you. Seb is… a little out of his mind right now.”
“Why?”
Maribella’s gaze sweeps the floor. “He asked me why I did it, why I lied to him. He wasn’t angry. Just… hurt. If anything, he looked like he wanted to cry. I felt bad, but I was tired of dealing with him so I told him the truth.”
“What truth?” Ember steps forward.
“That the person I’d always had feelings for was Axle.”
Ember freezes.
I flinch.
Maribella wrings her hands together. “That’s when he lost it. He started shouting and throwing things. I thought he was going to kill me but he just stopped all of a sudden. It was creepy. He didn’t blink or speak. He just… walked out. I had a feeling he was going to do something to you so I called.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
Ember places a hand on Maribella’s shoulder. “So am I.”
“Do you have somewhere else to stay? Somewhere safe?”
“Yeah.” She runs a hand through her hair. “My brother…”
“Go there. Don’t leave until Seb is found. It’s too dangerous.”
I swing around to leave.
Maribella grabs my arm. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to find him.”
I gently release Maribella’s hand and take Ember’s. Together, we walk outside and get into the car.
Ember sighs. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“So do I.” I start the car and drive. “That’s why I’m taking you home.”
Her eyes flash. “No, I can help you.”
“It’ll help me more if you’re safe.”
“I’m not a china doll that needs to be protected. I can search with you. I can—”
“Ember!”
She stops mid-sentence.
I inhale deeply and lower my voice. “Worrying about you out there is too distracting. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose you. I can’t…” I tighten my hands on the steering wheel. “I don’t care what happens to me, but I can’t lose you.”
The fight leaves her eyes. “Fine,” she whispers.
I drop her home and walk her to the porch. “Lock all the doors. Call me if you hear anything weird.”
“I will.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.” She steps into my arms and hugs me. “Please be careful.”
I nod and then nudge her away. “Go on.”
After Ember’s safely inside, I get into my car and drive down the road.
Seb’s obsession with Maribella made him kill a man just for dancing with her. I don’t know what he’ll try to do to me and I want Ember nowhere near that. Bee’s complex is safe. And I trust her ability with that bat.
I just hope that my instincts are right and Seb doesn’t come after Ember to get to me. If I’m wrong…
I don’t even want to think about it.
Next, I call my parents.
“Hello?”
“Mom, could you do me a favor and lock up early tonight?”
“What’s this about?” My mom croaks through the phone. “We don’t lock our doors until everyone gets home. You know that.”
“Mom, you have to. It’s for your own…” Her words register. “Wait, Kolby isn’t home yet?” I check my watch. “Shouldn’t his practice be over by now?”
Mom yawns. “He sent a text saying he was getting a ride home, but I didn’t hear anything after that.”
A ride?
My heart seizes and I slam on the brakes. “Mom, did Kolby mention who he was with?”
“I think it was Seb. Yes, Seb.”
The fear pounding in my veins intensifies. I slam on the gas and gun it toward Green Lake.
“Mom, listen to me very carefully. Lock all your doors and call the police if you see anything weird.”
“What? Why? Axle, what’s going on?”
“Please just do it.” I hang up.
Seb has Kolby.
What does he plan to do with my little brother?
Panic dances on my wire-thin nerves. The sudden shrill of my phone in the silence almost causes an accident. I swerve the car back to the right side of the road and stare at the screen. After pulling myself together, I answer.
“Hello?”
Seb’s voice fills the air. “We made a pact. We were friends. I didn’t want to do this.”
“Seb,” I deliver through gritted teeth, “if you harm one hair on his head—”
“Sh. Kolby’s fine. For now.”
“Where are you?”
“You know where I am.” He coughs. “You better hurry up though. And come alone. The lake looks especially hungry tonight and I don’t want anything to happen to your brother...”
“SEB!”
He chuckles darkly and hangs up.
I gun it toward the lake and force my car down the slippery slope to get to the valley. The night is freakishly still. The trees surrounding the water look as evil now as they did that night ten years ago.
A lone man stands on the dock. The wind tears at his shirt. His black hair flaps around his pale face.
Seb.
I stride toward him, furious. “Where is he?” My gaze frantically searches the water for any ripples. “Where’s Kolby?”
“I didn’t toss him in, Axle. I’m not barbaric. We all know what happened to Diandre that time was an accident.”
“An accident you never owned up to.” I stride toward him. “Do you know how many lives were destroyed because of you? So much suffering, and yet you have no desire to apologize.”
“Why would I do that? I’ve done nothing wrong.”
I get a flashback to the day we were all in Seb’s room figuring out what to do.
It’s not my fault. Seb never considered owning up to his mistakes. He wasn’t sorry then and he isn’t sorry now.
I march closer. “Where is Kolby?”
“Ah, ah.” Seb holds up a hand. I freeze when I see what is caught in his grasp. A gun. He’s pointing a gun at me. “Let’s not make any sudden movements.”
I throw my hands up. “Seb…”
“Don’t. Don’t bother calling my name.” The wind howls. The water churns. Seb seems oblivious. “You knew how messed up my life was. The only thing I ever wanted in this world was Maribella’s love. It’s why I took the stupid job with my dad. Why I did everything.”
“Calm down, man. Drop the gun.”
Seb wields it at me. “Now you step in. Take my woman. Take my life. My freedom. My reputation. We were friends, weren’t we? How could you
do that?”
I eye the gun. If I tackle him now, maybe I can catch him off guard.
As if sensing my thoughts, Seb puts his finger on the trigger. “No,” he snaps. “I won’t let you.”
I see his finger moving in slow motion. The bark of the gun as it goes off roars in my ears. I jump to the side, diving off the pier and into the water.
It’s cold. Deeper than it looks on the surface. Pellets slam into the water around me and I realize that Seb is shooting willy-nilly into the lake.
Something pings my shoulder. It burns. I glance down and see blood pouring into the water like red-stained oil. My limbs seize. My chest demands air, but all I can do is sink lower. Lower.
I’m going to die.
Then something huge lands in the water. It’s a person. A boy. About sixteen. Dark skin. Dark hair. Broad shoulders. Long legs. He’s wearing a football jersey.
Is that Diandre?
He swims toward me. Bubbles shoot from his mouth. He’s screaming something, but I can’t hear him. Darkness creeps around the edge of my vision.
As I start to drift off, I smile. Diandre became an angel and now he’s taking me off. To hell? Heaven? Doesn’t matter.
Diandre’s alright.
And that’s all that matters.
27
Ember
I crash through the doors of the hospital. My sneakers pound the tile. A nurse darts out of my way to avoid getting plowed over. I try to summon an apology, but I can’t. The only thing on my mind is Axle.
Kolby’s voice from our phone conversation ten minutes ago wafts through my head.
Axle’s been shot.
I burst through another set of doors. This time, I almost slam a man in a wheelchair. I slow down to shoot him an apologetic glance before continuing my sprint.
After turning a curve, I skid to a stop in front of the waiting room. Kolby is standing in the middle of the hallway, drenched from head-to-toe. A discarded towel is crumpled beside his soggy tennis shoes.
I stumble forward, propelled by a force stronger than any I’ve ever known. “How is he?”
“Still in surgery,” Kolby says, hanging his head.
