Nobody’s home. That’s the first thing I notice when I walk in. I’m not surprised my family isn’t here to welcome me home, but it still hurts and makes me want to find my real mom even more. Then again, would it really be better if Lynn, my dad, and Hannah were here, especially with everything going on?
You’re going to have to face them sooner or later, Isa, no matter how much you don’t want to.
Kai finds his way to my room, with me tailing his heels. I’m surprised he remembers where everything is, since he hasn’t been here for five years. But he navigates through the hallways easily and makes it to my room.
The moment he steps inside, though, he frowns. “What happened to all your posters and drawings?”
Confused, I scramble inside to see what he’s talking about. The moment I catch sight of the bare and freshly painted white walls, my jaw collides with the floor.
“I don’t …” I yank my fingers through my hair as I turn in a circle. “Someone took all my stuff down.”
“You didn’t take them down?” Kai asks, dropping the bags onto my bed.
I shake my head as tears burn my eyes. “They were here when I left. I don’t know what happened.”
But really, I do. Either Lynn took them down, or it was Hannah’s form of revenge. Either way, I’m betting all my posters and drawings are gone forever.
What if they’re gone? What if I never see some of that stuff again? As depressing as it is, that stuff was a huge part of my life, especially my drawings.
Reality knocks the wind out of me, and a few tears manage to escape.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Kai says when he notices the waterworks.
I feel stupid, like a loser again, who cries over ridiculous drawings and posters, because they mean more to her than they should.
“I’m sorry.” I wipe away the tears with the back of my hand. “This is so stupid. I shouldn’t be crying over drawings, especially in front of you.”
“Hey, I cry, too,” Kai assures me, pressing his hand to his heart. “And I’ve cried over drawings and posters before.”
“In front of people?” I question, and he hesitates. “See? That’s the difference between you and me. You’re not crazy enough to cry in front of other people who could eventually use it against you.”
“I’m not going to use this against you,” he promises. “Seriously, I’m not that big of an asshole.”
“Sometimes, you kind of are, though … to me, anyway. With everyone else, you’re usually so chilled. With me … it’s like you get your kicks and giggles out of making me uncomfortable.”
He rubs his hand across his jawline, considering something. “Okay, I’ll admit I tease you a lot, but only because I’m comfortable around you.” When I stare at him in disbelief, he adds, “Well, more comfortable around you than most people.” He sighs when I still keep looking at him with skepticism. “Look, when I’m around other people, I’m different. I know this. But everyone expects me to be this intense, serious guy all the time, like Kyler is.”
“I hate to break it to ya, but Kyler’s not that intense and serious all the time,” I say, remembering how much he laughed when we spent those few weeks shooting hoops and hanging out.
Kai rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. The guy never, ever cracks a joke. Seriously, he’s like the most serious person I’ve ever met. And honestly, he’s kind of fucking boring. And you should hear him talk about sports. Talk about a snorefest.” He bobs his head back and lets out a snore, emphasizing his point.
I try not to laugh because he’s making fun of Kyler and it shouldn’t be funny, yet a strangled laugh flees from my mouth.
Kai grins at the sound. “See? Deep down, you agree with me. You just don’t want to admit it.”
“I don’t agree with you,” I insist. “Kyler’s not boring. He’s just quiet and shy.”
He makes a choking, gurgling sound then gapes at me. “Kyler’s not shy at all. He’s the most arrogant, self-assured asshole I’ve ever met.”
“He might be that way to you,” I say, “but to me, he seems quiet and nice.”
“Wrong again. He’s not nice. Not when you know him like I do.” His features harden as he shakes his head in irritation. “My life would be so much easier if he went farther away for college, but no, he has to go here so he can remind me daily who the better Meyers is.”
Hmm … Perhaps Kai’s one-eighty transformation has something to do with his brother.
“Okay, I get you’re not a fan of your brother.” I tread with caution, not wanting to hurt his feelings. At the same time, I feel bitter over how Kai treated me in seventh grade. “But Kyler’s been nice to me.”
“I’ve been nicer to you more than he has.” He shifts his weight, seeming uneasy about something. Perhaps how he treated me in the past? I’ll never know, since he won’t say anything about it out loud. “Maybe not all the time, but definitely more than he has.”
“You’ve also been mean to me when he never has.” My hands shake as I remember the day he ripped out my heart and stomped on it.
“I told you; most of the time, I’m just teasing you.” His voice is a drop unsteady as he tiptoes around the big, ugly elephant in the room. “And I only do that because I’m comfortable around you, and you don’t expect anything from me.” He shrugs, offering me a small, oddly sheepish smile. “You treat me like a normal guy. You never use me to get to my brother.” Another shrug, like that’s that.
So, he definitely has issues with Kyler. Now that I think about it, I’m not that surprised. Kai always has kind of lived in Kyler’s shadow when it comes to sports and girls and grades. It’s not like he’s not good at any of those things. It’s just that he’s always one step behind Kyler, almost perfect, but not quite.
He’s way funnier. Maybe I should tell him that. Be nicer to him than he’s been to me. Try to cheer him up like I used to.
“I’m going to stop you right there,” he says. “I can already see you trying to put me together, and no one can put me together, Isa. I’m all kinds of fucked up.” He swings around me, right as his phone pings from inside his pocket. Pausing beside me, he fishes his phone out and checks the message.
I don’t intentionally try to be nosey, but I catch a glimpse of the opened text on the screen. I mentally scratch my head, because all that’s on there is a bunch of numbers, letterings, symbols, and backslashes, like a computer code.
What on earth? Since when did Kai get into computer stuff?
After he reads the message, he puts the phone away and backs for the doorway. “And you still owe me a present for carrying your bags up the stairs.” He winks and then steps toward me with his hands spanned to the side. “A hug before I go?”
I start to laugh, thinking he’s kidding, but suddenly his arms around me and he’s pulling me in for a hug. The laugh slips from my lips, but soon dies as he presses his lips to my neck and gives a soft suck and bite.
I shudder and he laughs as he steps back.
“We should say goodbye like that every, single time.” With another wink, he walks out of my room, leaving me with my jaw hanging to the ground.
What the hell has gotten into him?
Then silence sets in as I take in the bare walls around me.
“This is so depressing,” I mutter. “There’s no way I can look at this for the next nine months.”
An idea smacks me in the head. One that will more than likely get me in trouble, but fuck it. I’m eighteen and should start doing what I want, instead of worrying about my parents liking me.
And besides, technically only one of them is my parents.
I start for the door, but my closet door bangs open and a figure dressed head to toe in black except for a creepy ass black and white mask jumps out.
I start to scream, but they slap a hand over my mouth and shove me into the closet. I land on my hands and knees and scramble to my feet. But before I can even get fully upright, they slam the closet door. I grab the knob, but they must have pushed someth
ing against the door because I can’t get it to budge.
“Turn around and see the truth,” a robotic voice echoes through the door as a black light clicks on above my head.
My heart races and my skin dampens with sweat as I turn around and squint against the light. Then my heart nearly dies.
Taped to the wall is a mugshot of a woman with long brown hair and the same eyes as me. I can’t see her entire face, though, because an X has been drawn over the bottom half of her face.
“You want to know who your mom is?” the robotic voice asks. “Here you go. The truth, right in front of you.”
“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “There’s no way this can be true.”
But the truth is I have no idea what could and couldn’t be true since I know nothing about my real mom.
“Live in denial all you want. But soon you’ll have to accept it,” the robotic voice says. “Get ready, Isa. Why lies ahead for you isn’t going to be fun. At least not for you… And a little warning, if you don’t play along, we’ll break you apart even more. And you can thank your mom for what’s about to happen.”
“What do you mean play along… Who are you?” Tears burn in my eyes as I bang on the door. “Let me out of here!”
They laugh. “Scream all you want, but you and I both know no one ever hears you. Or I guess maybe they do, but they just don’t care.”
I bang on the door again and scream at the top of my lungs, but just like the person said, no one hears me.
And I’m left all alone, lost and confused and heartbroken, with nothing but my pleas and the sounds of my own tears.
About the Author
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
More Books by Jessica Sorensen
Other books by Jessica Sorensen:
Suunyvale NA:
Isabella Anders
Isabella Anders 2 (coming soon)
The Soulless:
The Curse of the Soulless
The Curse of the Soulless (coming soon)
The Unveiling:
Unveiled
Unveiled 2 (coming soon)
Mystic Willow Bay Witches Series:
The Secret Life of a Witch
The Secret Life of a Witch 2
The Secret Life of a witch 3 (coming soon)
Unearthly Balance:
Captivate
Captivate 2 (coming soon)
Shadow Cove Series:
What Lies in the Darkness
A Deadly Little Game (coming soon)
Standalones:
Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl
Confessions of a Kleptomaniac
The Illusion of Annabella
The Forgotten Girl
Broken City Series:
Nameless
Forsaken
Oblivion
Forbidden (coming soon)
Guardian Academy Series:
Entranced 1
Entranced 2
Entangled 1
Entangled 2
Enchanted 1 (coming soon)
Guardian Academy, Dash’s Series:
The Forest of Shadow and Bones
The Forest of Shadow and Bones 2 (coming soon)
Sunnyvale Series:
The Year I Became Isabella Anders
The Year of Falling in Love
The Year of Second Chances
The Year of Kai & Isa (coming soon)
Unraveling You Series:
Unraveling You
Raveling You
Awakening You
Inspiring You (coming soon)
The Coincidence Series:
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden
The Redemption of Callie and Kayden
The Destiny of Violet and Luke
The Probability of Violet and Luke
The Certainty of Violet and Luke
The Resolution of Callie and Kayden
Seth & Greyson
The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always
The Shattered Promises Series:
Shattered Promises
Fractured Souls
Unbroken
Broken Visions
Scattered Ashes
Breaking Nova Series:
Breaking Nova
Saving Quinton
Delilah: The Making of Red
Nova and Quinton: No Regrets
Tristan: Finding Hope
Wreck Me
Ruin Me
The Fallen Star Series:
The Fallen Star
The Underworld
The Vision
The Promise
The Fallen Souls Series (spin-off from The Fallen Star):
The Lost Soul
The Evanescence
The Darkness Falls Series:
Darkness Falls
Darkness Breaks
Darkness Fades
The Death Collectors Series (NA and YA):
Ember X and Ember
Cinder X and Cinder
Spark X and Spark
Unbeautiful Series:
Unbeautiful
Untamed
Isabella Anders (Sunnyvale NA Book 1) Page 10
