Shy (Once Bitten, Twice Shy, #2)

by Marie, Noelle

  Her mother wilted under her obvious ire. "It was only a suggestion, Katherine," she answered softly, "and only to be done with your permission."

  "Why even suggest it when I told you that Bastian didn't touch me?"

  Elaine frowned. "I was just concerned, honey. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

  "Embarrass me?" Katherine was livid. "I'm pissed that you could accuse the man who took care of me the past half a year of something so vile." As much as she despised the lies Bastian had told her, she couldn't fight the innate urge to defend him. "I promise, mom, I'm just as much a virgin now as the day I disappeared, okay?"

  Elaine raised her hands in the universal sign of surrender. "Alright, alright. I believe you. I’m sorry. It’s just that I'm your mom; it's my job to worry about you." Her eyes were suspiciously wet.

  Katherine sighed, her anger deflating at the sight. Tension fled her stiff shoulders like air would escape a punctured balloon. "I know, mom. It's okay." She glanced at the doctor. "No rape kit,” she reiterated.

  What did they think it would accomplish anyway? Even if she had been raped at some point, which she definitely hadn’t, evidence of the act would have certainly been gone by now.

  Dr. Morgan nodded agreeably to the order and Elaine hesitantly took her leave from the room.

  After that, the pelvic exam was a piece of cake.

  The blood draws and MRI scan Dr. Morgan ordered for her head – she was understandably concerned that Katherine was supposedly experiencing memory blanks from a concussion that had also triggered temporary amnesia seven months earlier – were completed without fuss as well.

  They were told they’d receive the results of several tests they planned to run on the MRI images within a few weeks.

  Unfortunately, the trip to the county courthouse that her parents insisted they take after the hospital visit didn’t go nearly as smoothly.

  The courthouse was where the sheriff's office was located, and as soon as they arrived at the building, they were ushered into said office, a middle aged man with an impressive handlebar mustache greeting them as they crammed themselves into the cramped space. According to the metal plaque on the desk, the man was Sheriff Jamison Sanders.

  He confirmed this as he introduced himself and handed her parents a small bundle of paper work they apparently needed to fill out in order to withdraw the missing person’s report they had filed back in October. After they'd finished with that, he invited all three of them to follow him into a more private room in the back of the building.

  “I just need to ask Katherine a few questions," he assured when her father asked why.

  Dread caused Katherine’s stomach to churn.

  He led them to what was essentially an interrogation room. It was only slightly larger than the man's office, a small metal table and a handful of matching chairs surrounding it the only pieces of furniture – if they could even be considered that – filling the space. Katherine immediately spotted the blinking camera in the corner of the room.

  Sheriff Sanders invited them to sit.

  "Okay, Ms. Mayes, your mom and dad explained to me that you’re suffering from some memory loss when they called to let me know you were coming in this morning. Nevertheless, I'm going to need you to tell me everything you can remember from the night you disappeared. Any detail, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, could be helpful in tracking down the man who grievously wounded your father and classmate."

  Katherine took a deep breath and slowly let it out, preparing herself to lie. “Well, the last thing I can clearly recall is getting home from school that evening – cheerleading practice ran late, I remember – and finding my dad lying in a pool of blood on our dining room floor. He told me to run."

  "And what's your next conscious memory?"

  "Waking up on the streets of Fort Saskatchewan and meeting the man who has looked after me the last seven months.”

  The sheriff frowned, the heavy wrinkles of his brow becoming even more pronounced. “And what is this man's name?"

  Katherine hesitated, but she’d already told her parents his name and couldn’t very well withhold it now. "Bastian."

  The sheriff glanced up from the small notepad that he was dutifully squiggling on. "And does this Bastian have a last name?”

  Katherine licked her lips. Of course he had a last name – Prince. "Smith."

  She hadn't even been aware she intended to lie until she’d gone and done it.

  "Smith?" Sheriff Sanders asked incredulously.

  She didn’t blame him. The alias she’d blurted out had been terribly unimaginative.

  "That's what she said," her dad answered immediately, and Katherine's lips quirked into a small, grateful smile.

  The questions continued, the sheriff requesting far more details from her than either of her parents had. She did her best to repeat the same story she's told to them to the no-nonsense man.

  He didn't seem particularly pleased with her, however, when she claimed to not remember the address of the house she'd been staying at all this time. "Canada" wasn't nearly specific enough for him. He seemed doubtful of the fact that Bastian and his group of friends didn't have cell phones also.

  Still, it wasn't until she refused to sit down with a sketch artist that Sherriff Sanders began to lose his patience.

  "Why won't you allow a drawing of this man to be made? Does this Bastian Smith even exist?"

  "Are you calling my daughter a liar?" Her father was out of his seat before she could blink.

  "Of course not," the man immediately denied, "but I do find it awfully suspicious that she's left us no possible way to find or even make contact this man to collaborate her story. With all due respect Mr. Mayes, for all we know, this could be the man who was behind the attack on your home in October."

  Even the very tips of Katherine's ears turned fire engine red at the insinuation. "Bastian is not a criminal and that is precisely why I don't want to sit down with a sketch artist. He doesn't deserve to have his face plastered all over the news, reporters connecting it to a crime that he did not commit."

  Her mother wrapped a comforting arm around Katherine's shoulders. "Sheriff Sanders is just trying to help, honey."

  Katherine snorted derisively.

  Benjamin, at least, recognized the stubborn set of his daughter’s jaw and knew she was done talking.

  "Katherine said no," he reiterated to the sheriff. "Now, do you have any other questions for us or can we go home? It's been a long morning."

  Sherriff Sanders sighed in defeat, shaking his head. "No, I suppose that's it then." His eyes met Katherine's briefly before he pulled himself out of his chair. "I’m really glad to see you home safe, Ms. Mayes."

  The man seemed sincere enough so Katherine let go of just a bit of the resentment that she'd allowed to fill her when he'd suggested that Bastian was some sort of dangerous criminal. "Thanks," she muttered, allowing her dad to pull her out of her own seat.

  Katherine spent the ride home mulling over her cover story. She could tell that Sheriff Sanders didn't believe her tale, and though his skepticism worried her a bit, she was also relieved that it seemed as if he was willing to leave well enough alone.

  In was well after noon by the time her father pulled the vehicle into their driveway, and Katherine made a beeline for the kitchen, impatiently peeling back the cover of the leftover chicken and rice dish her mother had informed her was in the refrigerator before heating it up in the microwave.

  She was busy scarfing the meal down when her sister strolled into the room. "Slow down, Katherine," she scolded. "You're not an animal."

  Katherine fought the urge to roll her eyes. Little did Sam know.

  "And wipe up your face when you're done, I'm taking you to the salon – my treat."

  Katherine nearly choked on a piece of chicken. "What? Why?"

  Sam shrugged. "Think of it as a belated birthday present."

  Katherine frowned. "Don't I get a say in this?" she protested.r />
  A trip to the salon wasn't exactly her idea of a good time.

  Sam raised an expertly groomed eyebrow, pointedly eying the hair that she'd slung into a sloppy bun earlier that morning. "I like your hair long, but it's still in desperate need of a trim. We won't even talk about the condition of your fingernails."

  Katherine couldn't resist the urge to glance down at them, but couldn't say what it was her sister found wrong with them. They weren't perfectly manicured like Sam's were, but when had they ever been?

  "Mom, Dad, can I take Katherine to the salon?"

  "I don't know," her mother hesitated. It was clear that she was reluctant to let Katherine out of her sight.

  Sam huffed. "We're just going to go get our hair done. The salon is literally ten minutes away. Katherine will be perfectly safe."

  "I suppose that’s fine," her mother relented under the weight of Sam's admittedly sound logic. "Just be back by supper."

  And that was how Katherine found herself being unwillingly dragged into Samantha's shiny Cadillac sedan. It was a showy red color, perfectly showcasing the excess of money Sam had access to as Chad’s wife.

  "So," Samantha began as she smoothly pulled out of the garage, "I have to admit to having an ulterior motive for getting you out of the house. Tell me the truth. I know you didn't want to admit it in front of mom and dad, but is there something going on between you and this Bastian character? Something more than friendship?"

  Katherine was so taken off guard that she didn't immediately deny it, and a smirk pulled at Samantha's lips. "There is, isn't there? I knew it."

  Katherine sighed. "It's complicated," she hedged, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively as she watched the blurred landscape pass by out of the passenger’s side window.

  "Well, do you love him?"

  Despite everything, her entire being irrefutably knew the answer to her sister’s question. It was yes. She did love him.

  But that wasn’t what she said. "I don't know."

  Sam glanced slyly at her out of the corner of her eye before turning her attention back to the road. "Have you had sex?"

  "What?" Katherine sputtered, glaring at her sister and futilely attempting to hide her rapidly reddening cheeks with her hands. "Of course not!"

  Sam laughed outright at her response before surprising Katherine by nodding her head approvingly. "Good. You shouldn't have sex with anyone unless you're sure that you love him and he loves you."

  Katherine raised an eyebrow at the surprisingly thoughtful bit of sisterly advice. "That's true," she agreed quietly.

  When Sam opened her mouth again, Katherine couldn't even begin to hope to hide her shock. "Chad and I are getting a divorce."

  What?

  Despite the unease Katherine frequently experienced around her sister’s husband, Sam and Chad had always appeared to be the perfect, loving couple when they were together – the couple other twosomes could only aspire to someday be.

  "Don't tell anyone," she quickly added before Katherine could respond to the news. "I haven't had a chance to tell mom and dad yet. Chad and I were planning on doing it this weekend actually, but then... well, you came home."

  Katherine felt remarkably like she was being scolded for ruining her sister's plans and a small frown pulled at her lips.

  "It's been coming for a while," Sam continued, seemingly ignorant of Katherine's discomfort. "When we moved to Middletown to help out mom and dad after you’d disappeared, the distance between us only grew. It was the final nail in the coffin, really."

  Katherine cringed. "Sorry," she said softly, sensing the hidden blame in the words.

  "Don't be silly," her sister dismissed her with a wave of her hand. She didn't say that it wasn't her fault though, and Katherine couldn't help but to feel hurt.

  Before she could dwell on it too much, however, they'd arrived at the salon, and Samantha pulled her car in front of the small building that declared itself Main Street All-in-One Beauty Parlor in glittery letters above the wooden slab that served as its front door.

  It made a resounding ding as they entered.

  They were immediately greeted by a cheery, robust woman who introduced herself as Tamara. She helped Katherine into a barber’s chair at the same time a much quieter woman assisted Sam into another one.

  The next hour passed in a whirlwind as Tamara cut and styled her hair. Her sister tried to talk her into getting her dark brown tresses highlighted as well, but watching as Samantha's head was slowly covered in strips of tin foil as she got her already blonde hair colored even lighter, convinced her that it wasn’t something she wanted for herself. She did, however, sit obediently while Tamara gave her a facial and carefully plucked her eyebrows.

  She'd drawn the line, however, when Samantha had suggested she get a bikini wax as well.

  "I can take care of myself down there on my own, thank you very much," she'd replied with a painful blush covering her face.

  When Tamara was finished with her eyebrows, she finally spun Katherine around so she could look in the mirror and see the results of her hard work. "What do you think?"

  The small brunette eyed her reflection carefully. She'd never thought herself ugly, not even living in Canada’s vast wilderness where she was surrounded by more trees than people, but she’d never considered herself to be a great beauty either. Looking in the mirror at that moment, however, Katherine could truthfully say that she felt... pretty.

  She'd only gotten a few inches cut off her hair and it still easily fell past her mid-back, but somehow Tamara had managed to tame the wild strands with the straight iron she had wielded for a solid half hour. It was styled to frame her face attractively, and as Katherine ran her hands through the smooth tresses, she smiled. “It looks great," she admitted.

  Smiling widely, Tamara helped Katherine out of her chair and ushered her to the other side of the salon where she was directed to sit and soak her feet in a small tub that had prepared with steaming water and some sort of soap.

  What followed was a sensational pedicure that had Katherine practically melting into her chair. The tough scrub Tamara used felt amazing as it attacked the rough callouses that had developed on her otherwise delicate feet from wandering the forest that surrounded Bastian's house in Haven Falls.

  She was admiring the way Tamara's steady hands expertly applied red polish – she’d allowed Sam to pick out the color – to her toenails when the door to the salon opened and alerted her to the fact that another customer had entered the building.

  "What do you mean I'll have to wait? I come in here the same time every week. Tamara has never been busy before."

  Katherine immediately recognized the voice, but desperately hoping that she was somehow mistaken, she ignored the instinct that screamed she try to hide herself and tentatively peeked at the teenage girl throwing a tantrum at the front of the salon. Her stomach sank. She was right.

  It was Mallory Flanders.

  "Sam, please tell me my eyes are deceiving me."

  "What?" her sister asked, glancing at the small gaggle of teens that had come into the salon. "Do you know those girls?"

  She certainly did know Mallory. And Jacqueline. And Heather. And... Abby?

  True excitement struck her when she recognized her buoyant, redheaded friend. Before she could decide whether she wanted to call out to her or not, however, Mallory's eyes caught hers. They widened in shock as they took her in.

  One moment Mallory was behind the desk at the front of the salon and the next she was a mere foot away from her. "What in the hell are you doing here?"

  The ferocity at which the blonde spit out the words shocked even Katherine. "Nice to see you too," she muttered weakly.

  And then Abby was there. "Katherine? Oh my God! Is that really you?" Before she could blink, she had her arms full of a jittery redhead as the girl squeezed her into a tight hug. "I've missed you so much! And I've been so worried! Where have you been?"

  "I thought you were dead." Mallory c
ontinued, ignoring Abby completely.

  "Gee, Mallory, try not to sound too disappointed," Abby snapped in response, releasing Katherine from her embrace.

  The blonde girl snorted. "No, I suppose that would have been too much to hope for."

  The words were vicious and cutting – too cruel for even Mallory.

  "What-" Katherine started, but was cut off before she could get another word in.

  "You'll have to forgive me,” Mallory hissed. "After all, it's not every day one comes face to face with the person single handedly responsible for destroying her boyfriend's future. He can't even play basketball anymore because of you."

  Katherine was bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

  "Oh, no one told you?" Mallory seemed truly surprised for a moment before allowing her teeth to show in a truly vicious grin. "Those criminals that burglarized your house and supposedly kidnapped you last October? Well, they broke both of Brad’s legs when he refused to tell them where you were at. It's a miracle that he can even still stand, let alone walk."

  So that's what her mother had meant when she'd solemnly told her that Brad was still alive when she’d asked after his wellbeing.

  Guilt threatened to close up her throat entirely, but Katherine forced the words out of her suddenly dry mouth anyway. "I… I'm sorry."

  "Not yet you aren't," Mallory spat, not entertaining her apology for a second.

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Well you've always been a little attention whore, haven't you? I wouldn't be surprised if you somehow concocted up this whole home invasion and disappearing act just to garner some sympathy when you decided to miraculously show up months later."

  "Mallory, that makes no sense," Abby pointed out derisively.

  "Shut up, Abby," she snapped before returning her attention to Katherine. "Don't worry, Katherine, I'll make sure you get the attention that you clearly so desperately want." The words sounded suspiciously like a threat. "Come on girls," she directed her cronies, "let's get out of here."

  Jacqueline and Heather immediately followed her out of the building, but Abby stayed behind. She looked incredibly sheepish. "I'm really sorry about her, Katherine. I swear, she's actually mellowed out a lot since you've been gone."