Echoes Beneath (The Truth Series Book 2)

by J. A. Owenby

  “I don’t know how,” I whispered. “I can’t get anyone else involved.”

  “No, I actually know someone who can help. We just have to figure out how to get you to her.”

  “Who’s we? I don’t think you understand how risky this is.”

  “I do, and the girls are gonna help too, so we need to tell them.”

  “How am I going to do that? He’s everywhere.”

  “Looks like we need another meeting in the bathroom.”

  I laughed as I remembered the expression on George’s face when I pulled him into the women’s restroom for our last meeting.

  “Okay, but you’re going to have to get them together. If we’re gonna do this, you all will have to do most of it. He knows when I skip class, and where I am at all times. I’m not sure how we’re gonna pull it off.”

  “You’re going to have to trust me.”

  “I do. I trust you,” I said. Even though I trusted him, I was terrified we would get caught.

  “Go to the bathroom and wait for us.” He pointed to the same bathroom we’d used the last time. “I’ll go get the girls—it’ll just take a minute—and we’ll meet you there.”

  I nodded and walked down the hallway and into the bathroom as casually as I could.

  Chapter 42

  “He can’t do this to me,” the girl cried.

  “It’ll be okay. He was a loser anyway,” her friend said, patting her on the back.

  I groaned inwardly as I watched the crying girl stand at the bathroom sink and dab her tears away. Shit. George is going to walk in any minute, and someone else is in here. Judging by the conversation these girls were having, they had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

  I stared at them and hoped they were telepathic and would leave. I scanned the stalls for anyone else, but they were the only ones left. I glanced at my watch; I still had forty-five minutes before class got out and Xander would be waiting for me out front.

  I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms in front of me. They were completely unaware that I was there.

  The bathroom door opened, and Adalyn strolled in. She glanced at me and approached the girls.

  “Okay, party’s over. Get out,” Adalyn said.

  “What?” the crying girl asked, frowning.

  “Out. I’m sick, and I’m gonna have the massive shits, and you don’t want to be anywhere around.”

  “Eww, oh my God,” she said as they both bolted out the door.

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe you just said that!” I said and giggled.

  “Well, George said it was an emergency, so that means we don’t have time to deal with her,” she said as she crossed the bathroom, opened the door, and ushered in Cassidy and George.

  I checked the stalls one last time, and then we gathered in the middle of the room.

  “Okay, we have to talk fast, and I can’t take any chances of anyone hearing anything,” I said in a hushed whisper. Cassidy frowned and rolled her eyes.

  “Isn’t this a bit James Bond, or whatever? I mean, it’s a tad dramatic.”

  “Lacey is in trouble,” George said.

  “What do you mean, in trouble?” Cassidy asked.

  “We need to help her leave Xander. He’s hurting her.”

  “Xander Koffman? Star quarterback, sexy as hell? Hurting her? I kinda doubt that,” she said as she rolled her eyes again.

  “Seriously?” Adalyn asked. “Just because he’s gorgeous doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of being a douche."

  They both went quiet and looked at me, wide-eyed, silently asking me to confirm what George had just told them.

  I winced as I slipped my shirt over my head and revealed the black-and-blue bruise on my shoulder and the other one on my back. Then I parted my hair and uncovered the gash on my head. George gasped and turned away. Finally, I removed a little bit of the makeup from my cheek.

  “Shit,” Cassidy said as I put my shirt back on. “Why didn’t you tell us before now?”

  “I was scared,” I whispered. “He knows if I’m in class or if I’m skipping to spend time with George, and . . . I’m afraid for all of you now that you know. He’s crazy, and he swore he’d hunt me down if I left.”

  “Son of a bitch,” George muttered. “I should’ve paid closer attention when you started disappearing.

  “Don’t say that,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t have told you anything. I wasn’t ready to leave, and I have nowhere to go.”

  “You can come to Portland with me,” Cassidy said. “If Xander showed up at my house, my stepdad would invite him in and then shoot him and call it self-defense. He doesn’t put up with men hitting women. He’s kind of cool like that.”

  “I can’t do that to your family, Cassidy. I can’t bring this into someone else’s home.”

  “What about going back to Arkansas?” Adalyn asked.

  I glanced at George for reassurance. Could I really trust the girls? He took my hand and nodded.

  “I can’t. I ran away from home to come here, and . . . my mother is sick.”

  “Like cancer?” Cassidy asked.

  I shook my head and sighed. George squeezed my hand.

  “There’s too much to explain right now, but the short version is that she didn’t like a guy I was dating back home, so she drugged me and held me hostage for over a week. She believes I’m demon-possessed.”

  Their mouths gaped open.

  “Her mom is mentally unstable you guys, so close your damn mouths,” George said. “The other part of it is that her mom moved here to Eugene and almost kidnapped her at the start of the school year. She’s been trying to find her ever since.”

  “That’s what you were running from that day?” Cassidy asked. “When Xander grabbed you, and you didn’t even say goodbye?”

  “I’m sorry. I was trying to keep everyone safe from my mom. I thought Xander was protecting me, but he’s a monster,” I said and bit my lip. Tears spilled down my cheeks.

  “Oh honey, don’t cry,” Cassidy said as she hugged me. “We can help. You’re going to be okay, and we’re here with you.”

  I hugged Cassidy and took a deep breath as I glanced at the clock on the wall. Twenty minutes until class got out.

  “Okay, here’s the deal,” Adalyn said. “Cassidy, you get in touch with your friend and let her know we’re bringing someone to her. Lacey, we’ll let you know as soon as it’s safe and ready. I’d plan on the next few days. Everytime you come to class, stick a few pieces of clothing into your backpack, but not enough to tip off Xander. You’ll give it to me, Cassidy, or George—we’ll figure out times to meet on days that we don’t have class together.”

  “Ummm, no panties if you have to hand clothes to me,” George said.

  “George, man up,” Adalyn said. “Besides, I need to you go to the drama department and borrow a wig and some glasses—something we can use for Lacey. That way, Xander won’t know if she skips class or leaves. Find a wig that looks like Lacey’s hair for Cassidy. When we know what day Lacey will need to slip away, Cassidy will wear the wig and attend Lacey’s classes. We’ll figure out the rest when we know what day this will happen.”

  Adalyn stared at all of us. I was in a bit of awe how she’d just stepped up and orchestrated a plan. How did she know how to do all this?

  “Who will I meet with?” I asked.

  “I can’t tell you yet,” Cassidy said. “I promise you that we’ll all be with you, though, and you can trust her. But for now, the less you know, the better.”

  I peered at George.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “Don’t thank us yet—we have to get you out first,” he said.

  I took a deep breath and hoped it would work.

  Chapter 43

  The next few days passed by without incident. Xander stayed home in the evenings, and I made sure I didn’t piss him off. I kept busy studying, cleaning, and taking care of the laundry. I was able
to slip a few pieces of clothing into my backpack each day without him noticing.

  I’d at least have a few days’ worth of clothes if I were able to get out this week, and I hadn’t heard anything yet, so I just stuck with that plan. I was too scared to do anything else.

  “You should take a study break,” Xander said as he entered the living room and took my book away from me.

  “Yeah? And why is that?” I asked and attempted a smile.

  “Because all you’ve done is study today. I thought maybe we’d go out and get a bite to eat.”

  “Oh, that sounds nice. I would like to get out of the house for a little bit,” I said. “Where are we going?”

  “How about a good steak?” he asked and reached for my hand.

  “Are you sure? I know that’s expensive,” I said as I stood up.

  Xander pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head on his chest and listened to the steady drumming of his heartbeat. My stomach flipped as I remembered the last time he’d taken me out for dinner and what he’d told me about his brother that night.

  Had he found out that I was trying to leave? Had he followed Cassidy or Adalyn? Had someone overheard us making plans? I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to remain calm. I was close to getting out, just a few more days . . . I hoped.

  I tried to enjoy dinner, but my mind kept drifting to my escape plan as he talked.

  “Hey, are you okay? You seem distracted,” Xander said between bites of his steak.

  “I’m sorry, I’m just so exhausted. I guess all the studying and preparing for finals has drained me a little bit,” I replied and frowned that I wasn’t hiding my feelings better.

  “I know. The end of the year gets pretty intense—this is my fourth time,” he said and chuckled.

  “I can’t believe I met you for the first time on the airplane,” I said as I set my fork down. “I would’ve never thought that nine months later I’d be sitting across the table eating a steak dinner with you,” I said. “Life’s crazy, isn’t it?”

  He reached across the table and took my hand.

  “I know it’s been a bit up and down, but I love you.”

  My heart fluttered as I realized that I was sitting across the table from my Xander. I knew a part of him loved me; it was all the other parts that I couldn’t live with any longer.

  “I love you too,” I whispered as I held his gaze.

  We finished our dinner, Xander paid the check, and we chatted about classes and plans for the summer as we drove home.

  “We should go camping,” Xander said as he unlocked the front door of the house for us.

  Nausea swept over me at the thought of being in the woods alone with him.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Have you never gone camping?”

  “No, and the thought of snakes and bears is a little scary.”

  Xander laughed as he put his arm around me and led me into the kitchen.

  “We’ll put the tent in the back of the truck. Will that make you feel better?”

  “Much!” I said and laughed.

  Xander grabbed the rum from the cabinet and made us drinks. We settled into the living room and turned on the TV. I snuggled into him and laid my head on his shoulder. If I did anything differently, he would know something was wrong. I had to rely on my acting ability. It had become a matter of life and death.

  My belly was full, and the alcohol relaxed me. I hadn’t realized I’d drifted off to sleep until the phone rang. I frowned as I saw that it was eight o’clock. The phone rarely rang. I pulled away and began to stand when he tugged on my arm.

  “Let the answering machine get it,” Xander said.

  I sat back down on the love seat as the beep on the machine went off. Xander muted the TV so we could hear who was on the line.

  “Lacey, it’s me, Emma. I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, but it’s really important. Please, if you’re home, pick up, or call me as soon as you get this. I don’t care how late it is.”

  Xander frowned at me and hopped off the couch. I wasn’t sure if he was going to answer the phone or not.

  “It’s about Walker—” Emma started before a loud crash in the kitchen shot me up off the couch.

  “What happened?” I asked as I ran into the room.

  “What the fuck was that?” Xander asked. I glanced around and identified pieces of the answering machine scattered across the floor.

  “What? What happened?”

  “Walker?” he asked as his hand clenched into a fist.

  “No, I told you, we were all friends. I haven’t talked to Emma since Christmas. I have no idea what she’s talking about!” I said as my eyes widened. Emma’s timing couldn’t have been worse. I stared at the floor.

  “You’re lying!”

  “No I’m not,” I said as I put my hands in front of me and backed away from him into the living room. “He’s married. And I haven’t seen him in a year and a half. I don’t know where he lives, or anything else about him,” I stammered as he followed me.

  Xander’s fist flew up and smacked my cheek. A sharp pain traveled through my face as I reeled backward and into the back of the couch. I flipped over it and landed on the floor with a thud.

  “Please, don’t, you’ve got it all wrong,” I whimpered as I covered my head. He jerked me off the floor, and I found myself standing on my feet. His breathing came fast and hard as he stared at me.

  “I love you,” I whispered. “Only you.”

  He released me and shoved me backward. I stumbled, but caught myself. My legs wobbled as I reached out to regain my balance on the couch. Xander turned around and went upstairs. I sank down and sobbed as quietly as I could.

  Chapter 44

  I showered and applied my bruise concealer before Xander woke up. I had to cover both cheeks now, although the older bruise was almost gone. My head throbbed, and my body ached. I had no idea what kind of mood he’d be in, but I had to get to school. I’d even chanced it and rolled up a pair of jeans to give to Cassidy today. My backpack looked bulkier than normal, but if I turned it toward me, he wouldn’t notice.

  Silence hung in the air between us as we rode to school. He walked me to class as usual; I wasn’t sure if he wanted to or he was just trying to keep up appearances.

  I entered the building and noted Cassidy waiting by the women’s restroom. She nodded, and I glanced around to see if anyone was following me. I bit my lip as I followed her in.

  “You’re meeting with her in a few minutes,” Cassidy said as she pulled a dark wig and glasses from her backpack. “Let’s put these on, but first, we need to switch shirts.”

  I nodded as we traded. Thank God we were similar in size.

  “Hey, are you okay? You’re super quiet.”

  I held her gaze as I remembered our fight last night. “I can’t wait much longer,” I whispered. “He hurt me again last night.”

  “Son of a bitch,” she spat. “Look at me. We’ve got this. Stay focused, okay? I know you’re scared shitless right now, and no one should ever have to go through what you’ve been through. Unfortunately, you’ve had a double share of it between your mom and Xander, but we’re so close. Hang on, okay?”

  I nodded as tears slid down my cheeks. I tugged the dark-haired wig on, and Cassidy tucked my hair underneath it. She pulled a pair of eyeglasses from the bag and slipped them on my face.

  “This will work. George did good,” she said and smiled. I adjusted my glasses in the mirror and gawked at how different I looked. It wasn’t just the wig and glasses, but how flat and lifeless my eyes were.

  “Let’s do this,” she said. “I would go with you, but I need to make sure that everyone thinks you’re here and not sneaking off. Adalyn is waiting for you at Grayson Hall. If you go out the back door of this building, you shouldn’t be seen. George will also join you there. I’ll fill in for you in class, and I’ve already told my friend about what you’ve been going through so we can get this done as quickly as po
ssible. Any questions?” she asked as she adjusted her wig.

  I shook my head as Cassidy leaned in and hugged me.

  “We got this,” she said one more time and then walked out of the bathroom.

  I took a breath, opened the door, and turned the opposite direction from the front doors I normally entered. I glanced behind me, but the hallway was empty. I pushed through the exit doors and walked across the car filled parking lot. I spotted Adalyn standing outside the main doors of Grayson Hall. She nodded as I approached, and then she walked into the building.

  Thirty seconds later, I slipped in the door behind her. I followed her down the hallway and then took a right. She paused for a moment so I could see her enter an office. I stopped, my heart pounding as I looked around me again. I took a deep breath and slipped inside the door.

  “No one would ever know it was you,” she said as she hugged me.

  “Yeah, George did well. Speaking of, where is he?”

  “Here,” George said as he slipped into the office.

  “Hi!” I said and hugged him.

  I scanned the walls and the chairs. It almost resembled a doctor’s exam room, with two different doors and a desk. The walls were blank, but overall it seemed quiet and safe, and that’s all I needed.

  I was in the middle of removing my wig and glasses as the second door clicked open and a voice said, “Hi, everybody.”

  I looked up to see Mrs. Walters walk in. I couldn’t help but gawk at her for a second.

  “Hello, Lacey,” Mrs. Walters said. Her smile lit up her face as she made herself comfortable at the desk.

  “Hi,” I said softly.

  “I hear you’re in trouble, and I understand that we only have about twenty-five minutes to talk before you need to head back. Cassidy’s already told me the basics of what’s going on to save us some time—I hope that’s okay.”

  I nodded. “Of course.”

  “First of all, Lacey, I need you to understand that this isn’t your fault. There isn’t anything you could’ve said or done that warranted you being hit. Ever. I don’t care if you let some other guy touch you, used drugs, or argued with him. No human being deserves to be hit. Did you screw up? Sure, but haven’t we all. I sure as hell have. In fact, I was in your shoes fifteen years ago.”