“I’ll make you a deal. If we’re each not married by forty, we marry each other.”
“Are you trying to save me from my crazy cat-lady future?”
“Yep.”
“So selfless, you are, Garrett Higgins. Willing to marry a blonde to save her from her relationship downward spiral.”
“What can I say? I’m a philanthropist.”
“I literally have no comeback for that one.”
I stood up to leave, putting my half-eaten lunch up on the counter.
“You’re heading out?”
“Yeah. I need to get some homework done today—maybe pick through my dad’s case a bit to see what I can find out about Reider in there.”
He got up and cleaned off the table, then walked into the living room to grab his backpack.
“Let me get some clothes for later,” he said, running down the hall to his room. “I’m coming with you. Meg’s orders.”
“Okay. But why a change of clothes?”
He reappeared with a mischievous grin.
“Because we’re going to take the Canadian to the drive-in tonight.”
He shooed me out the front door and walked over to his truck, his baggy sweatpants dragging in the gravel. As I climbed into Heidi, I wondered why I didn’t love Garrett the way I’d loved AJ. It would have made my life so much simpler. He was gorgeous, smart, funny, and kind. Everything a girl could want. But we’d never been like that, and I doubted we ever could be.
Not even at forty.
TWENTY-SIX
Garrett took his don’t-leave-me-alone assignment seriously. From the time I returned from Columbus, he wasn’t willing to leave my side. I acted like he was being ridiculous, but, in truth, having him around was comforting—even if he was a total TV nazi.
“There’s nothing good on,” he said, turning the TV off and throwing the remote aside. He flopped back onto the couch, his feet dangling off the end. He just didn’t fit on it like he used to.
“We have basic cable and no Netflix, Garrett,” I said. “How high could your expectations have been?”
He sat up enough to peek at me over the back of the couch. His scowl was duly noted.
“Did you call Tabby about the drive-in?” he asked.
“I’m not so sure about going. I mean, another public appearance? Really? Are you trying to syphon my will to live?”
“It’s better than sitting around here waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“I was kinda hoping there’d be no more shoes, but…”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do,” I sighed, walking over to the couch. He moved so I could sit down beside him. “I’ll call her. I need to fill her in on everything anyway. That’s as good a place as any to do it.”
“Get the Canadian on the phone,” he said, standing up to stretch. “Tell her it’s a rite of passage in this town. She couldn’t say no to that if she tried.”
I laughed as he disappeared down the hall to the bathroom, leaving me alone in the living room. It seemed so much darker in there with the plywood covering the picture window. It made it eerier than usual. Or maybe that was just my growing paranoia that something bad was headed for me. The unknowns were mounting around me, hemming me in. Claustrophobia was one of my greatest weaknesses, and it certainly wasn’t helping my unease.
I tried to shake it off and called Tabby to invite her to the movies. Not surprisingly, she accepted with a squeal and quick lecture on how drive-ins were a dying breed and we were so lucky to have one. She said she’d be ready in ten minutes and hung up. I could practically see her excitement through the phone.
“Is she in?” Garrett asked as he strolled back into the living room.
“Yep. Ready in ten.”
“Perfect.”
Fifteen minutes later, we acquired the Canadian and were on our way.
The drive-in was about ten minutes out of town, just off the main highway running west toward Cincinnati. Saturday nights were always packed there, but as long as you were early enough, you could get a good spot. Garrett rolled up to the entrance and paid for all of us, then maneuvered his way through the rows, finally finding what he deemed to be the perfect place to park. He backed into it so we could spread out in the truck bed to watch whatever movie was playing. We hadn’t even bothered to check before we left.
There was only a hint of dusk remaining in the sky, which meant the movie would be starting soon. Tabby announced that she had to pee, so I took her to the concession area, which had bathrooms around the back. Unlike the other drive-in a few towns away, it was located at the very back of the grounds, which was a total pain in the ass if you wanted snacks or had to pee really badly. It was a long walk if you were parked near the front.
“I’ll wait for you out here,” I told her, knowing it was pretty tight in the ladies’ room. I took that opportunity to scan the lot for cars I recognized, looking for one massive truck in particular. Thankfully, I didn’t see Donovan anywhere.
Tabby emerged from the bathroom, and the two of us headed back to Garrett’s truck.
“Oh! We should get snacks.”
Before I could argue, she bolted to the counter and ordered one of nearly everything they had.
“You think you got enough there, champ?”
She looked a little sheepish for a second, clutching a tub of popcorn to her chest.
“My parents don’t have sugar in the house. I get a little crazy when I’m somewhere I can have it.”
I looked down at her handful of candy and nodded, taking the pop from her hand, and we headed back to meet Garrett. He had the sleeping bags all spread out and ready to go.
“Tabby bought the whole concession stand,” I announced as we walked up.
“Licorice Twisties! Nice…”
Tabby grinned. “They’re so good, right?”
Garrett helped us into the back, catching the popcorn Tabby nearly dropped, and the three of us got settled against the back of the cab. The previews had just begun, but people were still rolling into their spots and getting set up for the feature. I noticed Eric Stanton pull into the row in front of us, a few spots over. His silver BMW was hard to miss. Scooter, Jaime, and Mark all stepped out of it and set up lawn chairs in front of the car.
Jaime looked over toward us and froze for a second before putting his chair with the others.
“Ignore them, Ky,” Garrett said, shooting me a look. I grabbed a handful of Tabby’s popcorn and shoved it in my mouth.
“Ignore who?” I asked, shooting popcorn everywhere. Tabby laughed like crazy, and Garrett just shook his head.
“Should we tell her now? Before the movie starts?” Garrett pressed, now turned to face me.
“Tell me what? I already know about the AJ thing. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” I said before filling her in on everything we’d been withholding. From Gramps’ house to the stolen file to the anonymous threats that likely weren’t connected to Donovan at all. By the time we’d finished, Tabby looked like her eyes would bug out of her head. “Oh, look, the movie’s starting,” I said, stealing the drink from Garrett.
“Ky … why didn’t you tell me this before? This is dangerous. Like really dangerous. You need to call the police.”
Oops … I’d forgotten that minor detail.
“About that,” I started before Garrett ribbed me with his elbow. “Ow!”
“About what?” Tabby asked, looking past me to Garrett.
“It seems as though the sheriff’s department may or may not be a wee bit tainted.”
“Tainted?” It took a second for that to settle in before she fully got my meaning. “Oh, my God—you think they’re dirty? But Garrett’s dad—” She cut herself off, staring at him with wide eyes.
“We can’t prove he is,” I said quickly. “There’s just a lot of suspicious behavior surrounding my case and a few other things,” I explained. “Something doesn’t ad
d up with it all, but I can’t figure it out. Not yet anyway.”
“Ky,” she said, her note of warning plain.
“Tabby, I can’t just let it go.”
“She really can’t,” Garrett interjected. “It’s against her religion.”
“But I’ve got some outside help—one of my dad’s friends from the FBI. He’s doing what he can from his end.”
“Okay…” She sounded anything but satisfied with my response.
“My boss, Meg, knows about it, too. She’s my mom’s best friend and a kick-ass lawyer. She’s already working on things from her end. I’m confident that this situation will get cleared up in no time. She even said something about putting a camera up at Gramps’ house to catch anyone in the act next time.”
“I’d rather there not be a next time,” Tabby said before taking a big bite of her Licorice Twisty.
“I don’t think there will be. But if it makes you feel better, I seem to have a personal bodyguard to watch out for me.” Tabby’s eyes drifted over to Garrett then back to me.
She shrugged and nestled back against the cab.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Garrett asked, mimicking Tabby’s gesture before stealing a piece of licorice from her bag.
“Nothing. I’m just not sure you’re bodyguard material.”
Garrett chucked the candy at her head, and she laughed.
“It’s clearly going to be a long night,” I sighed, crawling forward until I had enough space to lie down on my belly. I balled the blanket up to make myself a pillow and hunkered down for the movie to start. I could hear the two of them behind me, still giving each other shit. It made me smile. I was so lucky to have the two of them in my life.
I hoped neither one got caught up in its chaos.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Forty-five minutes into the movie, the curse of my tiny bladder struck.
I climbed out of the truck bed to Garrett’s mocking. Tabby started to follow me, but I called her off. If I couldn’t go to the bathroom in a crowded drive-in, I couldn’t go anywhere alone. And that wasn’t a reality I was willing to entertain—at least not yet.
The lone concession worker smiled at me as I walked by—a clear sign that he had no idea who I was. It was refreshing to say the least.
I made my way around the back, which was well lit but still a little desolate. Woods bordered the back of the property, but they started at least fifty feet back from the building. If anyone were about to dart out of there, I’d have more than enough time to make a run for it.
I went to the bathroom in record time and emerged from the building just as the men’s room door closed. I started to walk past it, but someone rounded the corner of the building, cutting me off. Jaime Chavez kept heading toward me, looking back over his shoulder like he was nervous. My adrenaline shot through the roof as my mind decided if fight or flight was the best response.
When he saw my wide eyes, he slowed.
“I need to talk to you,” he whispered at me. “But not here. Not where we can be seen.”
When I didn’t reply, he walked past me, giving me a wide berth, and continued on to the far side of the concession stand. The side nobody ever went around. After a moment of hesitation, I followed him, making sure I kept a healthy amount of space between us. I brought my cell phone out for good measure too, ready to snap pics or call Garrett if I needed to.
“They all know what you’re doing, Kylene,” he said, his voice still hushed but harsh. “You need to stop.”
“Stop what?” I asked, playing dumb.
“Looking into what happened that night. You asked Maribel those questions, and you’ve been all over me. But beyond that, I’ve heard the others talking about it. How you’re picking fights with us in class—like with Eric and Scooter, and what happened last night with AJ at the bonfire.…”
“As far as I’m concerned, Jaime, you’re all guilty in one way or another, and I intend to prove it.”
“No!” he said, lunging closer to me. Out of reflex, my leg shot forward in a front kick, driving him back.
“Come at me again and I’ll drop you where you stand,” I said, turning to walk away.
“I didn’t do it,” Jaime said between jagged breaths. He was bent over, clutching his stomach, but his eyes were still on me. “But you’re right. I lied about what I saw that night—I am guilty of that.”
I turned back around.
“What did you say?” I asked, disbelief in my tone, though it shouldn’t have been. Somehow, him confirming what I’d long believed shocked the shit out of me.
He stood up, his features still twisted in pain, and took a cautious step toward me.
“I said I lied about what I saw.”
I quickly closed the distance between us, cramming my face in his.
“What did you see?” I asked. Disbelief had turned to anger. It was clear in my tone and my actions as I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer still.
He wrestled his way out of my grip but didn’t retreat.
“I saw Mark, Eric, and Scooter walk out to the hot tub just about the time the sheriff said the pictures were taken. AJ was nowhere near there. I know that because I was with him, just like he said.”
“And Donovan? Where was he?”
“I remember him being in the basement near the beer. That’s where AJ and I were headed when the other three went outside.”
“Are you saying that you know for certain that AJ didn’t do it?”
He nodded.
“He was with me from then until we came back upstairs together and found you passed out in the hot tub. We had no idea what happened until the next day.…”
“Then tell me why, Jaime? Why would you lie and let those three get away with something that disgusting? Why would you let them do that to me? You have a sister,” I said, cutting myself off before my emotions spilled over. I let anger override me again so I could speak without giving myself away. “What if they’d done that to Maribel? Would you have told the truth then?”
Even in the darkness, I could see the harsh angle of his jaw working hard as he clenched his teeth in frustration. I was getting to him and I knew it. Then he shook his head, and my mind broke.
“I couldn’t,” he said, disgust in his voice.
“You would let someone do that to your sister? Let them get away with it—”
“You don’t understand!” he all but growled at me, turning to walk deeper into the dark. When he returned, there was fear in his eyes. Real wrath-of-God fear. “The day after it happened—when it became clear that the six of us would be questioned—I got a call, telling me that we’d all be rewarded if I only told part of my story. If we all stuck together, nobody would have charges filed against them. I told whoever it was that I couldn’t do that. That I wouldn’t lie to the police.…”
“So why did you, Jaime? What made you change your mind?”
His fear faded, leaving a moment of silence in its wake.
“My mother didn’t come to this country legally.…” he said softly. Realization slammed into me with brutal force. Whoever had contacted him knew that fact and leveraged it against him. No fourteen-year-old kid wanted to lose his mother, let alone to deportation. I knew what it was like to live without a mother. My heart ached for the choice he’d been forced to make.
“So you played along to keep her safe.…”
He nodded in response. “I’m so sorry, Kylene. I never wanted for this to happen to you.”
He stepped closer to me, his hand reaching out for mine. Just as I was about to take it, voices from behind us made me jump.
“What are you two doing back here?” Eric asked, stepping around the corner. Scooter wasn’t far behind him.
“Go away,” Jaime said, stepping closer to me.
He viewed them as a threat, which spoke volumes about what he’d told me. He thought they were the guilty ones.
“Looks like the cat’s out of the bag.…” I said, look
ing up to Jaime, silently begging him to play along—for both our sakes.
“Whatever,” Scooter said, stepping closer. “I heard all about you getting him kicked out of class the other day. You hate him as much as you hate the rest of us.”
I gave him a patronizing smile.
“Oh, Scooter. You’re really not the brains of the crew, are you? You see, sometimes, especially if you’re trying to have a secret love affair, you do things to throw people off the truth. Like, when everyone’s watching, pretend as though you detest that person with every fiber of your being.”
“Does that mean you’re secretly in love with AJ Miller, too? You sure seem to act like you hate him,” Eric added. “Or maybe you have some sick obsession with screwing all of us.”
“Oh, no. Not you two. I genuinely hate you both. No act necessary.”
“Is this why you kept looking back at Higgins’s truck the whole time?” Scooter asked Jaime. “Worried she was hooking up with him, too? Once a slut, always a slut…”
“Let’s go,” Jaime said, taking my hand in his to lead me away. Scooter moved to let him pass, but Eric didn’t budge. He blocked his path, the two of them standing nearly nose to nose.
“Don’t forget how this works, Jaime. Don’t let a tight piece of ass cloud your judgment.”
“I’m not,” he replied before shoving Eric out of the way. I walked past the two intruders, Jaime still leading me by the hand for effect. I assessed their glares as I did.
Scooter’s was full of disbelief and confusion. Eric’s was full of something else entirely. Rage.
Jaime dragged me almost halfway back to the truck before letting go of me.
“Why did you say that?” he asked, leaning in close to my ear.
“Because you put a lot at risk to tell me what you did, Jaime. I don’t want to be the reason your mother gets deported.”
“So you’re not going to tell anyone what I said?” I shook my head no, and he let out the breath he’d been holding. “Thank you. And I’m sorry, Kylene. For everything.”
Dare You to Lie Page 20
