By 6 the next morning, I can’t take another minute in the car. I just want to get home. I call Garret again but his phone goes straight to voicemail. I try calling his dad again but he doesn’t answer. I leave messages for both of them to call me back even though I’ve already left the same messages several times now and gotten no response.
I’m now beyond worried and I have no outlet for my nervous energy. I need to get out of the car and run for an hour to burn off the stress, but instead I have to sit here for at least two more hours.
“Jade, I want to say some things before we get there.” Carson says it in the tone he uses when he lectures me about Garret. “I’ve been waiting to say this until now because I know you’ll be mad when I tell you.”
“If I’ll be mad, then don’t tell me.”
“It’s about Garret and his family.”
I tip my head back toward the roof of the car. “Carson, please do not start with this. I’m so tired and I’m not at all in the mood to hear your conspiracy theories or whatever bad things you’re going to say about Garret’s family.”
“Just listen. You need to hear this.” He pauses. “I think Garret’s dad belongs to some type of secret society.”
Shit! How the hell would Carson know that?
I react as I always do when he tells me stuff like this and act like he’s crazy.
“Garret’s dad does not belong to a secret society. Those things don’t even exist.”
“Of course they exist. You never heard of Skull and Bones? The one at Yale? They even made movies about it.”
“Well then it’s not that secret, is it?”
“There are other ones that very few people know about. Like the one I think Garret’s dad belongs to. My uncle told me about it. He said it’s been around for over 100 years. It’s made up of very rich, very powerful men. Women aren’t allowed in. You’re born into it so if I’m right and Pearce Kensington is part of it, then Garret will be a member soon, if he’s not already.”
“That’s a funny story. I’m going to sleep. Wake me when we get there.” I lean my pillow against the seat and pretend to sleep.
“This group finds out stuff about its members—things they don’t want to get out. That’s how they keep people in line. You can’t ever leave this group. You’re in for life. Members have to do things, Jade. Bad things. That’s why some people try to get out.”
“I’m not listening,” I tell him, my eyes still closed.
“They rig elections. It used to be harder to prove, but with these new electronic voting machines a reporter was able to prove they rigged the voting machines in Ohio and Florida during the last presidential election. You know what happened to that reporter? Shot in the head the day before he was going to announce this on a talk radio show. They said it was a suicide, but the guy never showed signs of being suicidal.”
“Are you done yet, Carson?”
Although part of me wants to hear what he has to say, the other part of me doesn’t. If this group does bad things, I’d rather not know. Garret will never be part of that organization. He already knows about it and he’s never been told he has to be part of it.
Carson keeps talking. “We’ve had presidents who never should’ve been in office. This group is controlling the system. And the party affiliation doesn’t matter. Democrat or Republican. They switch it up so people don’t get suspicious. They just find a person to act as a figurehead, someone who’s likable and looks good on camera. They get him elected, but the guy has no control. This group controls what he says and does.”
“Do you realize how crazy you sound? You really need to stop this, Carson. If you tell this to anyone else, you’ll end up in a mental hospital.”
“They pick key senators as well. Men who will head important committees to help this group with their agenda.”
“And what is their agenda?”
“I don’t know. Get more power? Control the masses? Make more money? Being a member of this group has benefits. You’re guaranteed to be rich. Not average rich but super rich, like Garret’s family.”
“Where do you get this stuff?”
“News articles, websites, videos. A lot of times something gets published online that shouldn’t and then it disappears. Like that reporter who died? An article went online right after his death saying he was shot. It had statements from witnesses who said they saw someone enter his apartment before it happened. Then an hour later, the article was taken down and replaced with the suicide story. This time the so-called witnesses said they hadn’t seen anyone go in his apartment all day.”
“And you’re saying this secret group killed the guy?”
“Yes. They had to get rid of him. That’s what they do. They get rid of people who know too much and then they just make up some story to cover their tracks. What they don’t get is that there will always be people who search for the truth. Some guy took a screen grab of the original article that came out about that reporter, the real story, and put it on his website. I printed it out if you want to see it.”
“I get it, Carson. You don’t like Garret’s family.”
“It’s not that I don’t like them. I’ve never met them, so how would I know? What I’m saying is that if this is true, you should be aware of it because you may not want to be involved in this. These people are dangerous, Jade.”
“Well, now I know, so are we done with this topic?”
“I still have that file in my room. I have proof for at least some of the things I told you about.”
Carson’s really starting to freak me out. And if any of what he said is true, he could end up getting killed if he pursues this any further.
“Carson, what exactly do you plan to do with this information? You’re not a reporter. You’re not a journalist. You want to be a doctor, so why are you so obsessed with this? What’s your goal here?”
He considers it. “I don’t know. It’s not like I can stop them. I guess my goal is just to find out the truth.”
“But it’s not the truth. You’re just believing stuff you find on the Internet. People can make up whatever they want and put it out there and make it sound real.”
He sighs. “Fine. I’m done trying to convince you. I thought I was being a friend by telling you this. I was trying to protect you. But it’s obvious you’ll never believe me. Just be careful.”
“I seriously need you to stop bringing this up.”
“I just told you I would.”
“Yeah, and you’ve said that before and then you bring it up again. I just want this to end. You don’t need to protect me. And you really need to stop obsessing about Garret’s family. Just let it go.”
“I told you I’d stop talking about it and I will. Let’s just leave it at that.”
I’m guessing that means he’ll keep investigating this, but I can’t seem to change his mind so I don’t bother trying. Instead I close my eyes and end up falling asleep for the rest of the drive. I wake up when I feel Carson’s hand on my arm.
“Jade, we’re here.” Carson is talking beside me. He sounds normal again, his conspiracy tone gone, hopefully for good this time.
I slowly sit up and see that we’re in the parking lot in front of our dorms.
“It’s a lot warmer here than in the Midwest,” he says. “And there’s no snow. Guess we should’ve just stayed here for spring break.”
He gets out of the Jeep and goes around to the back to get the luggage.
While he’s back there, I check my phone. Still no messages from Garret. What the hell? I haven’t heard from him since yesterday morning and it was just that one text saying he had to do something with his dad. So is he still with his dad? But his dad isn’t answering his phone. What if something bad happened to both of them?
I’ve gotta figure this out. Something is definitely wrong.
14
When I step out of the Jeep, Carson is standing there with my suitcase and the crutches I never used. I offer to take something, but he insists on
carrying it all to my room.
“Thanks for bringing my stuff in,” I say as Carson sets my suitcase by the closet. “And thanks again for the ride. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Need anything else?”
“Nope. I’m good. I’ll see you in class on Monday.” I just want Carson to leave so I can figure out what’s going on with Garret.
“Okay, see ya.”
When he’s gone, I phone Garret again. No answer. I send another text and wait for a response but I get nothing back. Then I call his dad who also doesn’t answer. I don’t know who else to call so I call their home number. The maid answers and says nobody’s home.
I run up to the second floor. I’m sure Garret’s not in his room. If he was, he would’ve answered his phone or sent me a text. But I figure I might as well rule out all the options.
His floor is quiet because people are still on spring break. I knock on his door several times but as expected, he doesn’t answer.
So he’s not at home. He’s not at school. Where the hell is he?
I check my phone again and still have no messages. As I’m walking back down the hall I hear a door open. I look back and see that it’s Garret’s door, so I run back.
“Garret, where have you—” I stop because I can’t believe what I’m seeing. He’s standing there in jeans and a wrinkled black t-shirt, holding a half-empty bottle of vodka.
“Hey,” he says, tipping the bottle up at me.
His hair is a mess and his normally bright blues eyes are glassy and distant. He reeks of alcohol and I notice three other bottles of liquor on his desk.
My chest gets heavy and tight and I’m only able to take short, shallow breaths. Time seems to slow as I try to process what I’m seeing. Try to make sense of it somehow.
“What is this?” I ask him. “What’s happening here? What are you doing?”
He walks slowly to the bed and slumps down on it, still holding his bottle.
I snatch it from him. He looks up briefly, but otherwise doesn’t seem to care.
“Tell me what’s going on here.” I set the bottle on the floor, then shake his shoulders to get his attention. “Garret, talk to me.”
“I’m sorry,” he says quietly.
“Sorry about what?” Tears are now streaming down my face. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know it’s bad. It’s really bad. “What happened? Why are you drinking?”
“I couldn’t deal with—” His eyes close.
“Couldn’t deal with what?” I shake him again, then stop because it might make him throw up. I sit next to him. “Garret, look at me.” His eyes slowly open. “Why are you drunk? Would you please say something? Anything?”
He puts his hand on my face, wiping the tears off my cheek. “Don’t cry, Jade. It’s my fault.”
“What do you mean? What’s your fault?”
He’s quiet again.
I’m exhausted from being awake all night, but I use every last bit of energy I have to stop crying and focus on figuring this out.
“Garret, you need to tell me what’s going on. You’re scaring the shit out of me. Please just talk to me.”
“I didn’t know about any of this. I swear.”
“Any of what? You’re not making any sense.”
His head drops down to his chest. “If I knew, I would’ve kept you away. I would’ve kept you out of this.”
“Kept me out of what?”
He lifts his head again and I can tell that he’s struggling with something he can’t express. Something painful. And it’s killing me to see him like this. All I want to do is help him, but I don’t know how. I don’t know what he needs. I don’t know how to make this better.
I reach over and hug him tightly against me because whenever he does it to me, it always makes me feel better. And although I don’t think it will help, I don’t know what else to do.
He doesn’t really hug me back but just wraps his arms loosely around my waist.
“I love you, Jade. More than anything. I love you.”
“I know you do. I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
I slowly pull away from him. “What are you sorry for? What did you do?”
“They did it. I didn’t.”
“Who’s they? Your dad? Katherine?”
His head collapses on my shoulder. I push him up but his eyes are closed like he’s passed out. I lay him on the bed and call his dad again. No answer. Where the hell is his dad?
Maybe his dad is screening his calls and doesn’t want to talk to me. That would explain why he didn’t return any of my earlier calls. I spot Garret’s cell phone on the dresser and use it to call his dad.
Pearce answers on the first ring. “Garret, where are you? I’ve been looking all over town for you. Let’s just talk about this. We’ll figure something out.”
Figure what out? What is he talking about?
I hear Pearce’s voice again. “Garret, are you there?”
“It’s me, Mr. Kensington. Jade. I’m with Garret.”
There’s silence and I’m sure he’s going to hang up, but then he speaks. “Where is he?”
“He’s in his dorm room. He’s been drinking. A lot.”
More silence and then, “Put him on the phone.”
“He’s passed out.” I see Garret lying there and my stupid tears start flowing again. “Can you please tell me what’s going on? I just got back and found him like this. Yesterday morning he sent me a text when I was leaving Iowa. And that was it. No more texts. No phone calls. Nothing. And then I get here and he’s drunk. He never drinks, at least not since he met me. Something’s really wrong and I don’t know what to do. I don’t—”
“Jade, just calm down.”
“Calm down? Garret was fine when I talked to him Thursday night and now he’s passed out drunk! At 8:30 in the morning! What the hell happened? Before he passed out he kept saying he was sorry. Why is he sorry?”
“Just wait there with him. I’m in the car now. I’ll be there in 20 minutes to take him home.”
“You’re not even going to explain what’s going on here?”
“I’ll explain later.” He hangs up.
I set the phone down on Garret’s desk and pick up all the liquor bottles and take them down to the bathroom. It’s the guy’s bathroom but nobody’s in there. Even if a guy walks in I’m not leaving until this alcohol is gone.
I dump the vodka and the whiskey down the sink, turning my head to avoid the smell. But I can’t avoid it. It’s all around me and images of my childhood come flashing back.
This scene is all too familiar. Jade’s desperate attempt to get rid of the alcohol. I feel like I’m 6 years old again, dumping my mom’s vodka down the sink when she wasn’t looking, hoping it would make her stop drinking. It never did. She’d just hit me to punish me, then walk to the liquor store and buy more.
I toss the empty bottles in the trash and start dumping out a bottle of rum and another bottle of vodka. The rum smell is so strong it almost makes me vomit.
I go back to Garret’s room, grab a clean towel, and race down to the bathroom to soak it with cold water. When I return to his room, he’s still lying there passed out. I wipe the cold, wet towel over his face. It’s what I used to do for my mom when I was a little girl and wasn’t sure if she’d wake up after she passed out drunk. Sometimes it woke her up, sometimes it didn’t. And when it didn’t, it scared the crap out of me. I was sure she was dead. I know Garret’s not, but I still get that same panicked feeling seeing him lying there, not moving.
I fucking hate that Garret is making me do this! Making me relive the worst part of my life. Bringing back memories I try so hard to forget.
He wakes up a little and pushes the towel away. “Jade?” He squints like the light from the window is making his head hurt.
“Yes. It’s me. Let’s get you in a different shirt. This one smells really bad.” He slowly sits up and lifts his arms. I pull his shirt ov
er his head and toss it on the floor, then grab a clean one from his drawer. He starts to fall over, but I hold him up and manage to get the clean shirt on him.
“Whatever’s going on here, we’ll get through it, Garret. This is nothing we can’t handle.” I’m saying it to him but it’s really more for myself. “We’ve been through worse things than this.”
“I’ll miss you, Jade.” His head falls forward onto my chest and his arms hug my waist. “I already do.”
“Why would you miss me? I’m right here.”
“Because it’s over,” he says softly.
“What’s over?”
“You have to go away.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere.” I lean him up against the wall so I can get a bottle of water from the fridge. Keeping an eye on him, I quickly get the water, then sit next to him again.
“You need to drink some of this.” I hold the bottle to his lips and he tips his head back just slightly, hardly getting a drop in.
“Garret, sit up. Just take a few sips. It’ll make you feel better.”
He bolts upright and shoves the plastic bottle from my hand. It hits the floor, bouncing a few times and splattering water all over the place.
“What are you doing?” I reach to pick it up and he grabs my wrist so tight it hurts. “Garret, stop it!”
I pry my wrist from his hand and pick up the water bottle.
“Just go!” He yells it at me.
“Go where?” I yell it back, slamming the bottle down on his dresser. “I don’t understand you! What is going on here? Why are you acting this way?”
“They said if you don’t go they’ll—” He falls back against the wall, his head hitting it so hard it makes a thumping noise.
“You’re hurting yourself!” I race over and place myself next to him so his body doesn’t fall over. “Just hold still. Your dad will be here any minute.”
“I hate him,” he mumbles. “That bastard should’ve told me.” His head falls to the side, resting on my shoulder.
Promising You (The Jade Series #4) Page 14
