He carries me back to the bed. “I thought you wanted to run away with me, Jade. What happened to that? Have you changed your mind?” He drops me on the bed.
“You can’t do this!” I direct my voice toward the window, even though I know the chances of anyone hearing are slim. “Help! Someone help me!”
Fraser tries to pin me down, and I struggle mightily. I even try to kick him in the balls, but my foot only connects with his thigh. Finally, he sits on me, effectively immobilizing me with his weight.
I turn my head and scream as loud as I can. He slaps me across the face so hard my skull seems to vibrate. Tears are streaming down my cheeks, and my nose is getting clogged.
“Are you done?” he asks.
I nod because I can’t move and I don’t want to be hit again. He reaches over to the nightstand and grabs a tissue. “Blow your nose.”
I do, taking my time about it.
He moves down so he’s straddling my thighs. “Put your hands together.”
I swipe at my wet face once more then clasp my hands in front of me, at waist level. He binds my wrists with two long strips of tape.
Next, he leans over and grabs a shorter strip. “Sorry, but I can’t have you screaming.” He places the piece over my mouth.
I close my eyes and try to breathe slowly through my nose. The drugs are beginning to take effect. Part of me wants to fall asleep, but then I think about my parents and Charlie. I’m scared I’ll never see them again. They might not even find out what happened to me.
When he finishes with my mouth, he gets off me. I keep my eyes closed, but I feel him wrapping tape around my ankles, binding them together. Sleep is coming. I can’t stop it. Fraser makes a noisy humph sound as he hoists me into his arms. I open my eyes. He carries me to a tiny closet, drops to his knees, and sits me on the floor.
“Lean on the wall,” he says, pushing me farther inside. “You’ll be fine in here until I get back. Just go to sleep.”
My spine presses against the far wall. He bends my legs until my knees touch my stomach. He pulls shoes out from under me and adjusts my body a little as if my comfort is suddenly his biggest priority.
I blink my eyes over and over, trying not to cry because that would only make breathing through my nose harder. My arms and legs are already getting stiff, and my thoughts are swimming in a sea of mud.
Fraser disappears for a moment but doesn’t shut the door. When he returns, he’s holding one of the pillows from the bed. He gently pulls my head away from the wall and wedges the pillow behind me.
“I’m sorry about this,” he says, running his fingers down my cheek where he hit me. His touch hurts a little, even though he’s trying to be gentle. I’m betting that spot is swollen and bruised. “Maybe we can still make it work.”
I nod because I want him to keep me alive. Even though I hate him with every fiber of my being right now, I have to do everything in my power to keep him convinced that I want a romantic relationship. I never imagined my life would come down to this—convincing a psycho that I want him.
Fraser smiles down at me, then closes the door. I’m alone in what could be my final resting place. My only hope is Mateo and maybe my cell phone. Mateo will come looking for me, and he’ll find it weird that I don’t answer his messages and calls. I always answer. And maybe Dad will track my phone before Fraser ditches it. That might be my only chance to get out of this. I want to cry again, but the drugs are winning. I wonder if I’ll become a ghost if I die here, left to haunt this house until a medium like me stumbles along to free me. I can only pray that someone figures out where I am. Gram taught me how, so I start reciting my plea to be saved over and over in my head like a mantra until I drift off to sleep.
Mateo
Chapter 26
I hate Henderson. He’s such a tool. He loves to take me on, even though we’re supposed to be on the same team, and now my knee is really messed up. Despite all that, I’m excited to see Jade. She’s always waiting under the tree next to the parking lot. Usually, she’s reading, but sometimes she’s just looking at her phone, and I like to imagine that she’s having a fight with Charlie. I would do anything to make them break up so she and I could be together. I know I’m an idiot for letting her get to me, but I can’t seem to help it.
Today when I turn the corner, she’s not there. The space beneath the tree is empty, and my stomach falls. I must have missed a text. I pull out my phone to check, but there’s nothing there. I call her. The phone rings twice before going to voicemail. Shit. I hope Fraser’s not bothering her again. I hate that he’s creeping on her.
I sigh and walk back inside. I’m sure she’s in the library. Maybe she found someone to study with and lost track of time. Of all the days for this to happen, today is the worst, considering how much my knee is killing me. I have to climb the stairs from the basement, which makes it throb, and when I get to the library, she’s not even there. Her stuff is set up in her usual spot—a study carrel by the window near the reference section. Her physics text book is open to the reading for tonight, and her phone is lying on top of it.
I get a weird feeling in my chest, sort of like the nervous butterflies I get before a game. Something’s not right. Jade always keeps her phone with her. I’ve seen it dangling precariously from her back pocket, and I warned her she was going to lose it. She smirked and rolled her eyes at me. Other times, she keeps it in her front pocket or in the drink holder of my car when I drive her home, but I know for a fact that that phone is never far from her.
I start to imagine all the things that could have happened to her. Maybe that concussion is worse than everyone thought and she’s passed out somewhere. Maybe Fraser has her trapped in a study session. But she’d still have her phone and most likely her stuff with her, so none of those explanations work.
I touch the Home key on her phone, and the screen lights up. It shows three new texts, a ton of missed calls, and one voicemail. I go to the Messages screen. All the texts are from Charlie, except the one from me. I know I shouldn’t read them, but I can’t help it.
Charlie: Call me asap. You said you would.
Charlie: WTF, why are you ignoring me now!
Charlie: Where are you?
This guy is totally freaking out. He’s as clueless as I am. Now I’m even more worried. I can’t think of anything else to do but text him.
Jade: Charlie, it’s Mateo. I just found Jade’s phone and stuff. I don’t know where she is.
I stare at the screen, willing him to answer quickly. Seconds later, the phone beeps.
Charlie: I’m calling you right now.
Jade’s phone starts ringing. I hit Accept Call.
Before I can even say anything, Charlie starts talking. “You have to go to the teacher’s house. Fraser’s. She went there to find something, and she texted me she was fine, but if she’s not there with her phone, then she’s not fine. He has her.”
“There were only three texts from you on her phone. Nothing else.”
“She sent me one that said she was fine and one that she couldn’t talk. They aren’t there?”
“Let me look again.” I flip from the call to the Messages screen and check the Outbox. “No. Nothing to you today.”
“Jade never clears her texts. Now I’m sure something is wrong.”
“Why would she go to Fraser’s?”
“I can’t explain it all right now, but he’s dangerous, and he could hurt her. Can you go there?”
“Yeah. Of course. I’ll go right now.”
“Okay. And don’t just take his word that she’s not there. He might have done something to her. And maybe we should call the police.”
“Really?”
The librarian is eyeing me, so I get up and head for the back exit.
“Yeah. She was supposed to call me. Da
mn it! I knew it was weird that she only sent a text!”
“Seriously? Why do you think that?”
“Because I know Jade better than you.”
“You don’t have to act like a dick about it. I’m on my way there.” Outside, I weave my way down the hill and along the path that follows the retaining walls and landscaped shrubs.
“Sorry. I’m just freaking out. Jade thinks he might have murdered someone, that other teacher.”
“Avery?”
“Yeah.”
“Why does she think that?”
“She just does, okay? So that’s why this is so serious.”
When I get to Fraser’s driveway, I tell Charlie, “He’s not here. His car’s gone.”
“Shit! He took her then. He’s gonna friggin’ kill her. I gotta go. Please call someone. I’m calling her dad to tell him everything. I gotta go.”
Charlie hangs up, and I stand there for several minutes, alternating between staring at the house and looking at Jade’s phone. Finally, I decide to go knock on the front door.
My footsteps sound ominous somehow as I ascend the porch steps. I have a surreal feeling, as if I just got dropped into an episode of Law and Order. I knock and wait, tapping my fingers on my leg. When no one answers after a full minute, I peek in the front windows. All I see is a normal-looking living room.
Running my hand through my hair, I sit down on the steps to think and wait. This must have something to do with Avery and visiting his parents. But I don’t get why Jade would think Fraser is a murderer. It seems like a pretty big stretch.
I decide to listen to the voicemail. When I click on it, I see that it’s from someone named Noemie. I hit Play and put the phone up to my ear.
Call me, chou chou. I just had a very bad feeling, and it was something to do with you. It wasn’t clear, but I need to know you are okay. Please call me back.
Okay, that’s weird. I wonder who Noemie is, but I don’t have a chance to really think about it or to call her back because Fraser drives up in his Saab. He stops abruptly halfway down the driveway and gets out of the car, looking furious. I jump to my feet, forgetting about my knee, and stumble a little.
Fraser strides toward me, clutching a small, rolled up paper bag. “Why are you here?”
“I was looking for Jade.”
“Why would she be here?”
“Um, I don’t know. I just can’t find her, and I found her phone.” I hold up the phone to show him.
He walks closer, squinting at me. “Well, she’s not here.” His voice is ice cold, his eyes and expression terrifying. I’ve never seen him look so angry.
And because he’s my teacher and it is kind of weird that I’m at his house, I don’t disagree. “Okay. If you see or hear from her…”
“Good-bye, Mateo,” Fraser says, turning to go up the steps.
I watch him go inside then walk away. Once I’m on the path heading back to the school, I think about calling Charlie. I screwed up. I didn’t stand up to Fraser. I didn’t know what else I could have done. I couldn’t just barge into his house or demand to be allowed inside to see if she’s in there. I shouldn’t be listening to her crazy boyfriend anyway. She’s probably back in the library right now, looking for her phone and wondering where it is.
I’m so upset I stop and sit on one of the benches near a retaining wall. I take out her phone and scroll through her text messages. All the messages she’s sent me are there, at least as far as I can remember. Charlie’s right. She hasn’t deleted a single one. I dial Charlie’s number.
He answers on the first ring. “Jade?”
“No. It’s Mateo. She’s not there. He was going inside by himself.”
Charlie sighs. “Listen, I don’t have time to explain this to you. You just have to trust me that it’s true, and you have to go back down there. Jade is in serious danger. If I was there, I’d do it, but because I’m not, you have to. You can’t let that guy out of your sight until the police or Jade’s dad gets there. Her dad’s on his way.”
“But what am I supposed to say? He’s my teacher. His father is the headmaster. I could get in a lot of trouble.”
“Just go down there and watch the house. And text me if you see anything weird.”
The phone beeps, signifying another call. I check the screen—Daddy-O.
“Charlie, that’s her dad. I’ll call you back.”
I don’t wait for him to answer before clicking over. “Hi. Mr. Irving?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Mateo. I have Jade’s phone. She’s sort of missing, I guess.”
“Yes. Charlie told me all about it. Are you there now? At the teacher’s house?” He sounds scared, as if he thinks his daughter is in major peril.
“No. I’m by the library. I’m not sure what to do. I was just over at Fraser’s place, but I didn’t see Jade.”
“Where’s the house?”
“Down by the pond. Behind the school.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you there. It’ll probably be about fifteen minutes. I’m speeding, but the traffic’s bad.”
“Mr. Irving, I don’t really understand—”
“Mateo?” someone says from behind me.
I stand and spin. Headmaster Fraser and Mrs. Strickland, the guidance counselor, are coming down the path.
“Uh, Mr. Irving, I gotta go.” I hit End and nervously tuck the phone into my pocket.
Headmaster Fraser stops in front of me and says, “Mateo, we just got a call from the police that Jade Irving has been reported missing and is possibly in danger. An officer is on the way now to take a report. Do you know anything about this?”
“Um. No. Well, yeah, kind of…” I’m not sure what more to say because this is all so confusing.
“Please tell us what’s going on,” Mrs. Strickland says.
“Um, well, I was supposed to give Jade a ride home, but she didn’t meet me. I found her stuff in the library, along with her phone. She always has her phone with her, so I got worried. I looked and…” I blush when I realize what I’m admitting, but it can’t be helped. “Um… she had a few weird texts from her boyfriend, so I called him. He said he was calling the police because she’s in danger. That’s all I know.”
“Well, did he say why he thought she was in danger?” Headmaster Fraser asks.
I drop my gaze to the mossy flower beds. Answering this question is going to get me in big trouble. My dad will kill me if I get kicked out of here. Fortunately, we’re interrupted by Jade’s phone ringing.
“Is that Jade’s phone?” Headmaster Fraser asks.
“Yeah,” I say, pulling it out of my pocket. Charlie’s calling.
“Who is it?” Mrs. Strickland asks.
I hold up the phone. “Her boyfriend.”
“Answer it,” Mr. Fraser says. “Mrs. Strickland, please go out front and meet the police. Tell them that this is a big misunderstanding.”
“Yes, but where is Jade?” she asks.
“I’m sure she’s around her somewhere. Really, this is silly. You can’t go reporting people missing after finding their things in the library.”
I hit Send on the phone and put it up to my ear. “Charlie, I’m here with the headmaster. Fraser’s father.”
“Who?” he asks.
I turn a little away from the headmaster and lower my voice. “You heard me.”
“Yeah. Okay. Um, are you back at the house?”
“No.”
“Let me speak to him,” Headmaster Fraser says, grabbing the phone from me. “To whom am I speaking?”
Fraser listens to Charlie while waving Mrs. Strickland away. This is all so confusing. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now. Maybe I should go out front and wait for the police so I can tell them
my story. A small part of me wants to walk to the student lot, get into my Honda, and drive away. But I could never do that to Jade, not if she’s in trouble and needs help. Charlie seems pretty sure this is the case, so I make my move.
I know what I need to do next, and I need to do it fast. I turn and start to run.
Mateo
Chapter 27
“Mateo! Wait!”
I hear the headmaster, but I don’t listen. Instead, I jog down the path to Fraser’s house to wait for Jade’s dad. I only hope he gets here soon and that Mrs. Strickland doesn’t send the police away. I add a silent prayer that I don’t get kicked out for ignoring the direct order of the headmaster.
At the house, I stop on the road. Fraser has pulled all the curtains closed. The car is still there, so I sit down on the grass to watch and wait for something to happen. Based on how this is all going down, I’m sure the headmaster will be here any second to yell at me.
Minutes later, Headmaster Fraser proves me right by jogging over to where I’m sitting. “Mateo, why does this boy think my son would hurt Jade?” He’s huffing from the exertion.
“I don’t know, sir. I don’t understand any of it, but I’m just going to sit here until the police or Mr. Irving gets here.”
“How do you know he’s in there?”
“I saw him go in. Before.”
“Well, let’s go see him then. We don’t have to wait.”
“Okay.” I stand and brush off my pants.
Mr. Fraser hands me Jade’s cell phone. “Here, you hold on to this.” Then, he pulls out his phone and places a call. “Mrs. Strickland? Yes, send the police over to Clarke’s house. I’m there now with Mateo. I guess this involves Clarke somehow. I’m sure it’s just a big misunderstanding, but please radio for the custodians to search the school for Jade.”
He hangs up and turns to me. “Okay, Mateo. We’re going inside. As I told Mrs. Strickland, this is probably just some kind of mistake. So let me do the talking.”
Ever Lost (Secret Affinity Book 2) Page 15
