HIDDEN CREEK DARKNESS: a hidden creek high novel

by Kidman, Jaxson

  And by then I already had an idea of who it was.

  What was going on.

  All I needed was a little social media research to put it together.

  That’s where Charlotte came into play.

  I looked over my shoulder and saw Charlotte showing everything she’d shown me on her phone. And it all made perfect sense. Someone that I hadn’t even really considered only because I hadn’t been around for that part of Aira’s life.

  Damn I wanted nothing more than to get on my ride and track this asshole down and take him out in one quick shot. But Aira wanted to face him. Actually, Aira demanded it. She had this look in her eyes that made me fall for her all over again. Through the madness and bad ass bitch that made up Aira…

  I climbed into the driver’s seat of my SUV and knew everything was about to change.

  I hoped it was for the good for once.

  We’d take care of this problem and then be done with it for good.

  In the back of my mind I thought about all the other fights I had started. Not because of Aira though. It was my doing. And they would probably come back to me. And when they did I would be there to handle it.

  I drove to Aira’s old town.

  I had to wait until it was dark out for obvious reasons.

  Cruising streets that had no meaning to me. No memory either. I had only been there once. And what I had done…

  I saw Jesse’s car pass me by going the opposite way.

  I could have played it cool, but why bother? I cut the wheel and almost flipped my SUV so I could turn around and chase him down.

  I sped up and got right up on his ass then flicked on my high beams.

  My lights were bright and my vehicle was much taller than his.

  He hit the brakes, trying to get me to back off.

  Not going to happen, asshole.

  My heart slammed inside my chest but not out of fear.

  Because of me knocking him around in front of that Cora chick, it ruined his reputation. It was easy to connect the dots through social media. All of his posts were about revenge. He loved the word cunt. But the truth was about how everyone else thought of him and treated him. They called him out on all his shit and pushed him to the edge. Which was why he wanted to get back at Aira. For bringing me around. And because he wasn’t man enough to face me.

  Until now.

  I cut the wheel again and got alongside his car.

  I inched closer, forcing him to the side of the road.

  He eventually pulled over and rolled down his window.

  I was close enough to his car that he wouldn’t be able to open his driver’s side door.

  I bolted out of my SUV and ran around to the passenger side of his car.

  When I ripped open the door, he looked at me and screamed.

  Like a little bitch already, huh?

  “Don’t fucking move,” I said.

  “Fuck you. Asshole.”

  Jesse tried to hit the gas pedal but when he looked forward his eyes went wide.

  Ryker and Walker were there, on their motorcycles, facing his car.

  There was no escape.

  “What’s this?” I asked, grabbing a note off his seat. I opened it. “Wow. This is some poetic stuff, huh? Going to burn your life, cunt. On my way to finish the job now. You could just do it yourself instead. It would make everyone happier.”

  I folded the paper.

  There was also a brick on his seat.

  It looked like the same brick that had been thrown through Jett’s truck windows.

  “What the fuck are you going to do?” Jesse asked. “One call and I’ll have my boys here.”

  I jumped into the car and had my hand around his neck.

  I slammed his head off the window and plucked his cell phone out of the center console.

  “Oops,” I said. “I have your phone. And I’m going to let you earn it back.”

  Jesse rubbed his head. “What do you want, man?”

  “Tell me why.”

  “Because it’s the truth.”

  “What’s the truth?” I asked.

  “What she is. What she did to me.”

  “Did to you, huh?”

  “She wouldn’t let me go near her for how long? I had no choice but to fuck other girls. I had to get something. Couldn’t take anymore of her just jerking me off for fun. You know?”

  “Motherfucker,” I growled.

  I dove into the car and pulled Jesse across the seats.

  I never wanted to imagine Aira touching another guy.

  It made me rage.

  I threw him to the ground and lifted my foot.

  But I stopped.

  “Not yet,” I said. “We’re doing this right.”

  “What do you want to do? Fight?”

  “You’re going to make the decision, Jesse. You’re going to get into my ride. We’re going to Hidden. You’re going to apologize to Aira. You’re going to tell me everything you did. And that’s it.”

  “That’s it?” he asked.

  “That’s it.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Call your boys then,” I said. I tossed his phone to him.

  I waited.

  He didn’t move.

  He didn’t have any boys.

  He was a fucking loser. Nothing but a fake liar. And me and Aira exposed him as that. That’s why he came after her.

  I turned his car off and left the keys on the seat.

  I pointed to my ride and Jesse slowly got to his feet.

  “I apologize and it’s done,” he said.

  “You got it,” I said.

  I got into my SUV and pulled forward to give him room to get in next to me.

  I made a fist and wanted to knock his fucking teeth out.

  But I held back.

  You bring him here, Wes. Fucking bring him here to me.

  As I started to drive, I looked in the mirror and saw Walker and Ryker following.

  They were the eyes in the back of my head.

  “I wasn’t going to hurt her,” Jesse said.

  “You fucked with her.”

  “Yeah, I did. I told you why.”

  “You went into Hidden Creek High.”

  “Hood up, key in hand. Wrote her a love letter.”

  “How’d you find her locker?” I asked.

  Jesse didn’t respond.

  I gave him three more seconds before I reached across the seat and grabbed his shirt.

  “Fuck,” he yelled.

  “Answer me.”

  “The same way I knew you fucked her,” he yelled.

  “What?”

  I let Jesse go.

  He fixed his shirt. “That’s why I fucking did it, man. I always knew she loved someone else. I just figured she’d get over it eventually. But she didn’t. After all I did for her. Dealing with her fucking life. And all she did to me was-”

  “Don’t say it,” I warned.

  “Yeah. Right. But she runs back to her old town and you. Fucks you right away, right? What’d it take? A week? A day?”

  “Fuck yourself, Jesse,” I said. “You did this because she let me fuck her?”

  “Cunt wasted all my time…”

  I swung my right fist and hit him in the cheek.

  He screamed like he did before.

  “Sorry,” I said. “My hand slipped.”

  “Fuck you, man. I’m out of here.”

  “The SUV is moving,” I said.

  “I don’t care.”

  “You jump, you die.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You try to get out and I’ll pull you right back in,” I said. “You’re apologizing to her.”

  “What about Ryland?” Jesse asked.

  That got my attention.

  “Who did you just say?”

  Jesse laughed. “That’s how I found out about everything.”

  I gritted my teeth.

  “You didn’t know,” Jesse said. “Ryland’s parents and min
e have done business together. I’ve known Ryland since he was a kid. We used to go to the same school together. We were sort of friends. Forced friends. He’s a dick. But we still talk. Shit, man, he’s seen Aira many times. Not sure she ever knew him though.”

  “He told you about me and Aira?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Jesse said. “After you showed up… when you saw me with Cora. I talked to Ryland. He gave it all up. Told me everything.”

  I shook my head.

  Ryland just kept pouring gas onto the flames.

  But first…

  “That’s it, man,” Jesse said. “Okay? Cora went and told everyone that I got beat up by someone. Then rumors started flying around and I couldn’t get ahead of it. So I had Ryland give me some info. I wanted to scare Aira shitless. That’s all. To get my power back. I was going to do the same thing to Cora. Okay? That’s the truth. I’ll fucking apologize to her. For your sake.”

  “Okay, Jesse,” I said. “Fair enough…”

  What Jesse didn’t know - I was lying through my fucking teeth.

  * * *

  I pushed him through the back door of the garage.

  “What the hell is this place?” he asked.

  “It’s where we make problems go away,” I said.

  I saw Aira waiting in the middle of the open floor.

  With everyone behind.

  Our group. Our crew.

  Whether we all liked each other or not, it was who we were.

  “You fucking asshole,” Aira said.

  “He came to apologize, darling,” I said. “Right?”

  I shoved him forward again.

  He stumbled and put his hands out. “I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry, Aira. You fucking… shit. I’m sorry.”

  “Admit everything,” she said.

  “I did. I got into your car. I was looking for something important to you. I fucked with your locker. I wrote you letters. I put one on Wes’s truck. I threw the brick…”

  Flynn charged forward. “You motherfucker.”

  “Easy, bro,” I said. “We’re just apologizing right now.”

  “What do you mean right now?” Jesse asked. “You said if I apologized you’d leave me alone.”

  “I never said that,” I said. “Or if I did… then I’m a liar. Like you.”

  Jesse tried to punch me but I knew it was coming.

  I blocked him and cracked him across the jaw as hard as I could.

  He flew back with a yell.

  Flynn wrapped an arm around his neck and squeezed. “You almost hit my girl. I’m going to hit you.”

  “No, please,” Jesse said.

  Flynn threw him to the ground.

  I walked to Aira and grabbed her hand. “You don’t have be here for this, darling.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” she said and ripped her hand away. Then she looked into my eyes and curled her lip. “Make him fucking pay.”

  Chapter 24

  Aira

  Charlotte grabbed my arm. “Tell him not to do it, Aira. I can’t watch.”

  “Then look away,” I said to her. “Or go outside.”

  “You’re letting this happen?”

  “This is my message to him,” I said. “To everyone in that town. To everyone in Hidden. I’m making it very fucking clear what happens if you mess with me.”

  Leo picked Jesse up off the ground.

  He was shaking his head, pleading to be let go.

  Yelling at Wes for lying about whatever they had talked about.

  I really didn’t expect Wes to just show up with Jesse willingly walking through the back door.

  So whatever he said must have been good.

  Nothing but lies, of course.

  That’s what everything was around us.

  Secrets. Lies.

  Love.

  I had no idea where that would take us.

  But for now, it was about being right here.

  “Make it count,” Leo said. “Teach this piece of shit a lesson.”

  Leo pulled Jesse’s hands behind his back and then hid his face.

  Charlotte grabbed for me again and I pushed her away.

  I looked at Kailey. “Take her outside.”

  They started to walk away as Flynn stood with a brick in his hand.

  “Fuck, no,” Jesse said. His eyes looked to mine. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was just pissed.”

  “And I’m pissed now,” Flynn said.

  He swung and when I heard the sound of the brick against Jesse’s face, my stomach jumped. I covered my mouth as Jesse fell to the ground on his hands and knees. Blood started to drip from his face.

  When my eyes looked back up, they were all looking at me.

  Leo, Flynn, Wes.

  Ryker, Walker.

  Emma and Nova, standing arm in arm; their faces white.

  Behind me I heard Charlotte making some kind of noise like she was forcing herself to cry.

  She was worried we were all going to get into trouble.

  Jesse crawled on his hands and knees.

  “What do you think, darling?” Wes asked.

  “Not good enough,” I said.

  Jesse looked up at me. “Fuck…”

  Wes kicked him in the mouth.

  The rest of them started to stomp down on his shoulders and back. They drove him hard onto the grease stained concrete floor.

  My stomach did another flip and I stepped back.

  “Aira, wait,” Nova said. She broke from Emma. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going outside while they handle this.”

  Nova took my hand. “I’ll stay with you. It’s going to be okay.”

  She understood it. Which was crazy. In a way I felt like Nova was more of a friend than any of the rest of them.

  We walked outside together and I saw Kailey with Charlotte.

  “It’s fine,” I said to Charlotte.

  “I know,” Charlotte said. “I hate this stuff. I hate it.”

  “Me too,” I said.

  I lit a cigarette and stood there staring up at the night sky.

  “Remind me to never fuck with you,” Nova said.

  She giggled.

  I looked at her and forced a grin.

  “You’re pretty bad ass yourself,” I said.

  “You haven’t seen my bad ass side yet,” she said.

  “That’s my point. You don’t have to show it to know it’s there. I like that.”

  “I kind of want to hit that guy with my surfboard,” Nova said. “That’ll do some damage.”

  “Have at it,” I said.

  “No,” Nova said. “This is your fight. You have them all wrapped around your finger right now.”

  I smoked my cigarette as I watched Nova slowly make her way to Kailey and Charlotte. She could take a hint too.

  Leave me the fuck alone right now.

  When I was finished with my cigarette, I stepped on it and told myself that I would be done with smoking. That was probably just another lie to add to the pile, but whatever.

  I walked back into the garage and heard the sound of Wes and the guys still pummeling the hell out of Jesse.

  They had made a line that blocked my view.

  Emma stood there, hugging herself.

  I bumped my shoulder into hers. “Go outside.”

  “How long is this going to happen?” she asked.

  “As long as I say. Go outside.”

  Emma raised an eyebrow and reluctantly turned.

  Which was good.

  Because I almost felt like knocking her ass down.

  I pushed between Leo and Walker to see the damage.

  Jesse was a fucking mess. His clothes were ripped apart. His face beaten. He looked… well… like he should have.

  Wes grabbed what was left of his shirt and forced him to sit up. He cocked back another fist.

  “Stop,” I ordered.

  Wes listened. He turned his head. “Yeah?”

  “We’re good,” I said. “Stop.”
r />   Wes let Jesse go.

  He fell back and let out a whimpering groan sound.

  I stepped forward and looked down at him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  When he said it, I pictured everything.

  My bedroom full of smoke. The feeling of death coming to get me. The first look from Wes’s dark eyes. The first grin from Ryland. The razor blade against my inner thigh.

  Fucking everything.

  And I snapped.

  I kicked Jesse.

  Then I kicked him again.

  And again.

  I fell to my knees and started to claw at his face.

  Words came out of my mouth but they weren’t words. They were just noises. Animalistic noises.

  I shut my eyes and started to scream.

  Then I was lifted up into the air and spun around.

  “I’ve got you, darling,” Wes’s voice said.

  When he put me on my feet, I turned to face him and jumped into his arms.

  I didn't want to cry.

  I fought it off.

  He peeled me away from his body and cupped my face again.

  “It’s all taken care of,” he whispered.

  “What now?”

  “I’m going to have Ryker and Walker take him back to his car. And he’ll make up a story. Because if he even thinks about muttering one of our names, what we just did… I’ll make it ten times worse.”

  “That would kill him.”

  “Exactly,” Wes said.

  I shivered, believing he was capable of it.

  He wrapped his arms around me and I buried my face into his chest.

  I took a deep breath.

  Then I looked up at him. “Wes… are we back together?”

  “Fuck yeah, we are, darling. You’re never slipping from my hands ever again.”

  * * *

  I had to keep Wes on the back deck.

  I didn’t want to deal with Julia or Mom bothering him.

  It took me a few minutes to clean myself up so I looked presentable. No signs of what had happened over the course of the night.

  Wes rode his motorcycle while I rode shotgun in Charlotte’s car so I could fix my hair and face and all that crap.

  When we walked through the front door, Charlotte’s phone started to buzz.

  She stopped and looked down at it.

  “Hey, Julia,” I said. “We were just out. Hanging out. Where’s…”

  I saw Mom sitting on the couch.

  A glass of wine in her hand.