True Colors (book #1, The Masks Series)

by Melissa Pearl

  My nieces, Kimber and Serena, were on their best behavior, playing quietly in the sunken lounge and only sneaking curious peeks occasionally.

  Julia’s bath thing worked; Indie sat down to dinner looking refreshed and just a touch less fragile. Neither of us could eat much, with the dreaded phone calls impending, plus our meal was interrupted by the police.

  Seth held my hand and Julia wrapped her arm around Indie as we both cried our way through the details. Behind Indie’s mask was a plethora of emotions. I didn’t miss the guilt. A part of her still felt bound to Liam and she was ashamed to dob him in. That emotion kept bouncing off a deep relief, which then bounced off regret and beneath those layers, I saw the lost child that she was fighting not to be. I knew her mother left her when they were young and her father had always been a busy man. She and Maverick had been raised by nannies and housekeepers. It was hardly a stable environment and probably explained why she’d fallen for Liam’s charms and then found herself trapped within his dark snare.

  I squeezed Seth’s hand, flooded with gratitude. In spite of being the young squirt and often feeling disconnected from them, I came from a family who loved me and would drop everything to help me.

  Seth made me call Mom and Dad as soon as the police left. I chose to speak to Dad first. He always took this kind of thing better than Mom. It took a lot of convincing, and in the end it was Seth who insisted they not cut their trip short. I hung up feeling shattered and on the verge of collapse, but we still had Indie’s call to go.

  “Just do it.” I sat on the bed beside her, taking her hand. “As soon as you’re done, we’ll call Micah and you can tell him everything. I know talking to him makes you feel better.”

  I didn’t actually know it. I assumed it, because talking to Eric always made me feel a million times better. I bit my lip, wondering if I’d ever get to talk to him again. I collected my charging phone and checked the screen as Indie dialed her dad. It was blank. No texts. No calls.

  “Hey Dad, it’s Indie.” Her voice was soft and fragile. I rubbed her back. “I know you don’t have long to talk, but I have to tell you something... No, actually, it’s about Liam.” Her voice disappeared, drowned by a waterfall of tears.

  “Indie? What’s wrong, honey?” I could hear his muffled voice through the telephone. Indie covered her mouth with her hand, unable to say the words as her father continued to repeat her name, sounding more and more worried.

  In the end, I gently took the phone from her grasp. “Hello, Mr. Swanson?”

  “Who’s this?”

  “It’s Caitlyn Davis, sir. I’m a friend of Indie’s, from school.”

  “Okay, what the hell is going on, Caitlyn?” His voice was calm and firm. I looked to Indie, swallowed and began talking. I told him everything. It was the third time I’d done it that day so I was able to add in extra details where needed. It was probably my best retelling of the events yet. I knew it was brutal, but I didn’t skip a thing, even the stuff about Liam punishing her. Wanting to end with something positive, I finished with how Indie was in love with Micah and what a good guy he was. Man, if I’d been Indie, I would have been dying, but she was too busy crying to really notice.

  “She’s safe, sir. The police are looking for Liam and Mason now. And she can stay with us as long as she needs.”

  The movie producer’s voice was quaking when he replied, “Thank you, Caitlyn. Tell my daughter I’ll be home by Wednesday.”

  “Okay.”

  “Has Maverick been told?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Please leave it that way. He’s very protective of his sister and I want to be the one to tell him.”

  I glanced at Indie; her tears were finally ebbing as she mopped at her face with a thick wad of Kleenex. I pointed to the phone and she shook her head, so I finished up the call for her.

  Dropping the phone onto the bed, I sunk down beside my friend.

  “He’s coming home.”

  “Really?” She looked confused. “He never leaves a project.”

  “Well, he’s leaving this one for you.” Her sweet smile was fractured and I knew she still had a long way to go, but at least she wasn’t alone anymore. “Want to call Micah?” She nodded and reached for the phone.

  I quietly left her to it. Sneaking into the hallway, I leaned against the door. The girls were now in bed and I could hear Julia and Seth chatting in Seth’s old room down the hall.

  And once again the loneliness rounded over me. Sliding down to my butt, I clutched my legs and rested my chin on my knees. My mind wandered to the homeless stranger. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d felt this way too. The sense of isolation was suffocating. The urge to get up and run was strong, but my legs were tired and my body was done for the day. I knew my only choice was to face this, accept the new reality this man had given me and try not to die in the process.

  Leaning my head back against the wood, I felt the tears rise once more and wondered how I possibly had any left. This time they weren’t hiccuping sobs though. This time, they were soft and silent, my soul mourning for one more loss I knew awaited me.

  Chapter 33

  The next day at school was weird. People kept staring at me, no doubt checking out the shiner on my left cheek. Micah limped into school and a second wave of gossip surged through the student body. I saw faces, heard whispers. People knew something huge had gone down yesterday.

  I gripped my books to my chest as I made my way to class. Indie had chosen to stay home with Julia for the day. Her belt wounds were still really tender and she was too fragile to face anyone. Micah had promised to go see her after school.

  Julia had offered me the day off too, but I was restless and felt like school would be a good distraction. Man, was I an idiot. I still hadn’t heard from Eric and even though I despised looking at a blank phone screen, I couldn’t help bringing the device with me and checking it every two seconds. Another idiot move, because it remained blank. Eric was obviously still pissed.

  I couldn’t concentrate through Algebra. My mind was a splintered mess. People kept looking at me, wondering. The whispers as I passed from Algebra to English Lit grew with intensity. Where was Liam? Why was Indie not at school? What had happened to the all-powerful Micah?

  I sat with him in the back of class. We didn’t talk, just gave each other knowing looks that said it all. I could see he just wanted to get to Indie, and the only reason he came today was to convince his parents that he was well enough to do so.

  The vibe in the school grew with intensity as the day progressed and it wasn’t until I walked into the cafeteria at lunchtime that it all came clear. I saw Libby sitting with her old friends. She looked worn and a little fragile, but her smile was genuine. She squeezed Andy’s forearm before waving me over to the table. I approached slowly, glancing over my shoulder to see my old group of friends glaring at me. Chase’s dark gaze was intense. I ripped off his mask and spotted the guilty fear, his regret. I whipped my eyes to Stella and saw the same thing.

  Wait a sec.

  Turning back to Libby, I scanned her friends, whipping off masks as I went and I saw it. Bright, sunny relief.

  “No way.” I slid into the seat beside Libby.

  She nodded with a grin. “I was there for two hours last night. We went through all the files with Mr. Van der Belt. Everyone’s name was on there. All the kids who were paying for work to be done...all the kids doing the work. The videos, the photos...they even had a target list.”

  “A target list?”

  “Yeah, people they were keeping a special eye on - either to recruit or sell to...or eliminate.” Her gaze fluttered to the table.

  I sighed. “I was on the elimination list, wasn’t I?”

  She nodded.

  “What did Mr. Van say?”

  “He was really good about it. Told me he was going to deal with it discreetly.”

  I peeked over my shoulder at the defeated group around Stella. “Do you know how?”


  Libby followed my gaze and shrugged. “Not sure exactly, but I’m guessing a bunch of those guys are going to be attending summer school.”

  I don’t know what brought it on, but giggles rushed so quickly up my system, they burst from my mouth - loud and clear. I covered my lips, my shoulders quivering with mirth...and then Libby joined me. Within a minute the two of us were a laughing, crying mess. I wrapped my arms around her chubby frame and clung tight.

  She squeezed me back and for the first time in forever, I felt like I was hugging a true friend. One that didn’t need me, one that didn’t want to use me...one that just wanted to hang out with me exactly as I was.

  Chapter 34

  Micah followed me home. I introduced him to Julia and Seth who eyed him up with surprise, obviously both jolted by his towering persona. As I watched Indie shuffle into the room, I guessed I understood their feelings. They were a contrast in so many ways, but when he spun to face her and her eyes lit with that smile, it felt so right. He gathered her in his arms, whispering something soft and delicate in her ear. I turned away, wanting to give them some privacy. Julia kept gazing at them with a mushy look on her face. I couldn’t help a grin.

  “You guys can go hang out in my room if you want or there’s the back deck.” I pointed down the hallway. It was hardly as nice as our large front deck, but it was private.

  Micah nodded his thanks and walked Indie down the hall.

  I turned back to Julia and chuckled.

  “What?” She gently slapped my arm. “They are just all kinds of cute together.”

  “I know.” I opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. “I heard them talking yesterday. They’re one of those love at first sight couples.” I unscrewed the cap and took a swig of liquid before leaning against the bench. “So they have been pining for each other for months. Now they finally get to be together.” I couldn’t help a wistful sigh, wishing the same for me. A hard knot formed in my belly and I tried to get rid of it with a few gulps of water. It didn’t work.

  Julia finished slicing up some apple for her girls, arranging it neatly on a plate and letting Seth steal a slice before walking it down to the sunken lounge. She came back, munching her own slice, before leaning against the counter and smiling at me.

  “How about you, Caity? Any man in the picture?”

  It took every ounce of willpower not to dissolve into a blubbering mess. My lips pinched tight and I forced a complacent smile. “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “He’s pretty annoyed at me for getting into trouble yesterday and I’m...I’m not sure where we stand. He said he was going to call me, but...” I pulled out my phone. The screen was still blank. I slid my thumb over it, like I had a hundred times that day, just to check. But my message box was empty. Empty and ominous.

  “Well, you should call him.” Julia moved to the counter and started packing away apple remains.

  “I’m scared if I do, it’ll be the excuse he’s been waiting for to break up with me.”

  “It’s been less than 24 hours, would you relax?” Seth glanced up from his computer screen and received a solid glare from his wife. “What?”

  “How did you ever manage to woo me?” She rolled her eyes.

  He just grinned and winked, which set her cheeks blooming. I looked away with a scowl.

  “It’s not that Chase loser, is it?” Seth took a swig from his beer.

  “No, we broke up.” I scratched my forehead. Man, that felt like a millennia ago now. Thank God I didn’t have to deal with him anymore.

  “So, who’s the new guy?” Julia rinsed out the dishcloth and wiped it over the chopping board.

  I was starting to feel super uncomfortable having this conversation, especially with Seth sitting right there, but I shrugged and stupidly kept talking. “His name’s Eric. He’s a freshman at UCLA.”

  “Wait. Eric from next door?” Seth’s brow furrowed as he placed his beer back on the counter. His blue eyes bore into mine. I swallowed. My brother’s eyes narrowed. “So when his car was in our drive last weekend, he was actually here, wasn’t he?”

  Oh shit! Crap! Um...

  “You know what.” I cleared my throat. “I think Julia’s right. I should go and find him. Talk this out.” I looked to Julia, panic no doubt cresting over my features.

  Her lips were pressed together as she fought a giggle.

  “Caitlyn.”

  I ignored Seth’s firm tone as I yanked the keys from my pocket and made a beeline for the driveway. I wasn’t sure if I’d lose my nerve while driving to the UCLA campus, but it didn’t matter. Anywhere but home with Seth was preferable right now.

  Julia’s laughter finally broke free as I reached the front door.

  “Chill out, Seth. She’s not twelve. You remember what we were like when we first got together.”

  “That’s what worries me.”

  Julia giggled again. “Honey, she’s not your daughter, so you don’t have to worry. In fact Kimber’s only eight, so you don’t have to worry about this kind of thing for a least another eight or nine years.”

  “Or twenty,” Seth mumbled.

  I grinned as I shut the door behind me.

  When I spun around my smile disappeared. It was replaced with an open mouthed ‘o’ that I couldn’t seem to get rid of. It stayed in place until Eric reached the bottom of our front steps.

  “Hey.” He didn’t smile, doing nothing to ease my tattered nerves.

  “Hi.” I stood frozen on the landing.

  He shoved one hand into his jean pocket while running the other through his dark locks. “We need to talk.”

  “Okay.” I swallowed.

  “Walk with me?” He held out his hand and I nervously took it. His grip was a little warmer and tighter today, which was encouraging, but not enough to still my erratic heartbeat. Maybe this was just the calm before the storm.

  We walked the streets in silence, Eric keeping his gaze high and steady. I wanted to read him so bad and was tempted when I gazed up at his still expression. I started to peel off his mask a couple of times before catching myself. My willpower was crumbling by the second and I was about to give in when he started talking.

  “The thing is, Caity. I um...” He stopped in the middle of the street, scratching his bottom lip. I stood beside him, anxiety making my head pound. Eventually he sighed and locked his gaze with mine. “I’ve been let down a lot by people I care about. I find it really hard to trust, you know?” He pursed his lips, struggling over the confession. “My Dad walked out on me and Mom when I was five. He stuck around, sort of. Following up one broken promise with another...and then he just disappeared altogether. Stopped calling. Stopped trying.” Eric sighed. “Then my stepdad came along and he was great. I really liked him, but Mom just drove him nuts to the point where he couldn’t cope anymore.” He let out a disgusted snort. “After that it was a string of Mom’s boyfriends, always trying so hard to be nice to me and the girls in an attempt to please my mom. As soon they got what they wanted from her, they’d vanish.” His grin was hard and cynical, but eventually started to soften.

  I wanted to reach for him, hold him, but was scared my touch would pull him out of this confession like trance. I held my ground, waiting.

  “The only person who’s been true to their word is Gramps...and you.”

  He touched my cheek, his expression finally the soft one reserved only for a select few.

  “Me?” I frowned in confusion. “But I...I totally let you down.”

  “No, you didn’t, Caity.” His thumb caressed my cheekbone. “You called me, just like I asked you to. And if you hadn’t, I never would have searched for Indie’s house and I never would have seen you running for your life along the beach. I couldn’t have been there for you if you hadn’t called.”

  I glanced away from his sweet expression, feeling slightly undeserving of it. “I shouldn’t have hung up on you.”

  He snickered. “Yeah, nearly broke my phone over that one.” He cleared his throat. �
��But I understand why you did. I’m sorry I was so pissed yesterday. I was just scared.” His voice nearly broke as he was talking, making me want to cry all over again. The fact that his anger was manifested by a fear of losing me was an overwhelming relief. I drew in a shaky breath as Eric brought his other hand up to rest against my cheek, gently forcing me to look at him.

  His smile was sad. “You’ve got this super power and I’m the only one that knows, right?”

  I nodded. "You and Micah. Oh, and I guess your friend from college."

  He sighed. “So only a trusted few."

  I nodded again.

  "Well maybe you could just try not using it then.”

  Huh, this was a change. Hadn't he been the one telling me not to deny the world my gift? Yesterday really spooked him big time.

  I wanted to nod fervently. I wanted to please him.

  But I couldn't.

  My forehead creased as I tried to form the right words. “It’s not like I want this ability, Eric. I mean, you’ve helped me learn to control it, but...” I pressed my lips together. “I never expected to see the Indie and Liam thing. I wasn’t searching for it at all, but I saw it and I’ll probably see other stuff in the future too. How can I turn away? I can’t...if someone’s hurting, I can’t just turn my back on that, especially if I think I can help.” I could feel my forehead was a wrinkled mess as I begged him to accept what I’d said.

  His smile finally softened one degree more as his eyes gleamed with tenderness. He shook his head with a soft snicker. “That homeless guy was right. You’re a good soul, Caity. And damn it, that just makes me love you more.”

  My heart jolted, my lips parting in surprise. “You love me?”