“Go take care of her,” Laney ordered Matt, and I swung my leg out, trying to trip him as he moved by me, but I wasn’t quick enough. He bolted up the stairs, doing Laney’s bidding like some sick little puppy.
“Do you want to know why?” Laney asked, grabbing me by the hair and sneering down at me. “Josh was supposed to be mine. When I put the pieces together and figured out who he was, who his father is, I knew I was meant to be with him. He’s his father’s son. He’s just like him.”
I closed my eyes at her words. I may have been upset with Josh when I found out what he was keeping from me, but he wasn’t anything like his father at all. The man who helped me dig Remi’s grave was nothing like the monster who stabbed my sister while I begged him not to hurt her.
When Laney let me go and walked a few feet away, I flinched, thinking she was going to come at me with something worse. She stood there, and all of her rage seemed to have suddenly drained out of her. She was staring right through me with eyes so dull I didn’t recognize them, as if she didn’t even see me anymore. I tried to stand up, but my legs were burning, and I wondered how long I’d been tied in that chair. Laney didn’t even react to my movement, she just kept staring with those blank eyes.
“But he didn’t want me,” Laney said quietly enough that it made me look over at her. She wasn’t crying, screaming, throwing a fit with her usual theatrics. Instead, her voice sounded small. She cut her eyes over at me, and I swore they were pure black. “They always want you, don’t they?” Laney’s head snapped around to look up the stairs when she heard Taylor screaming and a scuffle that sounded like furniture being knocked around. I grabbed the opportunity and wiggled my arms free of the loosened rope, ripped the gag out of my mouth, and let out a blood-curdling scream, praying someone would hear me.
“Addison!?” Taylor yelled, running down the stairs, and I was relieved that Matt hadn’t gotten to her yet. “Matt just stabbed Jeff, are you down here? Laney, where is Addison?” She was gasping and sobbing.
“Run!” I yelled, but it came out more like a wheezing cough, and my chest burned.
“Laney, what the fuck are you doing?” Taylor gasped, and I could see the realization in Taylor’s eyes as Laney held her knife up, pointing it at Taylor. “Are you going to try and run for it?” She grinned, pointedly looking at Taylor.
Taylor’s eyes flashed to the back entrance and then at me. “Is Jeff okay? Where’s Josh?” I asked, pushing myself up to my knees and rubbing a hand over my throat where Matt grabbed me.
“Josh is on his way,” Taylor said, resting her hand on the back of the chair I’d been tied to and glaring at Laney. “I told Addison I didn’t like you the first time you came slinking around, trying to hang out with us.”
“Tay.” I swatted at her leg from my kneeling position. Now wasn’t the time.
“No, if this bitch is going to kill us, she might as well know that literally no one likes her. Not even Matt. He’s always just used her to get to you, you know that right?”
“Shut up!” Laney screamed. “Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” She walked toward us, pointing her knife at Taylor. “I should have slit your throat when I had the chance. But Matt convinced me it was too soon, so I settled for your prized hair.”
“Always doing what the boys tell you, aren’t you?” Taylor taunted, I realized what she was doing. I cringed when I heard the commotion upstairs. It must have been Matt and Jeff wrestling around because I could hear stuff being knocked over and muffled yelling. “No matter what you do, what you give them, they’ll never want you,” Taylor sneered, and Laney screamed, lunging toward her. Taylor didn’t hesitate at all before she picked up the chair and cracked Laney on the side of her head, knocking her to the ground.
“Addison, run outside!” Taylor yelled, and I didn’t hesitate either. I got to my feet and moved as quickly as my burning legs would let me to the back door, and fiddled with the lock.
“It won’t budge. They’ve gotta have it barricaded.”
Taylor brushed my hands out of the way and began jerking on the doorknob. “Fucking hell,” Taylor spat, reminding me of Jeff in that moment. There was a loud thud at the top of the steps, and Taylor and I moved as quickly as we could to hide, but we weren’t fast enough. Matt came barreling down the stairs, blood covering his hands, still wielding the knife he used to cut me out of the chair.
“You better stay the fuck away from us.” Taylor pointed at him, and he leaned against the railing at the bottom of the stairs. He was breathing heavily, and I could see his hands shaking. I clearly didn’t know what Matt was capable of, but I was pretty sure I knew his real weaknesses. This was my only opportunity to get us out of here alive.
“Matt, you’re shaking.” I softened my voice in a way that I knew would calm him down. “Matt, are you okay?”
“I fucking s-stabbed him.” He looked down at his bloody hands and then up at me. My stomach rolled.
“No shit. Are you fucking stupid?” Taylor yelled. “Let us out of here, Matt.” She looked at me. “I told you he was a fucking weirdo too.”
“It’s okay Matt, Jeff was going to hurt you, wasn’t he? You had to stab him.” The words tasted bitter on my lips as I took a step forward, but stopped when his blue eyes flashed up to mine. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you, Matt.”
“Why didn’t you want me?” His face contorted like he was going to cry, but no tears came to his eyes.
I took another step toward him, and his shoulders slumped. I needed to get the knife from him so we could go up and check on Jeff. I prayed that the small knife and Matt’s inexperience meant that whatever injuries Jeff had wouldn’t be too serious.
“You didn’t want to hurt anyone, Laney told us that you wouldn’t let her hurt Taylor.” I turned to give Taylor a look when she snorted derisively. “Laney forced you to do this, didn’t she? You’d never hurt me, you love me, don’t you?” I said softly.
He nodded, dropping his head.
This was my chance to feel like my own savior. This was my chance to not spend the rest of my life feeling like I’d survived an accident, but instead to take control of the situation.
“Matt, can I have the knife? I don’t want anyone to think you had anything to do with this.”
“Give it to her, Matt. We’ll lay it by Laney, she’s the one who started all of this,” Taylor interjected, having caught on to what I was trying to do.
I gasped when he placed the knife in my hand, my stomach dropping and filling with relief all at once.
“Stab his ass!” Taylor yelled, and right when Matt’s eyes widened in fear, the basement door flung open, and it was only seconds before Josh was down the stairs, pummeling Matt to the floor. He got him on his stomach, banging his face against the concrete, then pulled his arms behind his back. Josh ground his knee in the center of Matt’s back to prevent him from moving, and Matt cried out but stopped struggling.
“Josh!” I dropped the knife, kicking it clear across the room and rushed over to Laney. “Taylor, help me tie her up.” We worked quickly, tying Laney’s legs together and her hands behind her back. She was still out cold.
When we got back over to Josh, he’d tied Matt up with the leftover rope they'd used on me. He immediately pulled me into his arms.
“Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?” he breathed against my hair.
I shook my head, pulling away to look up at him, and his eyes were zeroed in on my jaw and neck. I knew I would have some terrible bruising, and the back of my head was pounding from whatever Matt used to knock me out at the boathouse.
“Taylor said Jeff was stabbed,” I said, and Josh’s eyes flashed to mine, pulling me closer into him. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed back from him, and he let me. I looked away, unable to process everything we’d been through in the last few hours. I was still angry and deeply hurt that he’d kept such important information from me. But right now, Jeff was injured, and that took priority. “Is he okay?”
Before he could an
swer, we heard the sirens pulling up to the house. It seemed like only seconds before the police stormed in, whisking us in separate directions.
Chapter Thirty
Three days later
I sat on the edge of the boathouse, watching the water and waiting for Taylor to join me. It had been an exhausting three days, and the whole thing had been a whirlwind, like some sort of bad dream that I couldn’t wake up from.
As soon as we finished giving our statements to the police, we’d gotten a hotel room together. We hadn’t been back to the house since, other than to let Laney’s parents in to get sentimental stuff of hers. It had been incredibly awkward, but they were good people, and we couldn’t hold them accountable for what she’d done to us. Laney’s mom had been too emotional to talk, but her dad told us that she had undergone several mental health evaluations since her arrest and while she didn’t have an official diagnosis yet, she met the criteria for several disorders. I was glad Laney was getting the help she needed, but I was mostly relieved that she was locked away and wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else.
When the police searched our house, they’d found a bundle of printed emails that Josh’s father had written to Laney. Apparently, he had been encouraging her to kill me and finish the murder he hadn’t. Her parents told us they believed that she had been particularly vulnerable because of her untreated mental health issues, and he’d preyed upon her, just like he tried to with my sister all those years ago. There was no guarantee, but the officer that took my statement said that there would likely not be a trial because Laney and Matt had both admitted to kidnapping and false imprisonment. Matt had even admitted to stabbing Jeff, so unless either of them pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, their cases would be expedited.
All I’d been able to focus on for the last three days were the memories of the previous month flooding back. I was second-guessing every event that happened, every detail, and every action. I thought of every time Laney had done or said something that should have been an indicator that something serious was going on with her. While I was both surprised and proud of myself for how I’d been able to diffuse the situation with Matt, that didn’t mean my stomach didn’t roll with nausea when I thought of him. I kept asking myself if I’d missed red flags with him, too. When had his crush turned into something more serious, and how had I not noticed the change?
Then, I’d barely slept because every time I closed my eyes, I thought of Josh and how sincere he was when he revealed to me why he didn't tell me who he was. I found that I believed him, but it didn’t make our situation any less messy. If my mother and Jamie knew I still loved him, would they be disappointed?
I didn’t hear Taylor approach until she flopped down next to me, nudging my shoulder as she sipped her coffee and handed me a cup. I gave her a half-smile in thanks before reaching out to touch the ends of her now shorter hair. “I fixed it. Does it still look like it was cut with a weed-wacker?” She laughed, fluffing the ends of the stylish bob and then tousling the new bangs she’d given herself.
“It looks great,” I said sincerely. “It really suits you. How’s Jeff?” I thought maybe she’d gone to visit him at the hospital. He was in stable condition after the attack, but I hadn’t gone to see him. I knew Josh would be there, and I wasn’t ready to face him yet.
“Crabby as ever. Especially because they won’t let him smoke.” She sounded annoyed, but I knew she really cared for him. She’d gone to see him every day for the last three days, sometimes twice in one day.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Taylor breathed out a sigh that was equal parts exhaustion and exasperation. “So, are you going to make up with Josh or what?” She turned her body toward me, indicating she wanted my full attention. “He looks absolutely broken. Every time I go there, he looks like he hasn’t slept for more than five minutes. He looks even worse than Jeff.” She tipped her head back, appraising me. “He looks as miserable as you do.”
“I haven’t been answering his calls. I still don’t know what to say to him.” I looked away, my stomach twisting. I was having a hard time working through my feelings. I missed him so desperately that my body ached for him. I hadn’t slept since the night of the kidnapping, and I knew in my heart that it had less to do with the trauma Laney and Matt inflicted, and more to do with missing him. “Our pasts are dark and twisted together in ways I don’t think we can forget. But I think the worst part is that he didn’t tell me the truth. He withheld it from me and didn’t even give me the chance to make my own decision about it.”
“I think you should forgive him for not telling you about his dad,” Taylor said simply, then hopped down into the grass, holding out her hand to help me down as well. “Life is really short, Addison. Things could have turned out badly the other night. We’ve got a second chance, and I’m not spending mine worrying about stuff that doesn’t really matter. Yea, he fucked up by not telling you. But he was there when it counted. And you know his feelings for you are real.” She didn’t sugarcoat her thoughts, but her tone was gentle.
“I know… and part of me does understand. He wasn’t the only one not telling the whole truth, I couldn’t even let my guard down enough to tell him that my mom and sister were murdered.” I felt my eyes prick with tears.
“Right. You both made choices you probably wouldn’t if you could do it all over again.” Taylor wrapped an arm around my shoulder as we began walking toward her car. “Neither of you did it maliciously. You were scared of getting hurt, and he was scared you’d push him away and he wouldn’t be able to protect you. I think you guys need to talk about it.”
When we reached her car, I leaned against it, unsure of what I should do. I could take a leap and follow my heart, or I could play it safe.
“I’m supposed to go down to the rescue and pick up a dog today,” I said and bit my bottom lip, knowing it was a weak excuse to buy time. “An old dalmatian got surrendered, they said she’s mean but I could probably—”
“You’re avoiding the real problem. That old dog will be there after you talk to Josh, and there’s no probably about it, she’ll love you and hate everyone else like usual.” As she opened the driver’s side door, she shot me an expectant look. “Do you love him?”
“Very much,” I answered immediately.
“Then get in! I don’t have all day, you know,” she laughed, and the sound was the first thing that felt normal since the attack. I liked it this way, with Taylor being mildly irritated that other people existed.
Once we were on our way, I said, “I never thought you, of all people, would be trying to convince me to make up with someone.” I wiped the tears that had gathered under my eyes and hoped my lashes would dry out before we arrived at the hospital.
“I’m willing to make an exception for Josh because you guys are kinda cute together, and you’ll only be miserable without him.” Taylor flipped the signal for the blinker and slowed down, getting ready to turn into the hospital parking lot. “And he doesn’t give me bad vibes like Laney always did.”
“Yeah, she was throwing some major red flags that I didn’t see until it was too late. I really thought she was just struggling with her self esteem,” I said softly, my stomach twisting at the memory of Laney’s crazed meltdown. “I never would have thought Matt would have been capable of stabbing someone either. He was always so...”
“Pretentious and annoying?” Taylor finished for me and parked the car.
“I was going to say he was unsure of himself, but those are accurate, too,” I nodded, smoothing my hands through my hair. My stomach coiled with anticipation. I didn't even know if Josh would be with Jeff when we got inside, but I found myself hoping he would. I needed to see him.
As we entered, I glanced around the lobby and was disappointed when there was no sign of Josh. “I still can’t believe that bitch bashed her own face against her dresser and then convinced Matt to rip her out her window.” Taylor shook her head as we made our way up the elevator to Jeff’s floor.
From what Taylor and I found out from the detective working our case, Josh’s father encouraged Laney to toy with me first by trying to scare me. She’d recruited Matt, promising him that if he helped her scare me, I’d be vulnerable and cling to him. Matt was the one in the woods the night Remi was growling. He was supposed to vandalize my car, but felt too guilty and ended up bashing Taylor’s window instead. The break-in was Josh’s father’s idea, but It was Laney’s idea to hurt herself that night and make it look like she’d been the target. Matt told the police that he didn’t want to go along with it, but Laney convinced him that it was the only way to get closer to me. When Matt realized how close I’d gotten with Josh, he’d become so overwrought with jealousy that he didn't realize Laney’s plan was to torture and kill me until it was too late.
I tried to shake off the panic that rose whenever I thought about that day, how badly it could have ended for us. I needed to move on, move forward, and figure out my future instead of obsessing about things I couldn’t change. I followed Taylor blindly as she walked down the hall with the confidence of someone who’d spent more time here in the last three days than she probably wanted to admit.
“You really care about Jeff.” I smiled sincerely at her as we stood outside of his room. “That’s really nice.”
“He’s still a creep.” She scrunched her nose up. “And he thinks I need to wait on him hand and foot because he got stabbed protecting me.” She rolled her eyes. “He better take me to get cheese fries when he gets released,” she said, and I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.
When we entered the brightly lit room, my eyes immediately went to Josh. He was slouched in an uncomfortable-looking chair next to Jeff’s bed, staring at his phone. His hair was messy, and the shadows under his eyes rivaled my own.
Beautiful Legend: An Angsty College Romance Page 19
