“Well, I think I’m going to get on back,” I said.
“Why are you trippin’? You acting all stuck up and everything. It’s just me and you. Your girls are out for the night.” Carson stepped closer to me. “We up under the Mexico moonlight and need to take advantage of it.” Then, this fool actually tried to lean in and suck on my neck. Disgusting!
“Ugh,” I said, stepping out of his way. “Personal space? You’re all up in it!”
“Come on, lil mama. Let’s go back to my room.”
I pushed him away. Harder this time. “First of all, I’m not a lil mama and second of all, I don’t know you like that.”
“Well, you can get to know me,” he said, laughing as he tried to pull me into a bear hug. His breath stank from all the liquor he’d been drinking.
“Get up off of me!” I said, pushing him back.
“Oh, so now you gon’ be some kind of stuck-up skank?”
“I got your stuck-up skank!” I snapped. I took a deep breath. I didn’t need to be getting upset over this buster. “You know what, I’m going back to my room,” I said, pushing him out of my way. I couldn’t stand thirsty guys, and Carson was acting like he was straight dehydrated.
He lost his smile and pointed a finger in my face. “Look, I don’t like girls that try to be teases.”
His whole tone was out of order and I was so done. “Yeah, and on that note, I’m out,” I said. I turned and walked away. Enough of trying to be nice to him. He could fall out sloppy drunk for all I cared. I was done with him. Maya Morgan didn’t do thirsty, and she dang sure didn’t do sloppy drunk and rude.
“Come here, girl. This ain’t over.” He reached out and grabbed my arm. “Do you know I coulda had any pick of the chicks out here?”
I looked at his hand on my arm, then up at him, then back at his hand. Then, I gently removed his hand. “Well, that’s good to know. Now go pick up somebody else,” I said.
I turned and walked away again. This time, he grabbed my arm a lot harder. “I said, you ain’t going nowhere.”
“Hey! Have you lost your mind?” I said, jerking away from him.
He snatched me toward him, then flung me to the ground. I felt sand creeping all up in my back. I screamed just as he jumped on top of me and covered my mouth.
“Lil uppity slut! I’m not playin’ with you! You not gonna sit here and have me wasting all my time!”
“Get off of me,” I tried to scream as I hit at him. I didn’t know what he was about to do, but I knew that whatever it was, he was going to have to kill me to get it done because although I wasn’t a fighter, I was about to go straight Laila Ali on him. I hit him with everything I could, but it wasn’t enough. His strength overpowered me, and it felt like I wasn’t making any progress. In fact, it seemed like my fighting was only making him angrier. I was just about to try and knee him in his groin when I heard him scream as someone yanked him off of me.
“Get off of her!” the voice said. I looked up to see Bryce pulling Carson away. He flung Carson to the ground and then immediately jumped on him and started hitting him in the face. “You want to manhandle somebody? Manhandle me!” Bryce said as he pummeled Carson.
I scurried up, and it was then that I noticed Callie standing there in shock.
“Bryce, stop!” Callie screamed, reaching over and pulling at his arm. “Stop before you hurt him!”
Hurt him? I wanted to say. This fool was trying to rape me and she was worried about Bryce hurting him?
“Let me go,” Bryce said, jerking away from Callie. But it was enough of a distraction for Carson to jump up and take off running.
“Come back here, you punk!” Bryce yelled after him.
By that point, I had pulled myself off the ground and was struggling not to cry. I’d been accosted once before, by some deranged stalker in the mall, but I’d never come this close to being seriously attacked, especially by someone I was on a date with.
“Are you okay?” Bryce asked, coming to my side. He lifted my chin and studied my face.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m all right,” I said, trying to brush some of the sand off of me. “He was just drunk and completely trippin’.”
“Who is that?” Bryce asked.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Some guy from Atlanta that I was hanging out with.”
Bryce gave me a chastising look, and for a moment our eyes met. I know we had fallen out, but he looked—I don’t know, scared for me. We stood eyeing each other until Callie cleared her throat.
“Okay, Superman,” she said. “You’ve saved the damsel in distress, so can we continue our romantic walk on the beach?”
I didn’t even bother acknowledging her. She wasn’t worth my eye space, so I simply told Bryce, “Thanks a lot. Who knows what that creep would’ve done.”
“Where’s Mann?” he asked, referring to my part-time bodyguard.
“At home. I wasn’t trying to go on my spring break trip with my bodyguard.”
He shook his head. “You know, with the show and all, you can’t be running around with strange guys,” Bryce said. I didn’t know if he was saying that out of jealousy or concern, but either way, it brought a smile to my face.
“I know, I shouldn’t have been out here, but don’t worry. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.” Even as I said it, I thought about what could’ve happened if Bryce hadn’t come along.
Again, Callie cleared her throat, not bothering to hide her attitude.
“So, where are you about to go?” Bryce asked.
“I’m trying to go back to my room.”
Bryce said, “Why are you by yourself anyway? Where’s your crew?”
“They’re back in the room asleep. I was just . . .” Suddenly, I felt so stupid. “You know what? I’m cool. I’m just gonna go back to my room”
“You can’t walk out here by yourself,” he said.
I looked around the beach. Carson was gone, but who knew if he would come back. The few couples that were out were gone. “Yeah, I know.” Normally, I would’ve played it all big and bad, but Carson really had me scared and I didn’t want to be out here alone.
“We’ll walk you back,” Bryce announced.
Callie’s head spun around like she was in a horror movie.
“We can’t let her walk by herself,” Bryce protested. “What if that creep comes back?”
“Really, Bryce?” she said.
“No, it’s cool. I’ll be all right.” I wasn’t in the mood for drama, and I was two seconds from telling Callie about herself.
“No,” Bryce said like it wasn’t up for discussion. “I wouldn’t let you walk by yourself, Callie, and I’m not going to let her walk by herself. We’ll just make sure she gets back okay, and then we can come back.”
She kept her lips poked out and her arms folded, but I could tell by the determined look on Bryce’s face that he didn’t care. So, I couldn’t help it. I leaned in, hugged Bryce, and said, “Thanks. You always come through for me.” Then I smiled as he began leading me down the beach.
Chapter 7
I awoke to the sound of someone banging on my hotel room door. Kennedi and Sheridan were in the other bedrooms in the suite. All three of us got up and walked into the living area at the same time.
“What the . . . ?” Kennedi said, rubbing her eyes as she stumbled out of her room. Both she and Sheridan looked like they had been run over by eighteen-wheelers. I guess they were hung over. Yet another reason I didn’t drink.
Sheridan yawned. “It’s six in the morning. Somebody has lost their mind,” she groaned.
“If this is housekeeping, they are going to get a piece of my mind,” I said, stomping toward the door. “Who is it?” I snapped.
“It’s Shay! Open the door!” she screamed.
“Shay?” I looked out the peephole and Shay was on the other side, looking frantic. “What?” I said, swinging the door open.
“Have you all heard from Evian?” she said.
“Why would w
e have heard from Evian?” Sheridan asked, appearing beside me.
“She still hasn’t come back to the room.”
“What?” I replied.
“Maybe it’s like Carson said,” Kennedi replied. “Maybe she’s somewhere getting her freak on.”
“Not with a total stranger,” Shay said, brushing past us and into the room. “Evian doesn’t get down like that. I’m worried and then you know the chaperones are going to come looking for her at breakfast.”
“Please,” I said. I wasn’t about to stress over the chaperones. “They’re trying to have a good time themselves. They aren’t the least bit worried about us.”
Shay started pacing back and forth across the living room. “This is serious, Maya. I’m worried that something has really happened to Evian. If she didn’t come back to the room, that means she still has on the same clothes, she hasn’t brushed her teeth or anything.”
That actually made me pause because Evian was obsessive about her hygiene.
“Maybe she found a convenience store,” Sheridan said. Even she was starting to look a little nervous.
“How could she when I have her purse?” Shay replied. She was shaking as she kept pacing. “You guys need to help me find her.”
I looked at Shay like she was crazy. “It’s six in the morning.”
“I don’t care what time it is,” Shay said. “You guys need to come help me look.”
“Why do we need to help you do anything?” I asked. It’s not like Shay or Evian even liked me anyway, so I don’t know why she thought I would drop everything to help.
Shay glared at me. “Because you were the one pushing her to play this stupid truth-or-dare game.”
I blinked in shock. I hoped she wasn’t about to try and blame Evian’s disappearance on me. I hadn’t put a gun to that girl’s head and made her participate.
“Tell me this, Miss Superstar,” Shay said, stepping toward me. “Have you ever heard of Natalee Holloway?”
That shut me up. Because I knew all about the girl who had gone missing in Aruba during her senior trip.
“Who is Natalee Holloway?” Sheridan asked.
Shay rolled her eyes like Sheridan was some kind of doofus. “The chick that went on her senior trip in Acapulco and was never seen again.”
“It was Aruba,” I said, correcting her.
“Whatever,” Shay said, side-eying me. “My point is she came up missing!”
“Oh yeah, I remember that,” Kennedi said. “Didn’t they find her body or something? Some local dudes killed her?”
“Exactly,” Shay said, turning back to me. “What if something happened to Evian? Do you want that on your conscience? You want your stupid show sued behind this?”
Of course I didn’t, and I dang sure didn’t want Rumor Central tied to any of this.
“I’m sure Evian is fine,” I said.
“And you know this how?” Shay snapped. She seemed really agitated, like she’d been up all night worrying about Evian.
“What do you expect us to do?” Kennedi said.
“I don’t know, go find your little boyfriend that hooked this stupid game up and make him help us,” Shay responded.
“He’s not my boyfriend. Matter of fact, I have nothing to say to him,” I replied.
“Well, you’d better find something to say. We need to talk to him, or just go ask around to see if anybody has seen Evian. We need to go to the cops.”
“Whoa,” Kennedi said. “I don’t do five-o, especially foreign five-o.”
“I don’t do my best friend getting killed, either,” Shay said bluntly.
“Wh-who said anything about killed?” Sheridan stammered.
Shay inhaled deeply. “Okay, maybe I’m going a little overboard. I hope she’s safe, but I’m not going to sit around and do nothing, and neither are you,” she said, glaring at me.
“Look, I’m not in that,” I protested.
Shay turned up her lip like she wasn’t trying to hear me. “Yes, you are, and you’re going to go in there and change out of your little silk pajamas or whatever else you need to do for your morning routine and let’s go.”
“Maya Morgan doesn’t take orders,” I said defiantly.
“You ain’t the only one that can shine on TV,” Shay said, stepping toward me. “Because I will be all on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and anybody else with a camera telling them how you pushed Evian into playing that stupid truth-or-dare game and how her disappearance is all on you. And then, after I finish my round of media interviews, I’m going to her mob family and letting them know that, too.”
If Shay didn’t have my attention before, she definitely had it now.
I looked over to Sheridan. Kennedi didn’t know Evian like we did. But the look on Sheridan’s face told me I didn’t have a choice. I’d better get dressed and help Shay get to searching for Evian. Because if Evian didn’t turn up . . . it wasn’t going to be a pretty sight.
Chapter 8
“What are you doing?” Sheridan stood over me, her hands plastered on her hips.
I didn’t budge as I replied. “What does it look like? I’m relaxing by the pool.”
“I have been looking everywhere for you,” Sheridan said. “I just went back up to the room to see if you were there.”
“Okay, well now you found me.” I turned over on my stomach, letting the rays hit my face. “What’s up?”
“Maya, why are you out here chillin’?”
I was lying in one of the lounge chairs by the pool, and finally getting a chance to just relax, so I couldn’t appreciate having that relaxation interrupted. I blew a frustrated breath, then sat up on the lounge chair. “Um, isn’t that what we came to Cancun for?” I asked her.
“You told Shay you were going to go look for Evian some more.”
I was too through. We’d looked everywhere this morning. We even missed our senior breakfast as we traipsed all over the place trying to track her down. Not to mention the fact that Shay had even stuffed pillows under the covers so when the chaperones checked on them this morning, they’d think Evian was still asleep. Finally, by noon, I was done. I went back to the room, ordered room service, ate, then changed. Now, I was spending the rest of the day taking my cue from Kennedi and just chilling.
“And I did look for her some more. And I didn’t find her.” Granted, I’d looked on my way down the elevator from the penthouse floor, and then, on my way to the pool. But I’d still looked. Besides, earlier, I’d left a message for Carson, walked down to the beach, looked around, and still saw no sign of Evian so I had done my part. “Evian is not about to ruin my trip.”
It was at that moment that Kennedi strolled over as well. She had been lying out with me and had gone to get something to drink. She didn’t say a word as she pulled her lounge chair out and laid back down in it. I actually was under a shaded umbrella because while I was enjoying the heat, I wasn’t trying to tan. Kennedi who was light as all get out, welcomed the sun. But my perfectly chocolaty skin was fine just as it was.
“We went and looked for her, what else are we supposed to do? Ruin our whole trip behind that girl?” I asked. “She’s probably off laid up with dude somewhere.”
“Maya, do I need to remind you of how serious this could be?” Sheridan was starting to sound like somebody’s mama. A total drag.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, the whole Natalee Holloway thing.” I sat up. “But that’s not what this is. Evian tries to fool everybody into thinking she’s some kind of Goody Two-shoes, but remember, she was the one behind the whole little prostitution ring at Miami High. So she’s not as innocent as everyone thinks. She’s probably off somewhere just like Carson said, enjoying herself and getting her freak on. She’ll turn up today.”
“You’d better hope so,” Sheridan said, shaking her head doubtfully. “Because I was thinking about what Shay said, and I think she’s right. You could be held liable for her disappearance.”
That made me sit up all the way and rem
ove my glasses. “Me? I wish you guys would quit saying that. Why would I be responsible? I didn’t do anything to her.”
Sheridan shook her head like I wasn’t getting it. “Yeah, but you’re the one that pushed her to go off with that guy and tons of people saw it.”
“So? I didn’t make her go.” I turned up my nose. I had no idea why everyone kept trying to drag me into this.
“And whose side are you on anyway, Sheridan?” Kennedi finally spoke up.
“Maya’s, of course.” She turned back to me and pointed a warning finger. “You remember that case in Arizona? The girls were charged and sent to prison because they taunted one of their classmates until she jumped off a bridge. They didn’t push her. They didn’t force her to jump. They just teased her and taunted her until she jumped. They were charged and are now in jail.”
“First of all,” I replied, pointing a finger right back. “My dad would have attorneys all over that, so I’m not the least bit worried about jail.” I didn’t know if she was trying to scare me or what, but Sheridan, of all people, should know I’m not the one.
“Well, you should be worried because even if your dad gets you off, do you really want to go through a trial? And do you really want to be all up in the news with Evian’s family blaming you? Evian’s mafia family?”
Now here Sheridan went talking about that mafia mess. But she had a point. I needed to be reminded that Evian’s family was bona fide crazy.
“You really think they would blame me?” I asked.
“Let something happen to their little princess, of course I do,” she replied.
I threw up my hands. This whole thing made me wish that I had never met Evian Javid. “I don’t’ know what I’m supposed to do.”
“You need to do like Shay said and go do some digging. That’s what you do, right? Go talk to Carson. Find out if he knows anything about that guy. Go to the hotel they were last seen at. You can’t just walk around here”—she motioned wildly around the pool area—“calling Evian’s name and then say ‘oh, well, I couldn’t find her.’ If something has happened to Evian, you could be held liable and you don’t need the drama.”
Truth or Dare Page 4
