“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” he hedged. “Are you okay?”
I hugged my arms around myself as he ushered Jane and me to the sidewalk in front of the diner. There were no other cars coming, but then again, I hadn’t seen that one. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks,” I mumbled.
“What the hell was that guy’s problem anyway?” Jane asked, looking down the road. His car was long gone and I shivered thinking about what could have happened.
“That was Preston Moore; he’s drunk more often than not and probably didn’t see you standing there.”
We all turned when we heard the explanation and I was surprised to see that it was the main person I had been looking for. Hallie, with her pregnant belly protruding in front of her, was standing at the door of the diner. She had one hand shading her eyes from the sun and the other one resting on her stomach.
“Well why don’t they take his license away?” Jake asked, clearly frustrated by her admission.
“Oh, they’ve done that, many times. He just never learns.”
“They need to lock him up then,” Jake mumbled. Jane nodded in agreement.
Hallie turned back toward the inside of the diner, and let the door swing shut behind her. We followed her in, Jake holding the door for both Jane and me. I quickly scanned the dining area, happy to see that it was much less crowded today. Instead of the three of us hopping up onto bar stools, I made my way toward a booth in the back corner. There was no one sitting close to it, and I was hoping to get Hallie as far away from her mother as possible. It looked like she was the only waitress working.
“Hungry?” I asked Jake and Jane. Jane nodded, while Jake just shrugged.
“Sure, I guess.”
I let Jane slide into the booth first and then sat down beside her. Jake sat in the middle of the other side and handed out the menus that were up against the wall. “So you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
“Oh you know, just hanging out with my friend Jane.” Jane raised her brows, but thankfully didn’t say anything. “What about you? What brings you to the Willows…? I mean Willow Grove?”
Jake studied me for a second and then smiled. “Sight seeing. I’m new to the area, you know.”
There was a moment that passed between us where we both knew that we were not telling the truth. Our eyes met and held, as if daring each other to admit what they were really up to, but neither of us relented. After a few awkward seconds, we were saved by the sound of water glasses being sat down in front of us.
“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you around here again.”
Hallie smiled down at all of us, but winked at me after her statement. I smiled uncomfortably when I felt Jake’s eyes boring into me; just what I didn’t need, more suspicions about what I was doing here.
“Well, you know, we were hungry.”
She laughed softly and took our orders, "well you came to the right place, then."
I was tempted to say something to her then; ask her the questions that were burning inside of me, but I was hyper aware of the eyes that were on me so I decided to wait. The seconds ticked off in an awkward silence that I vowed I wouldn't be the first person to break.
My eyes were drawn to the wall by the door. The wall with so many smiling faces staring back at me. What could have happened to cause so many disappearances? Worse yet, what had happened that Jackson and Piper had been a part of? My good brother. My clean cut, all American, life of the party brother? He was better than this. He was too good to be caught up in whatever was going on in this town, and after yesterday I was totally convinced that there was something going on.
"So..."
It was Jane who attempted to break the silence first. She was twirling a piece of her hair around her finger and looking around like she was trying to find something, anything to talk about.
"So..." Jake responded.
Just then the front door of the diner opened and the older man from yesterday, Arnie, walked inside. He stood just inside the doorway for a moment scanning the dining area. After a few seconds, he nodded, satisfied by either what he saw or what he didn't see and he began walking toward the same bar stool he had been sitting on yesterday. There was no one else at the bar.
My pulse quickened. My heartbeat increased. My palms began to sweat. I was sure that my cheeks were flushed with excitement and anticipation. I was practically jumping out of my seat, ready to go and talk to him.
"Evie?"
My eyes snapped to Jane just as my brain snapped back to the conversation that was going on at my own table. By the looks on their faces, they were expecting me to answer something that I hadn't even heard. I smiled apologetically and shrugged my shoulders, "sorry, I guess I'm distracted. What did you say?"
Jake opened his mouth to say something, but I was once again saved when Hallie arrived and began putting plates in front of us. "Let me know if there is anything else I can get for you."
"Hey, Hallie, how about a cup of coffee."
She turned when Arnie called her name and in doing so, forced me into view. His eyes widened and he stood up so fast off of his stool that he almost fell over. If it wasn't because of me, I probably would have laughed. Unfortunately, I knew what was going to happen even before it did.
"Nevermind... I mean I don't need coffee... Oh, um, I have to go." He sputtered while he backed up a few steps.
"Is everything okay?" Hallie watched him, her face colored with concern, as he practically tripped over his own feet in his haste to get out of the diner.
"Yeah, fine. I just forget that I have to, um, do something."
I looked at Jake across the table. "I'll be right back. I think I left my purse in the car."
It looked like he was going to get up but Hallie was blocking his way and I was out of the booth and racing for the door before he had the chance. Arnie was just about to get into his car when I ran outside.
"Wait!"
He turned, saw that it was me calling after him, and hung his head, shaking it. "What do you want?"
"Please, there is more going on here than anyone will admit to. Can you tell me what it is?"
He sat down in the front seat of his car and buried his face in his hands. "I can't."
"Sir, please, I know that you know something," I crouched down in front of him, "it's my baby brother. We already lost our parents, I can't lose him too." I whispered the last part, but when he looked up at me, his eyes were sparkling with unshed tears.
"You already have lost him. No matter what you may find and what you think you see, remember that." He swung his legs into the car and put the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life and without another choice, I stood up and backed away. "I'm sorry. I really am."
With that he grabbed hold of the door and pulled it shut. I stood, my arms crossed over my breaking heart, and watched him drive away. The look on his face when he had uttered those last words was enough to turn my blood icy, but despite that, I couldn't give up hope. Jackson meant too much to me for that to happen.
Finally, with no other option in front of me, I turned back toward the diner. Hallie was watching me from the window. Her hand resting on her stomach and a strange almost eerie expression darkening her features. It gave me the chills. When she saw me looking at her, she backed away and I decided that I should probably get back inside.
Hallie was standing just inside the door waiting for me. She put her hand on my arm, stopping me from going any further. A quick glance toward the back of the diner showed that Jake and Jane hadn't noticed my return so I went willingly when Hallie pulled me into a corner by the restrooms.
"I want to help you," she whispered.
Hope began to soar to life inside of me. "How? Do you know where my brother is?"
"There's a place, a park, just outside of town."
I frowned. "The Willows?"
She smiled, excitement brightening her eyes, "yes! That's the place." She leaned forward and whispered into my ear. "Meet me
there, tonight. Just before dark."
She turned and walked back toward the dining area. "Wait!" I called after her softly, but she just kept walking. How the hell was I supposed to get to the Willows just before dark? It was never going to happen. I turned the corner, I was going to tell her that I couldn't make it, that she needed to just talk to me now, but it was her mother I saw standing behind the counter. She narrowed her eyes when she saw me. Hallie was gone.
I rushed to back to our booth. My food lay untouched on the table, but I didn't care. The chills running up my spine told me that we had worn out our welcome, or at least I had. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Jake Cole frowned, "you didn't even eat your food."
"I don't care, I'm not hungry anyways."
I grabbed Jane by the hand and pulled her out of the booth. "Where are we going?"
"Home."
I'd rather be anywhere but there, but for the time being, there was nowhere else really to go. I still had to figure out a way to get back out here tonight. I had no clue how I was going to do it.
"O-kay?" Jane grabbed her keys. She looked at me strangely but didn't say anything.
I pulled some cash out of my pocket and threw it down on the table. "It was good to see you Jake. Enjoy your sight seeing."
"Wait a second, are you sure you're okay?"
He put his hand on my arm, I could feel the warmth of his flesh through my clothes. It was a nice feeling; a safe feeling. It sent tiny sparks up my spine, but I didn't have time for that. "Yeah, sure, I'm just tired. I'm getting a headache," I lied.
He threw some money down too, "well at least let me walk you to your car." He smiled and I couldn't help noticing how cute he was. "I wouldn't want some to hit you."
It wasn't a funny joke and I didn't laugh. Jane rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Ha ha, very funny. Let's go."
Together we walked toward the door. The smiling pictures mocked me, taunted me with the secrets I was desperate to know. I paused, but only for a moment, memorizing as many of the names and faces as my brain could process in such a short time.
I looked both ways before crossing this time. Something that should have been instilled inside of me, but was still somehow lacking earlier today. When the coast was clear, I jogged across the street, Jake and Jane with me. I didn't even wait before opening the passenger side door and getting inside the car. Jane looked at Jake and shrugged. I knew I was acting strange, and I knew she knew I was acting strange, I just didn't care.
Jane walked around to the drivers side and got into the car. Jake crouched down next to my window and I rolled it down. "Are you sure that you're alright?"
I nodded, "I'm just really tired." I jumped when Jane's door slammed shut and then laughed at myself. "I guess I just sort of feel a little on edge."
"Hey, Evie," I turned and looked at Jane, "what is that?"
She was pointing to something that was on her windshield. It looked like a piece of paper that someone had secured under the passenger side wiper. "I don't know. Maybe a flier or something."
Jake, looking toward it too, suddenly stood up. "What the fuck?"
I was surprised to hear him curse. Certainly it wasn't against the law or even uncommon for people to paper cars with fliers from time to time. "What's wrong?"
He reached out and grabbed the small white square and gulped when he looked at the front of it. "Evie, what are you really doing in Willow Grove?"
I frowned. "I told you already."
"I don't think you should hang out here anymore."
"Why?"
"What's going on?" Jane asked, "what is that?"
Jake held the small paper out for me and when I grabbed it, and felt the glossy paper beneath my fingers, I realized it wasn't a paper at all. It was a photo. Uneasy, a lump forming in my throat, I turned it over; and gasped.
It was a photo. Smiling back up at me was Hallie and a guy who had his arm wrapped around her, his hand resting on her smaller, but still pregnant belly. I could only guess that he was the father. The disturbing part was that they weren't alone. Sitting across from them at a table I recognized from the diner, were Piper and Jackson. What the fuck indeed.
Chapter Eight
"It's freaking freezing out here."
I rolled my eyes. It was probably the fifth time in the last hour that I had heard a complaint just like that from Jane's mouth. It was annoying. I was thankful that after seeing the picture that was left on her car that Jane was so willing to bring me out here, I just couldn't help wishing that I was alone. There was too much going on in my own head to try to deal with someone else's questions and issues.
We were standing behind a group of trees just outside the main playground. From our vantage point we could see the parking lot, play area, and restrooms. I wasn't sure if I could trust Hallie after finding that picture so I wasn't sure if I was going to meet her or not. Whatever was going on in this crazy ass town, my brother had gotten involved in it. Although I desperately wanted to find out what had happened to him, I wasn't ready to get thrown right in the middle of it.
“Where is she?” I whispered more to myself than to Jane. It was getting really close to dark and after my last experience out here in daylight, I wasn’t planning on hanging around once the sun went down.
“Maybe we should just go back to your house?”
It was more of a timid question than a statement and I glared at Jane for even suggesting it. I might be feeling just as uneasy and anxious as she was, but I wasn’t about to admit it to her. I refused to leave without getting any answers.
The sound of tires on the loosely paved road pulled my attention away from the playground area. There was a small red car coming up the winding road from the highway. It was creeping along as if it wasn’t quite sure where it was going. I frowned. I recognized that car. It belonged to a girl we went to school with; Sally James.
“Hey, isn’t that Sally’s car?” Jane sounded just as confused as I felt.
Sally was sort of overlooked at school. I wouldn’t say that Jane and I were necessarily popular, but we definitely fit into that role more than Sally did. More than slightly overweight with bad skin and frizzy hair, she wasn’t exactly big into the social atmosphere like I used to be. The only difference was, while I had sort of taken myself out of that crowd, she had never been a part of it in the first place.
“I knew you’d come.”
I jumped and my hand flew to my heart. “You scared the crap out of me!”
Jane had backed up against the tree and her eyes were wide and wild with surprise. Hallie just smiled impishly at us and shrugged her shoulders. “I told you to meet me here, I figured you were expecting me.”
There was something in her eyes. Something that said there was much more going on than she was going to let me in on, but then again, maybe I was just being paranoid. A car door slammed in the distance and I turned back toward the playground. Sally was walking slowly toward the rest room with her arms crossed around her chest like she wasn’t quite sure where she was going. Her behavior had me confused. Why would she be out here?
“Come on, the party is about to start.”
Party? Hallie didn’t even wait for us before she started walking toward the playground. Jane looked over at me, pleading me with her eyes and motioning toward the bend in the road where we had left her car. I shook my head and shrugged. Hallie was from around here, we were safe enough. Right? The hair on the back of my neck said otherwise, but I ignored that too. Somewhere through all of this I would find out what really happened to my brother, and that was all that mattered.
I turned and walked quickly to catch up with Hallie. I could hear Jane’s footsteps crunching in the snow as she fought to follow me. When I was next to Hallie, I matched my stride to hers. I looked at her sideways and noticed that she had a small smile on her face. Almost as though she was feeling triumphant, and it sent shivers through my already cold body.
“This is crazy. Freaking insane.”
Jane had finally caught up to us and she was mumbling next to me. Hallie didn’t even acknowledge her. We walked the last few feet in silence, the only sound was the sound of our shoes, which was loud enough that when we were close enough, Sally turned quickly and eyed us suspiciously.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“We were just…” Jane started.
“We’re here for the party of course.” Hallie cut in.
“Evie?” It was Sally who said it, but I could feel Jane’s eyes on me as well. Both were waiting for me to say something, waiting for me to confirm or deny Hallie’s statement. I sighed. It wasn’t like I knew what the hell was going on. If anything, I was a million times more confused then they were.
I shrugged, “yeah, we’re here for the party.” I confirmed.
Jane gritted her teeth, but didn’t say anything. I didn’t feel bad, I hadn’t made her come with me. Sally looked at me skeptically, probably wondering how it was possible that she ended up at a party with the three of us, but finally accepted my explanation, which confirmed she had been told there was a party as well. Strange, I thought. I couldn’t help wondering who would have invited her out to the Willows for a party. I looked around at the empty space around us. An empty party from the looks of it, I thought.
“Hallie, can I talk to you for a second?”
She smiled at me, but held her finger up in front of her lips. “Shhh. Listen.”
I was about to say something else, but then I heard it. Laughter. Maniacal laughter like the kind I had heard yesterday. I spun around, looking for the source, but it was more like it was coming from all around us. As the last few rays of sunlight faded from the sky, the sound grew louder. Jane looked like she was going to be sick. Her skin had turned pale, emphasizing the pink spots on her cheeks from the cold air. Sally stood and hugged her arms even closer around her chest, she looked like she was going to cry. To the left of me, Hallie just stood, one hand resting on the huge mound that was her stomach, that same triumphant smile distorting her face in the fading light.
The Willows Page 8
