Thorn in the Dark (Grove High School Book Two)

by A. R. Breck

  He doesn’t respond, turning his head away from me and clenching his fists over and over again.

  I’m about to give him another speech when Hugo walks in. “Doc said you’re good for transport. We’re going to load you up in the van and head back now. Easton, you good to take Logan’s car by yourself?” He tilts his head as he asks, and I know the reason why he’s asking.

  Am I okay to drive with my dead best friend in the backseat? Abso-fucking-lutely not.

  “Yeah. I’m good.”

  He gives me a look but doesn’t say a word. Instead, he walks out and comes back with a few other men to help transfer Jackson out to the van.

  Feeling overwhelmed and a little volatile, I mumble a goodbye and head out. I need to get out of here. Out of this town and out of this state.

  I need to go home.

  ~

  My initial plan was to drive home, but Rich called me on the way and said to detour to the warehouse. Collin and Randall flew home right when Rich called—I’m sure they’ve arrived by now—and he wanted me there.

  For what, I’m not sure, but either way, this shit sucks. All I need right now is to smoke this post-battle blunt that Logan rolled up for us and get as fucked up as I possibly can. I don’t care about much else.

  I’m the first to pull into the lot, with the rest of them a few minutes behind. Collin and Randall are already outside waiting for me, looking devastated and so unlike their usual put together selves.

  “Easton.” Randall says, coming up to give me a handshake. “Glad you’re okay. How is Jackson doing?” I roll my tongue around in my mouth to refrain from spitting out some bullshit. Why the hell does he care? He’s been a complete dick to his son for as long as I can remember. You would think he doesn’t give two shits about Jackson, but his tone speaks otherwise.

  “He’s stable.”

  “Thank God.” He sighs in relief, and being so fucking withdrawn makes it difficult to determine if he’s spitting lies or legitimately concerned for his son.

  Collin, on the other hand, cries big ugly tears as he walks around to the backseat of the car to open the door. I follow behind him and lay a hand on his shoulder, barely able to keep it there with how hard his body is shaking.

  “How? How did this happen?” He wails as he lifts his son out of the car.

  I open my mouth to speak, to say anything, really. No words come out, though. Nothing besides a puff of restricted air.

  “How did my son die, Easton?” He looks over his shoulder and barks towards me.

  I start cracking my knuckles just to do something with my hands. I end up pressing on my knuckles too hard, though, and end up popping one out of its socket. I pop it back in and mumble out a curse. “Sanders got him. There was nothing we could’ve done. I-I tried. I tried so fucking hard, Collin.” He looks at me like he wants to wring my neck, but ends up just shaking his head and begins walking towards the door with his massive son, covered in a blanket, curled in his arms.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I know how it is. I’m just…” He lets out an agonizing groan. “It’s my boy.” He sobs, shaking his head and walking inside.

  The rest of the vehicles start pulling into the warehouse parking lot. Randall starts walking towards them, but I follow Collin into the warehouse.

  I need to be with my brother. Everything else can wait.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Always listen to your gut.

  Rose

  After a silent night of chewing on my nails and listening for my mom, I have to say I’m surprised.

  She never came in to check on me or talk to me. When I wake up the next morning, it’s to an empty house. I’m not sure where she went. Maybe she went to Woodbury, or maybe she’s crying her heart out with Jeff. Another solution—one I hope isn’t true—is that she’s at some shitty dive bar and drinking her fucking life away.

  Either way, she’s not here.

  I tried calling Easton this morning and got his voicemail. I’m not sure when he’s supposed to be done with whatever it is he’s doing, and he never really told me much information.

  Hoping that Cara maybe knows something, I hop in my car and drive over to her house.

  When she opens up her door, she only spares me a glance before walking back inside her house. “Have you heard from Easton?” She asks, still in her sweats and looking like hell.

  “No, I was just coming to talk to you. Do you know what it was they were doing? Do you know when they were doing it? I tried to call him this morning, and he didn’t answer.”

  “No, I wasn’t told anything. Logan isn’t answering me, either.” She gives me a look of worry.

  “Well, maybe they’re just busy. It’s not the first time they haven’t answered our calls.” I’m trying to brush it off, but I can’t help but think about the dread I was feeling all day yesterday.

  “No. Logan told me that he was going to call me last night and this morning. I haven’t talked to him since he left. Something is wrong, I just know it.” Her voice turns shrill at the end.

  “Chill out. Let’s give it a little bit, okay? We can freak out after lunch if we haven’t heard anything.” I grab her hands and pull her down on the couch. “Let’s binge on Freaky Friday or Mean Girls or something. It will make the time go by faster.”

  “Something is wrong, Rose. I know it is.” The tears in her eyes instantly make some flood my own.

  “Cara, I know. I feel it, too. But let’s wait, okay? We just have to wait a little while.” I lean forward and grab the remote off the coffee table, turning on the DVD, which I know is already loaded in the player.

  “I can’t focus on anything when my mind is going crazy.” She leans back and puts her hands over her face. “I just wish he would call me back.”

  Sighing, I get up and grab some rum sitting on her counter and pour her a glass, straight up. I walk back over to her and stick it in her face. “Cara, drink this and shut the fuck up. We both can’t be freaking out. So, do me a favor, drink.” She grabs it and tips it back in one swallow.

  “Good. Now watch this movie, and afterward, we will try to call them again, okay?”

  “Okay.” She hiccups and leans onto my shoulder, sniffling but obliging. I stiffen, but power through it for the sake of my best friend's sanity.

  “Okay.”

  It’s not okay. None of this is.

  ~

  “Bitch, get your ass out of my face.” Cara pushes my legs back and makes me fall off the couch.

  “Ouch. Shit!” Laying down on the floor, I squint and look at the sunlight peeking through the window. “What time is it?”

  Cara leans up and looks at the clock on her stove. “It’s ten in the morning!” She shoots off the couch and goes to her phone. “Logan still hasn’t called me! I’m going to kill that bastard next time I see him.”

  After watching our movie last night, we both tried to call the guys nonstop with no answer. Eventually, it got to the point where we were both panicking, and we knew they were obviously not going to answer. So, we put in another movie and must have ended up falling asleep at some point.

  Reaching up, I grab my phone off the table and look at my own phone. “Easton hasn’t called me either,” I mumble. Something happened, I just know it.

  If Easton is dead—no, I can’t even think like that.

  I do have missed phone calls from my mom, but I shoot off a quick text to her letting her know I fell asleep at Cara’s and will be home in a bit.

  “Want to come over to my house? I should check in with my mom.” I look up at Cara and say, “I told her about Corey.”

  She gasps. “And you’re just telling me this now? What the hell happened?”

  “She was talking about me not seeing Easton anymore, basically sticking up for Corey in every way possible. She was saying all this bad stuff about Easton and that he’s a terrible person. She even mentioned that she wanted to bring me back to Woodbury. I dropped the bomb and walked to my room and left her there. I haven’t
talked to her since.” I flip my phone around in my hand. I don’t know what she's going to say, or what she’s been doing the last day to process everything.

  I’m seriously worried.

  “So, I could really use you to back me up in case any shit goes down.”

  “Yeah, of course. Let me get ready quick.” She shouts as she’s walking down the hall.

  “‘Kay.” I walk over to my purse and grab my things. When I look into my purse, the first thing that catches my attention is the gun that Easton gave me. He gave me this protection in case I need to defend myself in his absence.

  He doesn’t realize that the only protection I need is him. I don’t want this hunk of metal. I don’t want to have the weight of a gun pressing into me every day. I just want Easton. I want him to be okay, and I want him to be back home with me, where he can keep me safe.

  He brought me out of the darkness I was in when I moved here and brought me into his own darkness. I might still be in the dark, but at least we can be there together.

  Without him, I’m lost.

  Without him, the darkness isn’t a place where I feel safe. It’s a never-ending abyss, and I’m afraid I won’t ever be able to find my way out.

  When I hear Cara coming back down the hall, I wipe my tears and shove my gun back into my purse. I’m not ready to tell her about the gun. I think it’s something I should keep to myself for now.

  “Ready?” she asks. “I want to get back here quickly in case Logan shows up.”

  “Yeah, I’m ready.” Grabbing our things, we head out and start walking to my car.

  “Hold on.” Cara stops me. “Is that…why is Logan’s car at Easton’s house? They’re back, and they never told us?” Changing directions, Cara stomps over to Easton’s house.

  I follow behind her, just as curious to know why they’re back and never said anything. There has been complete radio silence since they left on Friday. If they’re back, though, that has to mean they’re all okay.

  Right?

  Cara pounds on Easton’s door. “Logan, open up! I know you’re in there. Your car is outside!” She keeps pounding and pounding, but no one answers. “Seriously, what the fuck?” She asks me.

  Wiggling the knob, she sees it’s unlocked and opens it. She turns to me and shrugs. “Well, okay, then.”

  When we get inside, it’s silent, and all the lights are off. “Hello? It’s Cara and Rose! Where the hell is everyone?”

  I follow behind her, not saying a word. The oppression weighing down this house is nearly unbearable. I feel like I can barely breathe.

  When we get to Easton’s room, Cara opens up the door and reveals a stoic Easton. He sits up against the wall at the head of the bed, a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and a cigarette in the other.

  He doesn’t even acknowledge us when we enter.

  “Easton? Where is everyone?” Cara asks in a worried tone, obviously able to feel the same tension I’m feeling.

  He shifts his eyes up and spares us a glance. No emotion. “Not here.” Lifting the bottle, he takes a large swig. “Definitely not here.” The undertone of his sentence doesn’t go unnoticed.

  “Easton, why haven’t you called? What’s going on?” I ask, stepping towards the bed.

  He looks up at me and snarls. “I’ve been busy with shit. Can’t you fucking get the picture? I’m not answering for a reason. Leave me alone.” He ashes his cigarette on his floor and takes a drag. “I don’t want any company.” He says, blowing the smoke in my face.

  I try to step closer to the bed, but the look he gives me halts me in place. “Fuck off, Rose. Go home.”

  Tears try to wake their way into my eyes, but I can’t let them fall. Not now.

  “Okay, then. Let’s go, Rose. Easton’s being a fucking douche bag. Let’s go to Logan’s house and see if he’s there.” She tries to pull me out the door, and I start to let her until Easton speaks up.

  “He’s not there. I can take you to him, though.” The nasty look on his face chills me to the bone.

  What happened to him?

  “Okay. Let’s go.” Cara walks out the door without another word.

  I stand there and wait for Easton to get up, to acknowledge me, anything, really. He takes one more gulp of the whiskey and then drops the cigarette inside the bottle and sets it on the floor.

  “As you wish. You’ll fucking regret it, though.”

  I block his path. “What do you mean by that? Why are you acting like this?” Why, why, why? I feel like a broken record, but I need some answers.

  “Get the fuck out of my way, Rose.” He barks.

  “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

  “Move.”

  “No. Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it. Is it something I did?”

  He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. It’s cold, flat, and filled with malice.

  He’s in a place darker than I’ve ever been. Darker than I’ve ever seen.

  “It’s everything you did, Rose. Now, when I say move, you fucking move.” He grabs me by my biceps and lifts me, placing me down on the other side of him. “Now, get in my truck or get the fuck out of here.”

  “No way in hell are you driving,” I shout and follow him out into the living room. “I don’t know how much you’ve been drinking, but you’re not getting behind the wheel like that!”

  He turns around. “Okay, I’m going to bed then. Bye.” He tries to close the bedroom door in my face.

  “Easton, stop! Where is Logan? We can just go ourselves. And why do we have to drive? His car is right outside. Isn’t he at home?” Cara asks from outside the front door.

  “No, he is most certainly not at home.” I detect a small hint of sadness in his tone, and it makes me both frightened of what that means, and hopeful that my Easton is still in there somewhere.

  “Rose, just let him drive. I want to go see Logan.” Cara whines.

  I roll my eyes. “Fine, but if you crash, or get pulled over, I swear I will never forgive you.”

  He shrugs. “Sure, whatever. Let’s go.” He grabs his keys off the counter and walks out to his truck.

  Silently, we follow behind him.

  The drive is silent, and soon we realize we’re on our way to the Pit.

  “Logan is at the Pit? Why?” Cara asks.

  The only indication that Easton heard her is by the way his hands clench the steering wheel, hard. I’m almost surprised that he didn’t break the damn thing in half. He doesn’t look at me, not once. I think back, trying to figure out if there is something that I said or did before he left that could be the reason why he’s acting so cold.

  We were fine. He kissed me goodbye. He looked happy. I felt happy. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was out of the ordinary.

  I just don’t get it.

  Easton parks on a separate side of the building that I’ve never entered. Maybe this is where Rich works. Maybe Logan is with his dad?

  The moment he switches off the car, memories of that night flash through my head. I haven’t been back here since—shit, I can't even think about it now that I’m here. Luckily, we’re on a side of the building that I’ve never been on. Being here though, being even remotely in the same location is enough for me to choke in fear. It feels like a demon is trying to escape my throat and I have to cough a few times to get rid of the icky feeling.

  Before hopping out of the car, he turns around and glances at us, giving us the most emotionless stare in the world before shaking his head and hopping out of the car, mumbling, “This shit is so fucked up.”

  What is that supposed to mean?

  Silently, we walk in a side door that leads to a basement. Cara and I look at each other.

  Neither of us want to enter, but we both want to see Logan. Something isn’t right, and we can both feel it. We have to find out.

  Walking down the rickety stairs, I see a big hulking man at the bottom with a solemn face. He nods at Easton.

  Easton doesn’t nod back.

 
; I can hear cries in the distance, and I instantly get choked up. The dread gets stronger in my belly, and it feels like my throat is closing in on itself. Glancing over at Cara, I see that she has tears in her eyes.

  She can feel it, too.

  We enter a room, and I see a large man who I recognize as Logan’s dad, Collin, leaning over a table. On that table is a body.

  I can’t see the face, but I know.

  “No!” Cara cries out, making Logan’s dad turn around in surprise. He looks at Easton and mumbles something to him before leaving the room. Passing by, he gives a nod to both Cara and I with his watery eyes, and I can feel myself splitting at the seams.

  When we glance back at the table, it reveals who Collin was crying over.

  Logan.

  “No!” Cara cries out again, running up to the table and leaning over him. “Please, no! Not you! It was never supposed to be you!” She wails and sobs, and I can do nothing but look at her as tears roll down my cheeks.

  I walk up to him slowly and grab onto his hand that is lying on his chest. “I’m so sorry, Logan,” I whisper. His hand is ice cold, and it’s almost painful to touch. There’s no warmth, no faint beat in his palm that indicates there’s life in there. The color of his skin has lost its golden hue of the boy who loved to be out in the sun. In its place is a pale gray that makes him almost unrecognizable.

  It looks like he’s wearing the same clothes he was wearing when he died. The dark gray shirt is dirty and a big red stain of blood covers up most of his left side. It horrific.

  I step back, letting Cara have her moment to grieve her boyfriend. The man who has loved her since they were children. The girl who finally gave in and loved him back, only for him to be taken away in the blink of an eye.

  I look up at Easton, only to see he is looking right at me. He doesn’t catch me in our usual stare, though. He looks at me with dead, black eyes that make me wonder if he died, too. I assess him, seeing his ear taped over, but other than that, he looks alive and well—healthy, that is.