“Hey.”
Lewis’ voice caught me off guard. I froze there, in the shadows of two maple trees that had lost their leaves days ago. Of course I was surprised that Lewis had followed me. Surprised and thrilled, although I knew Emily wouldn’t be.
With my heart racing in my chest, slowly, I turned. “What do you want?”
I couldn’t see his face in the darkness and I wanted so badly to read his features. “Sheesh, nice attitude when I’m just being friendly.”
“Bull.” I crossed my arms over my chest, a defensive action, as if that could keep him from reading my mind. I suddenly felt cold and warm at the same time, like I was getting sick. Wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake, if I puked all over his Adidas. “You want something, I just haven’t figured out what yet.”
He shrugged and leaned his palm on the tree. His hand was next to my head, close to me, too close. He smelled like soap and minty toothpaste and something else, something warm and lovely, something that made my insides twist. “Maybe I just want to be friends.”
Maybe I would puke after all. Fun. He wanted to be friends. Story of my life where guys were concerned.
He looked away, his eyes sparkling with humor, as if hearing some unspoken joke.
I stiffened, realizing the joke could be me. Crap! Had he just read my mind? Oh God, think boring thoughts…the tree. I flattened my palms to the rough bark. The tree. Yes, the tree was nice, the fall colors, the bark brown...
“I think you need a friend.”
I laughed a little hysterically, my attention slipping unwillingly back to him. “No, I don’t.”
He reached out and took a strand of my hair in his hands, twirling the lock around his finger. It was a romantic action, something a boyfriend would do. Not a friend.
“A good friend.” He dropped the lock and looked directly into my eyes. I couldn’t seem to breathe as I waited for his next words, as if they were the most important words I’d ever hear. “Someone who understands you and what you’re going through.”
“And you do?” I whispered, daring him to answer.
“More than you think.”
He was admitting it. Practically admitting he could read minds, wasn’t he? Confused, shocked, I wasn’t sure how to respond. Was he playing with me?
He smiled, a slow smile. “I think I like you.”
Such simple words, such silly words, so why did my heart stop beating and sigh with ridiculous longing? I wanted to push him away and run home to the safety of my small cottage. I wanted to pull him close and kiss him, taste his lips. What was it about this guy that had me so confused?
“I think…” He looked away briefly as if carefully weighing his next words. “I think we could be very good together.”
Good together? A warm tingle spread across my back. Okay, I was no expert, but I was pretty sure that was boyfriend talk. “I thought you were interested in Emily.”
He laughed, a deep chuckle. “No. How can I be? She doesn’t understand.”
“Understand what?” I latched onto the word and dared him once again to tell the truth; to stop beating around the bush.
He was silent for one long moment, his gaze drilling into mine, so intense that I had to stop myself from looking away.
“You know. Surely you know,” he said softly.
Frantic to hear the truth, I gripped his shirt much like Emily had done earlier. The guy was going to be a wrinkled mess by the time he returned home. “Tell me, Lewis. Tell me the truth.”
But he just stood there, merely staring at me, his face so close to mine his breath was warm across my lips. And I wanted him to tell me, and I wanted him to kiss me. Which I wanted more, I wasn’t sure.
“Are you two coming back inside or what?” Emily’s shrill voice echoed across the garden. I felt her anger like a slap, breaking through our haze of lust. The vile words she called me inside her thoughts sort of ruined the mood. The entire garden glanced our way and I could’ve killed her for drawing attention to us.
I stiffened, but Lewis didn’t move away immediately. He didn’t fear Emily and her retribution. But I did. Reading minds wouldn’t help if she decided I was her mortal enemy. I shoved my hands into his hard chest and pushed him back. The girl was as vindictive as she was arrogant. He finally moved aside and I got my first look at Emily. She was furious all right, that perfect face flushed red.
“It’s one thing to invite your loser friends, but to have their loser boyfriends here as well?”
“What?” Lewis had made me stupid and I was confused for a moment, but quickly realized she was talking about Annabeth. George had arrived.
I pushed passed the few students on the patio and made my way into the house, Lewis forgotten. Annabeth stood near the fireplace, clinging to some tall guy. I paused, surprised that he was as good-looking in person as he’d been in Annabeth’s mind. He leaned down toward a beaming Annabeth and gave her a quick kiss.
“Ughh,” Emily sighed in disgust, pausing next to me.
She was pissed that even someone as frumpy as Annabeth had landed a decent guy and she had no one at the moment. She’d already moved on, growing bored with Kevin. What else did she want?
“We’ll leave,” I snapped.
She didn’t want me to leave and for a moment I felt her panic. If I left, she wouldn’t have anyone to torment, anyone to make her feel important. “What are you talking about?”
I had to resist the urge to smirk. “If you don’t want Annabeth here, we’ll leave.”
She laughed, a forced sound that came out shrill and annoying. “You’re so dramatic.”
Annabeth started toward me, her face beaming, her boyfriend reluctantly followed. My attention moved away from Annabeth and landed on George, focusing on his thoughts. He was nervous. He felt silly being around such a younger group. Good, he should feel silly. Still, I kind of felt sorry for him and I knew Emily would tear him down the moment she got the chance.
They stopped in front of us. “George, this is Cameron.”
He smiled at me and shook my hand. Dead giveaway that he was old. No one my age shook hands. His palm was damp too, showing his nerves. I had to resist the urge to swipe my hand on my jeans.
“Hey, nice to meet you.” He had soft brown eyes. Nice eyes, I supposed.
“You too,” I said, giving him a friendly smile. Although I still had my misgivings about him, I’d been brought up to be polite.
“Lewis.” Lewis brushed by me, introducing himself and shaking George’s hand.
I stiffened, surprised to see him. Usually I was warned by a person’s thoughts when they appeared. But not Lewis, no, of course not. My mind went back to our conversation. He was going to admit he could read thoughts. I knew it. Damn Emily for interrupting.
“George and I are going to Lakeside. Wanna come?” Annabeth whispered, apparently hoping Emily wouldn’t overhear.
“They reopened?” Emily asked, a sneer to her voice.
Annabeth blushed, the color clashing with her red hair. “Yeah, yesterday.”
Emily crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, as if we weren’t good enough to stare directly at. “Gross, I could never eat there after what happened.”
“She wasn’t killed inside the restaurant,” Annabeth muttered, showing some backbone.
“It’s still insensitive.” Emily brushed her hair back and sashayed away, fully expecting me to follow. As if her gossiping about the body wasn’t insensitive. She was hoping I’d turn Annabeth down flat and scurry after her. She was contemplating forgiving me if I did. I admit for a brief moment the insecure me was tempted, but I didn’t need nor want her forgiveness.
“Don’t listen to her,” I said.
“You want to come with?” Annabeth asked, her large brown eyes pleading. She wanted George to think she had a lot of friends, that she wasn’t some loser like Emily obviously thought.
“Sure we will,” Lewis answered for me like he had the right.
I jerked my hea
d toward him. What was he doing? How dare he. Besides, I had no desire to hang out with Annabeth and George. I wanted to go home, where I could be alone with my thoughts, and only my thoughts. He glanced down at me and smiled. A knowing smile, as if he realized exactly what I was thinking.
“Oh, great.” Annabeth grabbed George’s hand, the two of them more than ready to leave.
“Just a minute.” I latched onto Lewis’ arm and pulled him a few feet away, where the music would cover our conversation. “What are you doing?”
He shrugged. “She wanted us to go with, obviously.”
“So, why do you care? You don’t even know her.”
“Just because I don’t know someone doesn’t mean I can’t care. Haven’t you ever helped someone you didn’t know?”
I looked away, ashamed. Not really. I played it safe, as Grandma had taught me. And yes, it made me feel guilty as hell. Annabeth obviously was floundering for some support and I wasn’t willing to give it to her. Here was Lewis, some new guy, helping out my friend when I hadn’t.
“What will it hurt?” He rested his hand on my arm. His touch was warm, comforting in a way I didn’t want to admit or really understand. “We—”
I killed her.
I stiffened and jerked my head toward the dancing couples. Teenagers were writhing and squirming around the living room, laughing, kissing, talking in a big blur of movement and thought.
God, it felt good.
I shoved my hand into Lewis’ chest, pushing him back. My heart pounded frantically against my ribcage. The killer was here. I rushed into the throng of people. Music pulsed around me, beating heavily against my body, taunting me almost.
The urge is too strong. I have to find another.
I spun around, fear and panic bitterly cold. Damn it! Who was it? I wouldn’t let the guy escape again.
So many to pick from.
The words whispered through my mind, barely distinguishable from the other thoughts in my head. But he was close, so close he was practically beside me. A cold sweat broke out between my shoulder blades. Slowly, I turned.
“Ready?” Annabeth asked eagerly.
I lifted my gaze from her excited, round face and focused on her boyfriend. George was smiling down at me, those soft brown eyes suddenly hard.
Maybe I’ll pick her next.
Chapter 5
“Keep calm,” Lewis whispered near my ear, his warm breath offering little comfort.
Keep calm? How could I keep calm? My entire body was trembling and I knew I’d lost any color from my face. I felt cold, sick. The entire room faded, my world becoming a tiny fraction of what it had been…merely Lewis’ warm body next to mine, keeping me grounded in reality. Annabeth looked worriedly at me and then George…George lurking there in the background like some nightmare ready to pounce.
“Cam? You okay?” Annabeth’s voice sounded hollow.
Oh God, Annabeth. Annabeth was dating a murderer.
Reality rushed back on a roar of protest that only I could hear. My stomach roiled. Lewis’ hand rested on my lower back, as if he knew I was close to losing it. The room began to waver and I leaned back against his solid body, needing his support.
“We’ll follow you,” I was vaguely aware of Lewis’ voice, but could only seem to focus on keeping my knees locked.
“Oh, okay.” Annabeth looked worried, but thinking I was in Lewis’ capable hands, she made her way toward the door with George. I was relieved, until rationality invaded. Oh God, George.
“No,” I muttered, pushing Lewis away and going after them. I had to save Annabeth.
“Cam, stop.” Lewis grabbed my hand and jerked me into him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close, so close that to anyone else it would look like we were hugging. And in another time, another moment, I might have enjoyed his arms around me. But, he was trying to keep me from saving Annabeth.
“Let me go!” I seethed, my hands fisting against his chest. “I have to stop her, you don’t understand!”
“I do,” he snapped, the hardness in his voice giving me pause. “Let her go, for now.”
Warm tears burned my eyes, tears of fear and frustration. “He’ll kill her!”
“Shhh.” He took my hand and pulled me toward the front door where Annabeth and George had disappeared. A few people were watching us curiously, noticing our odd behavior. They were wondering how I’d managed to steal the hot new guy away from Emily. Stupid, insignificant thoughts.
“He won’t kill her. Not now. He’s using her.” Lewis pushed the front door wide and pulled me into the cool night air. The music and noise faded and the rustle of autumn leaves was the only sound as the night insects were long dead. He led me toward a small silver car and because I was numb, I let him.
“He’s using her as his alibi. He wants to charm her, pretend he’s a normal, law abiding citizen.” He opened the passenger door for me.
But I didn’t get in. Instead I spun around to face him. “And how would you know?”
“Get in,” he demanded
I slammed my fists against his chest. He didn’t even flinch. “No! Not until you tell me the truth.”
He merely stared at me with those knowing eyes. “Get in.” He wasn’t intimidated by Emily’s social power, he wasn’t intimidated by George. What did intimidate him?
I realized I wasn’t going to win, and I didn’t have time to argue. With a frustrated groan, I pushed him away and sank onto the passenger seat. He moved around the front of the car, pulling open the driver’s door. I tapped my foot impatiently, studying the road ahead for those taillights.
“Lewis! Cam!” Emily called out, waving to us from the front stoop.
He didn’t even pause, merely settled behind the wheel and slipped the key into the ignition. He started the car and we took off, driving out of Emily’s subdivision. Emily would make my life miserable for ignoring her and taking off with the very guy she’d laid claim to. Our relationship would be completely over, but I didn’t care.
I curled my hands, my fingernails digging into my sensitive palms. “Can’t you go faster?”
He slid me an annoyed glance. “I told you, she’s fine.”
“For now.”
He didn’t respond and the atmosphere remained tense as I struggled to keep from cursing, from yelling at Lewis to drive faster.
We left the subdivision, the large mini mansions giving way to a stretch of costal road. “Have you thought about what you’ll say to her when you get there?”
I gazed out onto that inky ocean. Not even the moonlight highlighted the waves tonight. Unforgiving waves, how many lives had they taken? “Yeah, how about your boyfriend’s a murderer.”
He nodded slowly. “That might work, but how will you explain the fact that you know?”
He turned a corner and I slipped further down into my seat. Slumped over, I felt defeated, unsure. He was right. Annabeth wasn’t three. I couldn’t just tell her to stop dating George, and she’d trust me without argument. Besides, George would just move onto another victim. Could I let him go knowing what he’d do? I’d let people get away with crimes before.
How many people? How many times? I pressed my hands to my stomach and groaned, the guilt overwhelming and unbearable. I’d never dwelled on my guilt, pushing it to the far corners of my mind. But I’d also never heard the thoughts of a serial killer. I felt dirty, gross, my skin tight and itchy, as if my body didn’t belong to me.
“You don’t have to feel this way.” Lewis pulled into the parking lot. Lakeside was empty but for a few cars. The yellow police tape and Savannah’s body were gone; no indication that she’d ever been there.
How could George do it? What kind of sick monster was he? I could see Annabeth through the window, laughing at something George had said. I felt sick. It didn’t even bother him that he was sitting only feet from where his victim had washed ashore. How could I go in there and pretend like nothing was wrong? How could I make Annabeth understand without telling he
r the truth about what I could do?
“I have to say something,” I insisted.
Lewis nodded. “I understand. But she won’t believe you. They never do.”
Was he right? I was silent, letting the intimacy of the moment comfort me. Even though he was a complete mystery to me, here with Lewis, I felt safe. “Tell me you understand,” I whispered, afraid, even though we were alone, that someone would overhear me. I was about to admit something that I’d never admitted…something completely taboo.
He looked at me, his eyes shining softly under the glow of the parking lot light. “It’s okay to talk about it, Cameron. As long as you talk to the right people.”
“And how do I know who the right people are?” How do I know if you’re the right person?
He leaned closer and cupped the side of my face with a warm, comforting hand. “I know you’re scared. I know you’re tired but you can trust me.”
Tears stung my eyes. “How can I? I don’t even know you.”
“I know you, Cam. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”
His words were so tempting. I wanted to believe him, but he still hadn’t said what I needed to hear. “Tell me the truth. Tell me exactly what I want to hear.” Tell me you can read my thoughts. Tell me you understand. Tell me…tell me you’re not going to leave me here to deal with this alone.
But he didn’t respond. “Come on,” he said, pulling back. “I know you want to tell her, so let’s get it over with.”
He pushed open his door and stepped outside leaving me there with my thoughts left unanswered. If he could read my mind, why hadn’t he responded?
Alone, miserable, I pushed open the car door and followed him. Lewis was already on the porch waiting for me. I paused next to him and looked through the window once more. Annabeth was leaning over the table, kissing George.
I looked away, bile rising in my throat. “How am I going to do this?”
Lewis opened the door, the hinges screeching.