“If you don’t study, how did you manage to graduate on the
honor roll?” I asked.
“Easy. I paid the geeks to do my homework,” he said, a sneer
on his face. I chuckled and continued eating, not saying another word. After
dinner, everyone retreated elsewhere in the house, leaving Nick and I alone.
“What do you want to do now?” he asked, a certain twinkle in
his eye. I chuckled, knowing what he wanted to do.
“You can keep trying to get me to have sex with you, but
it’s not going to work. If you really want sex that bad why don’t you ask
Elisabeth? It seems she doesn’t have trouble giving it up.”
“Who says I haven’t already?” he teased.
“You better be kidding or I’m never talking to you again.”
Nick sighed. “Of course I’m kidding. Don’t you trust me?” he
asked.
Why was he asking me that now?
“Of course I trust you. I just don’t trust her.” I glanced
down at my watch. “It’s only 7’o clock and I want to go do something. Since sex
is out, what are my other options?”
He pouted. “Well, Elisabeth said something about swimming,
but I’m not really in the mood for that right now. Do you want to go exploring?
This place is so big they won’t even find us.”
“Yes. A walk sounds like a good idea. It’s a nice night,” I said,
grabbing his hand.
“Let’s get our coats. I think there are extras in the hall
closet.”
He walked into the front hall, yanked open a door, and took
out two coats. He handed one to me, “This looks like it might fit you, it’s my
mother’s.”
I ran my fingers over the material, it felt like genuine
leather. “Are you sure she won’t mind?” I asked quietly. He nodded.
“She barely comes up here anymore. This is more of a getaway
for my dad when he wants peace and quiet as he works.” He said quietly. I wasn’t
sure if I was reading more into it, but Nick sounded sad. I didn’t press the
matter.
I held onto his hand, our feet crunching through the dirt
and sticks on the ground. I glanced up in the sky. Out here, you could actually
see the stars, unlike back home where there was more smog in the air than
anything else. I let go of Nick’s hand and lay down in the dirt. I patted the
ground next to me. “Sit down, it’s beautiful here.” He pretended to brush away
something and lay down with his arms locked behind his head.
“It’s pretty here. Now I know why my parents used to always
bring me up here when I was younger.” He sighed. “Now, my dad comes up here
without my mom saying that he has to work, but I know the real reason.” He took
a deep breath and turned on his side. “He’s cheating on my mom. I think he
somehow found out that I’m not his kid and this is his way to get back at my
mom.”
“I found out by accident when I listened to a message she
left on his voicemail. He had let me borrow the phone for the day and she
called him. Now, you know why I got so mad at Ryan when he cheated on you. I
know what it feels like and I didn’t want you to go through the same thing.”
I squeezed his hand not saying anything for a few moments.
Everything was finally beginning to make sense now. I leaned over, kissed him
on the cheek, nestled my head on his chest, and stared up at the sky.
The quiet night was interrupted a few seconds later by my
cell phone chiming. “Sorry,” I mumbled digging my hand into my right pocket
where I’d put it earlier.
You don’t really think I would come out and tell you that
I killed Ryan, do you?
I shivered in the night air.
“Sorry about that.” I said shoving the phone back into my
pocket and leaning towards Nick.
“Nick?”I tried to get his attention, but he was too busy
messing with his phone.
“Sorry I was sending a text message,” Nick said, glancing
over.
“Who were you texting?” I asked, curious.
“It was nobody,” he insisted.
I walked closer. “Why won’t you tell me who it is?” I asked
trying to get a peek at the phone.
“Just leave it alone.” He sounded angry. I started walking
away.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m going back to the house, are you coming?” I asked, not
looking back to see if he was following. I was getting sick of his hot/cold
act.
We were just finishing breakfast when Elisabeth spoke up,
“We’ve only got a few more days here, why don’t we do something fun? I’ve been
dying to use the swimming pool. I think that skinny dipping sounds like fun.
Don’t you, Nick?” she almost purred.
Nick shrugged. “Whatever you want, it’s your vacation.” I cringed.
I couldn’t believe that he had agreed to skinny dipping. Did he realize how
slutty that was?
I frowned. “I thought that you guys were planning on going
swimming last night after eating dinner. You didn’t go?” I asked.
Bryn shook her head. “No. Elisabeth said that it wouldn’t be
any fun with two girls and one guy. She wanted the numbers a little more even.”
“Okay,” I said emphasizing the word. I knew why Elisabeth changed
her mind; it was because Nick wasn’t there to flirt with. She’d always been the
one who would flirt with any guy that I was interested in hoping that he would
change his mind and like her instead.
“I think Elisabeth has the right idea. Since it’s so hot
out, I vote that we all go swimming in the pond out back. Maybe if the boys
feel like it, we can play a game of chicken.” I grinned. I grabbed my juice and
sipped it. Steven had already cleared the rest of the dishes, but I hadn’t
finished drinking yet.
“That sounds like fun, but we have an odd number of people.
There are only two boys and three girls. How do you play now?” Bryn asked,
waiting to hear the response.
“Well, two of us will be on Nick and Derrick’s shoulders and
then the other one will try and get the boy to drop her.” Elisabeth smiled,
evilly. I should have known that she would come up with something like that. I
bit my lip.
“I don’t know if I like that idea, isn’t it a little
dangerous?” I asked, glancing over at Nick. I hadn’t talked to him since we got
back from our walk the night before. I didn’t know what to think anymore. I
knew that Bryn had told me he was the one to blame for Ryan’s death, but I
didn’t think that he stoop to sending cryptic messages to scare me.
“It’s no dangerous than a regular game of chicken. Let’s
go.” Elisabeth pushed back her chair, got up, and went in the house. The rest
of us just sat there.
“Shouldn’t one of us go after her?” I asked, fingering the
condensation that had built up on my glass.
“I think it sounds like fun,” piped up Derrick, grinning at
Elisabeth. I just hoped he didn’t have something crazy planned. I didn’t feel
like dealing with anything else right now.
“Fine, but if anyone gets hurt, I’m blaming you because you talked
me into it.” I couldn’t back out now since everyone else wanted to do it.
I got up from the table and headed down the hall back
through the kitchen wing. Our bedroom was on the bottom floor of the “cabin".
I didn’t see Nick get up and follow me until he closed the door behind us.
“Oh, I didn’t see you.” I bit my lip. I glanced around the
room, trying to remember where I’d put my bathing suit. I’d unpacked everything
when we got here, but couldn’t remember where I put any of it anymore.
I walked over to the dresser and began checking every
drawer.
“I can’t believe she wants to play chicken, how juvenile can
she be?” I argued changing out of my clothes into a halter top bathing suit
with ruffles. It was green; Ryan said it brought out my eyes. I struggled tying
the back of mine and walked over to Nick, “ “ Can you help me with this?” I
asked. I had to pretend that I wasn’t scared of him.
He grinned. “Am I supposed to tie this or untie it?” he
asked.
“Tie it, pervert.” I blushed. I glanced back him, his lip
stuck out, pouting.
Nick and I had been at the cabin for the last few days and
we had not had sex yet. I was happy that Nick did not really press the matter,
but I knew that he was getting antsy.
“It’s done.” He patted my back.
“Thanks.” I kissed him on the cheek and started to walk to
the door. “I’ll see you downstairs.” I closed the door behind me. When I got
downstairs, I heard giggles and splashing in the back, so I walked outside. I
stood there watching for a few minutes as Derrick tried to balance Elisabeth on
his shoulders and Bryn tried to knock her off.
I hadn’t noticed Derrick before, but just standing there
watching him wrestling with the girls, there was just something about him. I
couldn’t help but notice that he’d grown up in the last four years. The scrawny
geek was gone and in his place, there was this well-built man. His chest filled
out, and I could see that he had a six-pack, yummy.
Stop staring that’s, Derrick.
You are dating Nick,
I said repeatedly to myself, just standing
there.
Derrick glanced over. “Are you going to come in?” I smiled
shyly, set my towel down on the patio, and walked over the edge. I stuck my toe
in and swirled it around and all of a sudden I felt a push and I was under the
water.
I tried to come back up, but it felt like something was
holding me under. I held my breath, waiting to see if whoever was holding me
there would leave.
I struggled to the surface, coughing and spitting water out
of my mouth. I glanced around. “What the hell was that?” I asked angrily. Nobody
answered me. “Which one of you was holding me under water?” I asked, suddenly
scared. While I was under, Nick had slipped in the water and I hadn’t noticed.
He was now playing chicken with Bryn on his shoulders. Nick glanced over,
“Hey, I was wondering when you were going to come up. We all
thought you were trying to hold the record for the longest time underwater
holding your breath.”
“I couldn’t come up, somebody was holding me under. Didn’t
you just hear me?” I asked, my voice shaking at the last word. What was going
on with me? Was I imagining things now? I looked over at Derrick in hopes he
would give me a knowing smile, but he didn’t.
I slipped out of the water, wrapped myself in a towel, and
sat on a lounge chair. I wasn’t in the mood to play their games, I’d had enough.
I pulled the towel tighter around me as I couldn’t stop shaking.
I swear
that someone was holding me under the water.
I rubbed my hands over my
eyes.
Maybe I just need some sleep.
“Nick? “ I called over to him. He glanced over.
“Yes?” He was busy splashing Elisabeth and wasn’t really
paying attention to me.
“I think I’m going to head upstairs and lie down for a bit.
I’m feeling a little sick.”He didn’t even respond, but kept splashing
Elisabeth. Although, I saw Derrick get out of the pool.
“Do you need help getting upstairs?” he asked coming over to
me.
“That’s sweet, thanks.” I got up and began walking towards
the house, Derrick’s arm around my shoulders. I glanced back at Nick, he wasn’t
even paying attention.
“I’m sorry.” Derrick saw where my eyes went.
I shrugged.“Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t let it bother
me considering everything, but I guess since I know the truth about Ryan now,
I’m a little more insecure.”
“You shouldn’t be. I meant it when I said you were
beautiful.” he said as we walked through the kitchen wing towards the back
bedroom. I stopped and turned to him.
“That it was too good to be true. I thought that Nick really
liked me. Not that he was trying to get me to trust him, so I wouldn’t turn him
into the police.”
“Lauren, did he say that?” He stopped in the front hall and
turned me towards him.
“No, but I know that he’s going to hate me after this whole
thing is over. I knew it was a fake the whole time, but I think I was kidding
myself that I could turn it into something real.”
“Well, even if it were, Nick would be an idiot if he let you
go. I know that I wouldn’t give you up for anything.”
“Thanks Derrick.” I reached over and gave him a hug
lingering for a few extra minutes.
“Now, you are looking a little red in the face. Let’s get
you to bed.” Derrick walked me down the hall towards the bedroom.
“Turn around and close your eyes,” I said as I began to get
out of my bathing suit. And into a long nightshirt that came to my ankles. It
was light pink and said PINK in bold letters.
“That’s a cute shirt.” Derrick smiled glancing me up and
down.
“Thanks.” I said not sure if he was being sarcastic or not.
I pulled the covers down and got into bed making sure that they came to my
chin.
“Thanks for helping me upstairs, Derrick,” I said.
“It wasn’t a problem. I was getting sick of playing chicken,
anyway. Do you need anything else before I go?” he asked. I shook my head,
snuggling into the covers. I didn’t even hear him leave the room.
When I opened my eyes again, I found Nick sitting in the
hardback chair next to the bed just watching me.
That’s creepy.
Nick smiled. “You’re awake. I was beginning to wonder if you
were going to sleep all day.”
“What do you mean sleep all day? I’ve only been sleeping for
a few hours,” I argued.
“No. You slept all night. I came up and you didn’t budge at
all. Don’t you remember you said you didn’t feel good when we were swimming and
came up and took a nap?” he asked, brushing a short hair out of my face.
I shook my head, “That can’t be. I remember coming up here
and putting on my bathing suit and getting in the water with everyone. I
remember someone was trying to keep me under water and you thought I was
crazy.”
He chuckled. “You must have been dreaming, honey. That never
happened.” He leaned over and kissed my head.
“Yes it did. I remember getting out of the pool and coming
up here with Derrick to lay down a few hours ago.”
“Honey, that was yesterday,” Nick said. I didn’t want to
argue with him.