Serial Hottie (37 page)

Detective Pierce nodded and said, “Which will work to your advantage. We’ll get him as quickly as we can, and I’ll keep an eye on you, but just remember the most important thing to keeping yourself safe right now is never let him know you suspect him.” He glanced at Angela next to me and added, “You, either.”

I looked at my sister with a frown. All she’d ever done is suspect him. “We are so dead.”

“This sucks.”

I was eating Ben and Jerry’s straight from the carton on my front porch Wednesday morning with Angela, instead of playing hockey in the park where I should have been. This was the second game I’d missed.

Ever since my psycho boyfriend knifed down some jerk that tried to feel me up, everyone I knew was avoiding me like I had the plague. They hadn’t actually said not to show up, but it was pretty clear that they were afraid to even look at me for fear that Seth would come after them next.

I watched my boyfriend viciously attack the punching bag in his garage. “My life is over.”

“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?” Angela asked.

“Um, no. Thanks to Seth, everyone I know is terrified to come near me. I’ll never play hockey again. I’ll never have friends again. The only people who still even talk to me are either related to me or kill people on the weekends for fun.”

“Look at the bright side. You only have two more years until you can find a nice out-of-state college where nobody knows you. Assuming your boyfriend doesn’t kill you first.”

“Thank you so much for that, Angela.”

As if he knew we were talking about him, Seth looked our direction and waved tentatively to us. He took a minute to gulp down some water and wipe the sweat from the back of his neck.

“And speaking of our serial hottie,” Angela said as we both plastered fake smiles on our faces and waved back. “Is it wrong that I still wouldn’t miss watching his workouts for anything, even knowing he uses those muscles for overpowering helpless girls?”

I didn’t want to miss them, either. That was part of my problem. I sighed again and Angela echoed it. “How are things in fake relationship land?” she asked upon the return of my depression.

“Awful,” I said. “I think I would fail miserably as an actor. I can’t ever relax around him. I haven’t let him kiss me since we talked to Detective Pierce. He knows I’m scared of him. He knows I’m upset. I don’t think I’m keeping him happy at all.”

“But do you think he knows we’re talking to the cops?”

I shook my head. “He thinks I’m scared of him because of Travis. He keeps telling me that he didn’t attack Travis. He thinks I don’t believe him.”

“You don’t,” Angela pointed out.

“I know. But he’s not supposed to know that. He also knows I’ve been upset about my friends and thinks I blame him for not being able to play hockey anymore.”

“You do.”

“I know. The worst part is, he’s been extra sweet because he’s trying to make everything okay again. If he weren’t a serial killer, he’d be the perfect boyfriend.”

It seemed I couldn’t do anything but sigh anymore. And gorge myself on ice cream. “I don’t know how long I can do this, Angela.”

“Well, hopefully you won’t have to much longer. I mean, there’s a good chance he’ll try to kill someone this Saturday, right? Then Detective Pierce will get him and it will all be over and things can go back to normal.”

My stomach churned when Angela said the word normal. I scooted my ice cream far away from me. “Normal?” I scoffed. “Nothing about my life is normal anymore. It hasn’t been all summer.”

“Holy pink shirt Batman!” a voice called out from the curb in front of my house.

When I looked up and saw the J’s walking up my front lawn I let out a shriek and jumped to my feet. Josh happened to be the closest, so he was the one I tackled. I was so relieved to see them—and so desperate for something in my life to make sense again—that I didn’t care how girly it was.

I ran full force and literally leapt at Josh, wrapping him in the tightest hug I had in me. Josh was forced to catch me, but try as he might to stay on his feet, my attack had come as such a surprise that we tumbled over. “What the hell, Westley?” he screeched when we came to a stop in the grass—me laying on top of him. “Get off me, you psycho!”

I rolled off him and Jack helped me to my feet. I was still so blissfully happy to see them that the minute I had my balance I wrapped my arms around an unsuspecting Jack and squeezed like I was never going to let go.

“Um, Westley?” Jack asked as if I’d completely lost my marbles.

“Sorry. I’m just so glad you’re back,” I said, but couldn’t make myself let go.

“Geez, Westley,” Josh murmured behind me. “They said you went crazy, but…”

That’s when Jack started fidgeting beneath my embrace. “Guys?” he squeaked. “Little help?”

I finally pulled back. When I met Jack’s eyes his face went all pink, which then made my face go all pink and I quickly looked away. But looking away didn’t help, because I found myself staring at Jesse. He watched me for a second, but then broke into a grin and held open his arms. “Well, come on then. I’m not scared of you.”

I don’t know why, but his acceptance of the new me is what made me lose it all together. I fell into his arms and actually got misty-eyed. “Thanks, Jesse,” I whispered, praying that none of them would hear the emotion in my voice.

Jesse squeezed me so tight that I started to believe maybe my life wasn’t going to come to an end. Maybe I could still be the new Ellie and it would be okay.

Of course, Jesse had to go and ruin the moment by saying, “Dude, you really do have a nice rack. That’s crazy! All this time I never knew.”

I finally realized why he was hugging me so hard. I ripped my chest away from his and punched him hard in the stomach. “Perve on me again and I’ll make sure you never have children!”

As soon as Jesse could breathe again he started laughing. “Good news, guys. She may be hot now, but she’s still the same old Westley.”

“Shut up, dillweed.”

Josh threw his arm over my shoulder and said, “If it helps, I still don’t think you’re hot.”

We all finally burst into laughter and just about the time somebody yanked on my ponytail, a door slammed rather loudly across the street, bringing me back to reality. The guys all questioned my sigh, but I just muttered, “I’ll be back,” and headed across the street without further explanation.

I pounded on the front door and when he didn’t answer I yelled, “They’re my best friends! I’ve known them my whole life. What do you want from me?”

The door between us swung open and Seth glared at me, too enraged to speak. When I opened my mouth to start yelling, he yanked me against him and smashed his lips on mine. At first his kiss tasted of anger, but it quickly melted into something so sincere that my muscles relaxed.

His hands came around my waist, holding me up when I threatened to collapse. His breathing was ragged and his eyes burned wildly as he stared into my face more fierce than I’d ever seen him. “I know things aren’t good between us right now, but I can’t lose you, Ellie,” he said. “I
can’t
.”

He shot a worried glance over my shoulder and I remembered the J’s. I whirled around, my face burning, and sure enough, they were standing there gaping. Jesse looked shocked, Josh looked slightly disgusted, and poor Jack looked really confused.

I dragged Seth over to the J’s and shrugged awkwardly. “Seth, these are the J’s. Guys? Seth. My, um, my…”

“Boyfriend,” Seth grumbled, annoyed when I didn’t say the word.

“So we noticed,” Jesse said.

“You’re not gonna start doing that in front of us all the time now, are you?” Jack asked.

Josh nodded vigorously and added, “I just threw up in my mouth a little.”

“Yeah,” Jesse chimed in. “You never see me sticking my tongue in anyone’s mouth.”

I shuddered. That was something I hoped I never saw.

“Only ‘cause no chick would let you, Jesse,” Jack said.

Jesse smirked. “Your mom doesn’t have a problem when I do it to her.”

Jesse got punched again and as he and Jack fell to the ground in a wrestling match I gave Seth a dry look. “Do you see now why the J’s are not an issue?”

“Then what is the issue?” Seth asked.

“There’s no issue,” I said quickly. “Everything’s fine.”

Josh, who was now trying to hit on Angela, said to Seth, “Don’t let her snow you, dude. Westley’s a big, fat liar.”

“Do you mind?” I snapped.

Josh flashed me a big grin. “Not at all. Actually, this whole Westley-has-a-boyfriend thing has potential.”

I was about to give Josh the finger, but Seth grabbed my hand. “Can we talk?”

“We are talking.”

Seth’s face flushed with anger. “Alone?”

“Um.”

“Ellie, you can’t keep avoiding me!”

Apparently one rumor that hadn’t reached the J’s yet was the news of Seth stabbing Travis, otherwise they might have thought twice before starting in with the crap.

“Ooh, lovers spat!”

“Trouble in paradise already, Westley?”

“Better watch it, dude. Westley’s not so good at carrying on a conversation without punching people.”

“This ought to be good. Ten bucks says Westley lays him out in less than two minutes.”

I could see Seth’s temper nearing its boiling point. “Please? Before I kill one—or possibly all—of your best friends?” he asked, trying not to growl.

I glanced nervously at Angela and she mouthed, “Keep him happy.”

I looked down at Seth’s white knuckles and swallowed back my nerves. “Yeah, okay, fine,” I said, and Seth practically raced me inside his house.

“Better make it a quickie, Westley!” Josh hollered loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. “We still have to show you all our sick new skills.”

“Looking forward to it! It will be that much more pathetic now when I cream you!” I yelled and shut Seth’s front door. I leaned against it and let out a breath. “Idiots. Why did I want them to come home so bad?”

“That is going to get old really fast,” Seth said, glaring at the door.

The loathing Seth displayed for my best friends was overwhelming. I guess it’s a good thing he wasn’t going to have to put up with them much longer. I pitied his cellmate.

“They don’t mean it,” I said. “If they’re razzing us, that’s a good thing. They’re not completely freaked out. And right now they’re the only people still talking to me, so you should be nicer.”

Seth’s face crumbled when I glared at him. “Ellie, I didn’t touch Travis. I know how it looks, but you have to believe me.”

“I do believe you.”

“No, you don’t! You’re scared of me again. You’ve been on edge with me for days, and I don’t understand, because when I came home from the police station you said you didn’t care. You waited here all night for me to come home and were happy to see me. Everything was great, and then later that day something happened. What are you not telling me?”

Seth’s gaze was accusing and it made my stomach flip. He was aware of a lot more than I realized. “What do you mean?” I asked slowly, trying to stay calm.

Seth was not calm. “I was at the mall on Sunday!” he yelled, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and yanking them in frustration. “I saw you and Angela talking to that cop!”

I blanched, and then I backed away from him, slamming my back into the front door.

Seth quickly reigned in his temper. “Who was he? What did he say to you that’s made you afraid of me?”

I was freaked out. What was I going to do? I had to come up with something and quick, but I was too scared to come up with a decent lie. If I couldn’t fix this right now, Seth would know we knew about him, and Angela and I would both be dead. “Were you following us?” I demanded, trying to stall.

Seth let go a frustrated breath and stalked upstairs. I thought about leaving, but my curiosity got the better of me, so I followed him. “What are you doing?” I asked when he pulled the toolbox from beneath his bed.

He didn’t answer me. He set the box on his dresser, popped the lid with his knife, and pulled a small box from it that hadn’t been in there when Angela and I went through it. “I wasn’t
spying
on you,” he grumbled, shoving the box into my hands. “I was there buying you this.”