Gently lowering her to his bed, he adjusted the towels and sheets to keep her warm and towel dried her hair, his mouth finding hers and devouring it. He moved his way down her body, drying every inch of her and leaving lingering kisses on her flushed skin. A practical, pessimistic voice in his head warned him that this might be the last time they were together. The mystery of Brandy’s disappearance was about to unravel, he was almost certain. And with that, the end of their time all together at the lake loomed.
So he savored each touch, committing the night to memory and praying that things would work out as they should this time. She begged and pleaded for him to enter her, and when he did, she came quickly and violently. He gave himself over to his release, then rolled her into his protective embrace. They didn’t move again for the few remaining hours of the night.
Chapter 28
Rain awoke to Jason playing with her hair, twirling a lock around his finger absentmindedly. “Hey,” she said softly as she stretched. Her body felt sore in so many places it was difficult to say which was the most uncomfortable. Sleeping in one position all night hadn’t exactly helped, but waking in Jason’s arms was worth it.
“Sorry if I woke you,” he replied, pulling her in for a hug and then moving her away to study her face. “Are you okay?” His eyebrows pulled together in worry.
“I’m fine,” she assured him, hiding a grimace as she pointed and flexed her feet under the sheets. “My muscles ache, but I’m in one piece, so that’s what matters. Wait, what am I doing in your bed?” she joked. “I don’t remember much.”
He looked alarmed for a few seconds then realized she was playing and rolled on top of her gently. “I’ll give you something to remember,” he promised, burying his face in her neck.
****
They lay in silence for a while before Rain brought up her conversation with Allie. It had occurred less than 24 hours ago, and yet it seemed like an eternity. Jason held her tightly while he listened quietly, but his muscles tensed every time she mentioned Rick’s name, each betrayal more shocking than the next. He was obviously furious, but there was little to be done now.
Rain took comfort in his supportive comments, and reiterated that she had forgiven Allie and did not want to lose her friend over something that had happened so long ago. It seemed as though Allie was the one left with the worst emotional scars from the whole episode.
“Maybe I should go check on her. I left her alone yet again, after everything that happened yesterday. I am the worst friend.”
Jason kissed her shoulder. “First of all, with the exception of maybe one odd morning, I have yet to see Allie get up before 9:00, and that’s without sleeping pills. And secondly, she knows you’re a great friend, especially now. So I think she’ll understand when she hears what happened last night.” He paused carefully. “What did happen last night?”
She shook her head with frustration. “I’m not entirely sure. But I have some ideas, and I want to discuss it when we are all together. I honestly don’t think I have the energy to talk about it more than once right now. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is, honey. And maybe you should go check on Allie. I seriously doubt she’s up, but she did seem absolutely determined to leave as soon as possible. I’ll get A.J. up, and when you’re ready, we’ll all talk.”
“Do I have any clothes?” she asked, peering at all the towels on the bed and floor.
He grinned and shook his head. “I guess you’re stuck here.”
Giving him a look, she grabbed the nearest towel and wrapped it around her chest. “Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She threw him a smile over her shoulder as she hurried from the room.
****
They were all assembled in the great room, around the table, by 9:30. The storm system had passed and the sun was bright in the cloudless sky. Rain tried to keep her hand steady as she poured coffee all around. She had taken another quick shower this morning after checking on Allie, but what she needed was a long, hot bath to soothe her aching muscles and frazzled nerves. But there was no time for that now.
Allie was still in her pajamas, looking bleary-eyed and resigned. She accepted her coffee, doctored it to her liking, and took a large swig, despite the open diet soda sitting in front of her. Finally she broke the silence. “So what’s the big meeting about, guys? I have to get packing and get on the road soon.”
Rain set a platter of fresh bagels and fruit on the table. She had asked Jason to run to the store; he’d complied—literally—setting off at a brisk jog. Thankfully, he hadn’t questioned her need to prepare food and drink for everyone.
Now A.J. helped himself to a bagel and eyed Rain suspiciously. “Yeah, let’s hear it.” He focused his attention back on his bagel, spreading cream cheese carefully on the warm surface.
She sat down and took a deep breath, wrapping her hands tightly around her own coffee mug as though grasping it for support. Glancing at Jason, she began talking. She had been working on what she would say all morning, and yet it was still difficult to start.
“Last night, something really…traumatic happened to me.” Rain saw Allie’s eyes widen in alarm and rushed on. “I’m fine, now, thanks to Jason, and I’ll explain that part later. The important thing is that I think Brandy’s ghost, or spirit, or whatever, was able to reach me.” She tried to suppress a shudder at the memory of being dragged down. “And now, even though it makes absolutely no sense, I have reason to believe that she’s in the lake,” she finished.
There was silence as everyone digested this statement. Jason wasn’t completely surprised; Allie and A.J. just looked confused. Finally Allie spoke. “What in God’s name is that supposed to mean, Rain? Brandy’s spirit is in the lake?”
Rain shook her head and looked down. “No. I think her body is in the lake.”
Suddenly A.J. jumped up from the table, dropping his bagel as he rushed to the bathroom. The door slammed but the retching noises that emanated from the room were unmistakable.
Allie’s dark blonde brows drew together in concern. “I didn’t think he drank that much last night. I’m beginning to suspect he has a serious problem.”
“Did you hear me, Allie?” asked Rain quietly but firmly. “I think Brandy’s body is in the lake, and we need to alert the authorities. And tell Mrs. Pierce.” She dropped her voice even lower. “And I’m really afraid that A.J. knows something about this that he’s not telling us.”
“Why would you say that?” Allie whispered. “See, this is what he was afraid of. And why would you think Brandy’s body is in the lake?”
Rain reached for a bagel and began anxiously tearing it into little pieces as she spoke. “I was in the lake last night. I had a dream, or a vision or something, and I guess I took the rowboat out to that spot where we’ve found it before. I ended up in the water, and…well, Brandy was there. She was pulling me down, and then I saw her.”
Allie’s hand went to her chest, her eyes wide and horrified. “You mean Brandy tried to kill you?”
“No! I mean, I don’t think so.” Rain looked helplessly at Jason and he put a supportive hand on her forearm, quieting her nervous fingers. “I think she just needed me to understand that she was down there. She was desperate.” She chose her next words carefully. “She knew it was her last chance to make us understand, since the four of us are close to going our separate ways.”
Allie wasn’t fooled. “You mean it’s my fault,” she said miserably.
“Not at all. The summer is almost over, and Mrs. Pierce has very little time left. We all knew things were escalating, and now we know the truth. That’s the important thing. And I need you guys to believe me, because we need to convince the police to send down divers or something.”
“I’ll convince them.” A.J. had emerged quietly from the bathroom, his face grim and pale. He lifted a towel to his forehead and wiped at the sweat beading at his hairline. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and shook his head. After taking a deep breath, he tried again, his voice breaking with emotion. “My father must have put her there. My God, she’s been there this whole time.”
There was stunned silence as everyone gaped at A.J. He closed his eyes against their stares and continued, choking back sobs. “I knew she was dead. Oh God please forgive me, I knew she was dead. But I swear I didn’t know she was in the lake.”
Rain jumped as Jason’s grip turned painful on her forearm, and she watched his other hand curl into a fist on the table. She rose swiftly and went to A.J.’s side, putting her arm around his shoulders. “Come sit down,” she said encouragingly, leading him toward the table. “I’ll get you a glass of water and then you can explain.”
He dropped into the chair. “I’ll need something stronger than water.” Elbows propped on the table, he lowered his face into the towel in his hands.
Rain glanced questioningly at Jason but he shook his head. She rubbed A.J.’s upper back comfortingly and said, “No, you just got sick. Right now you need some water.” She filled a glass and set it before him. “Can you tell us what you know?”
He sipped his water with a shaking hand. “It was that night—that night of the college dinner party.”
****
A.J. and Jason went directly from school to karate lessons on Tuesdays, and Brandy almost always came by A.J.’s house sometime afterward, letting herself in quietly through the basement French doors next to his bedroom. Normally he couldn’t wait to see her, but this afternoon an uncharacteristic anxiety had taken hold of him. It wasn’t just the impending dinner party, although the guest list included important former administrators and influential alumni from his father’s alma mater. A.J. knew his father would get what he wanted, which was an assurance of admission into the Ivy League school. Even if A.J. somehow didn’t end up being offered admission to the prestigious university, he was expecting acceptance letters from other schools which, while not Ivy League, were certainly quite competitive in their own right. One way or another, he was getting out of this house.
The main source of his concern this evening was the one person who usually provided him with an escape from the pressures of his life. Brandy always knew how to distract him from his problems, although her methods weren’t always legal or healthy. And she offered him unconditional love, which was virtually unheard of in his family. But lately, her moods, as well as her actions, were becoming more and more unpredictable. His plans for the evening had her upset and hurt, another painful reminder of their looming separation.
He was out of the shower and starting his homework when she arrived, not bothering to knock as she sauntered in. She locked the door behind her automatically. She wobbled a little and giggled, and he knew right away she had been drinking. A bottle made a sloshing noise from inside her backpack as she swung it off and deposited it on the floor, and she laughed again and flopped down on his bed.
“I don’t suppose there are any homework materials in there, young lady?” he asked playfully, pulling a stern face. He knew she had basically given up on the remainder of their senior year, but he still encouraged her to try. She was actually quite smart, despite her less than stellar grades. He gave her a lot of credit for keeping a C average with almost no effort on her part. It was hard to focus on school, he knew, when her situation at home was so chaotic and unstable.
“I’ve brought Jane Eyre, I’m almost finished with it and I have an essay on it due Friday,” she replied. “But it’s possible that I’m a little too drunk to be reading right now.”
“You don’t say,” A.J. commented as he joined her on the bed. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her. She rolled on top of him and pressed her hips against his; he could taste the sharp bite of vodka as he explored her mouth with his tongue.
His hands made their way to the button on her jeans and he paused. “How about this? Are you too drunk for this?” he questioned her, knowing the answer. God, how he loved this girl.
“Never,” she returned, her voice husky. She wiggled out of her jeans and helped him pull off her sweater; his clothes quickly followed. They made love with fierce abandon, losing themselves in each other.
Teenage hormones satisfied, they cuddled together in his bed, content for the moment. But A.J.’s eyes strayed to his alarm clock. He had to get some homework done before the dinner.
She saw his glance and flipped over, away from him. He spooned her and nuzzled her neck. A knock at the door made them both freeze, and A.J.’s mother’s voice called out. “A.J., why is this door locked?”
Brandy started for the relative safety of the bathroom, but he held her down and shook his head, rolling his eyes. “I’m doing my homework and I don’t want to be disturbed. What do you want, Mom?”
Mrs. Winthrop released the unyielding knob and sighed loudly. “Your father called, he wants to make sure you are upstairs and ready by 6:00. And dressed appropriately.”
“No problem,” A.J. answered, and lay back down, turning Brandy in his arms to face him. He smiled at her, but her dark eyes were wistful and faraway.
“Don’t go to dinner,” she whispered. “Run away with me instead.”
“If only we could. But I don’t think we’d get real far on our good looks. We’ve talked about this, babe. I need to do this so I can support us one day. I’ll be able to keep you in the style you deserve.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“I know you don’t, and that’s one of the reasons I love you so much. But I’ve worked really hard for this, too. I don’t want to end up working at a fast food joint or something. Even though free fries would be awesome.” He hoped he had successfully injected some levity into the conversation.
She gave him her best pouty look and began getting back into her clothes. “I guess you don’t want to party with me, then,” she said mournfully, retrieving her heavy backpack.
“Of course I
want
to. But it will have to wait until later. Why don’t you just hang out here?”
She sniffed at a half-full water glass on the nightstand and then poured a significant amount of her vodka into it. She swirled it around, took a swig, and grimaced. Then she shrugged and rooted around in her backpack. Pulling a clear plastic baggie out, she held it up triumphantly. “More for me, then, I guess.”