Suppressed (Suppressed Saga) (8 page)

“
Well I can drive us over there. I don’t want you walking all the way across campus, especially if you’re drunk. You’re little friend that’s obsessed with me can come too if she wants.”

I busted out laughing and poked him in the cheek with my finger. “She thinks you’re a cutie.”

“
She’s not too bad herself,” He said. His face came up in a bright smile and mine faded away at his words. He started laughing hard at seeing the expression on my face.

“
I’m just kidding with you. Jeez. She’s cute, but a little nuts if you ask me.”

I breathed easy and laughed it off.

“
You know, one day I’m going to get a girlfriend and you’re going to have to deal with it.” He said.

I groaned at the thought of it. It scared me that some prissy little Barbie doll was going to snatch him up and he would turn into a completely different person who didn’t come to family functions anymore. I guess I was just overly protective of him. It was inevitable that one day he would get in a serious relationship, but I hoped it would be with a really nice girl.

“
So what time are we leaving?” I asked changing the subject.

“
Meet me out to the truck around eight thirty.”

His arm dropped from around me as I agreed and started off to my dorm. I was going to throttle Eric next time I saw him, then again I might not because he might actually kill me instead.

My hood kept blowing down from my head making my hair look separate from my body. I tried to control it the best I could but it was no use. The dorm was only a few yards away so I took off towards it at a run. When I finally made my way in I closed the door gently so it wouldn’t slam against the wind. Before I turned around I glanced out the glass doors and saw Chris leaned against a tree with his book bag slung over his shoulder. As usual, he was watching me. My stomach churned at the thought of what was going through his mind right now. What could he possibly be thinking about? Did he think this kind of behavior was normal?

Ashley was ten ways of excited to be riding with my brother to the party. It was still windy and cold outside. I put on a pair of skinny jeans and brown knee high boots with a loose fit, brown top. When eight thirty rolled around we headed out to the parking lot to my brothers white Yukon. The windows were blacked out which made it impossible to see who was sitting in the truck. When I opened the door, to my surprise, sat Eric.

“
Oh God, what are you doing here?” I asked with a tad bit of disgust.

“
Good to see you too hun,” he threw me a bright smile that showed his perfect teeth.

I shut the door and hopped in back with Ashley. My brother was talking on his cell phone and didn’t hear my greeting to Eric. Ashley looked a little nervous but was still grinning from ear to ear to be in the car with the two of them.

“
Why are you here?” I asked again.

“
Lance asked me if I wanted a ride to the party. I couldn’t pass up knowing you were going to be here too.”

He gave me a wink and I rolled my eyes, “Have you seen Seth?”

“
He’s working.”

I wasn’t sure if I liked my brother hanging out with Eric. Until I found out more about him I was going to be very cautious about their little friendship.

Lance snapped his phone shut and looked over at Eric. “So tell me about this Seth, is he a good guy?”

“
Yeah, you don’t have to worry about him. A little nerve wracking sometimes but I’m allowed to say that because I’ve lived with him for about eight years, probably more, I’ve lost count.”

Lance kept with the questions, “He’s not a player or anything is he?”

“
Nah, he’s alright, trust me. I’ve known him my whole life and you couldn’t find a better guy.”

I think that’s the first positive thing I’ve ever heard come out of Eric’s mouth that I actually believed. It was enlightening to hear him talk about Seth like that.

“
So are you two serious?” Lance asked glancing at me in the rear view mirror.

“
I don’t know. I’ve only been talking to him for like a week.” I tried to act like it was no big deal.

“
It looked serious the other night.” Ashley mumbled beside me.

“
Ashley!” I whispered harshly.

She mouthed a ‘sorry’ to me at the same time Lance asked what she was talking about.

I tried to smooth over her comment the best I could. “Nothing, it was nothing.”

Lance looked at me again, “Ya’ll weren’t getting ready to do it or anything were you?”

I reached forward and wacked him upside the head.

“
What?” he said leaning closer to the steering wheel. “It was just a question.”

I burned a hole through the back of his head.

Eric turned his head slightly, “Glad to see she isn’t this hostel with just me.”

“
By the end of the night we’ll be rolling around beating the crap out of each other and tomorrow morning she’ll be a nice loving sister again.” Lance said with a laugh.

I ignored them both and turned my gaze out the window. I seriously needed a drink right about now. When we pulled up to the house I got out quickly and went inside to the ‘bar’. I took two shots of tequila with Ashley and then got a rum and coke.

As I sat there I started scanning the crowd making sure there weren’t any stalker ex boyfriends lurking around. Ashley grabbed my hand and started walking around the room with me in tow. It was actually welcomed for once; I didn’t want to be anywhere alone tonight. Usually I would walk around and talk to everyone on my own but right now I decided to be a tag along.

Two hours and a few shots later I was sitting at the bar in the kitchen next to Callie. She got up to use the bathroom and I was suddenly left alone for the first time tonight.

A feeling crept over me that I didn’t like. It was the same sensation I got when that man was staring at me the other night at the art gallery. I whipped my head around looking to see where the feeling came from when Eric stepped in front of me.

“
Paranoid are we?”

“
I have good reason to be, freaks like you keep popping up in my life.” I couldn’t help but smile at my little comment.

“
Speaking of freaks, Chris hasn’t bothered you anymore has he?”

I looked away and got another shot of tequila. “Nope”

“
I hope you would tell me.”

“
What are you going to do, murder him?” I took my shot back and hated myself for what I just said. I should have kept my mouth shut on that one, it was the alcohol talking.

“
What did you just say?”

“
Nothing, just a joke.” I gave him my cheesiest smile I could muster and tried to get up. His warm hand grabbed my arm and he held me on the stool. This was the first time he had ever touched me and his touch was just as warm as Seth’s was.

“
No, tell me what you just meant.”

I let out a sigh. We were in a public place with about a hundred people, he wouldn’t kill me for just asking one little question. At least I hoped he wouldn’t.

“
I found a picture in your car of that Lauren girl. Ironically that same night she was murdered. It just seemed a little eerie to me.”

“
So you think I murdered her because I had a picture of her in my car?” He looked like he was going to bust a gut laughing at any minute.

I crossed my arms and glared at him. “Well would you care to explain why you had a weird picture like that in your car?”

“
There are certain aspects of my job where I need pictures of people. It’s just a coincidence that I happened to have a picture of a girl that was murdered.”

“
Your job? Seth said you worked for some type of security or something. If she was someone you were supposed to be protecting it doesn’t look to me like you did a good job.”

He leaned forward getting closer to me. “Is this the reason you don’t like me? You think I’m a murderer?”

“
I didn’t like you before I found that picture. And I’m not about to tell you why I don’t like you. But right now I don’t like how secretive you are.”

He shook his head back and forth and laughed to himself. “Secretive? Why don’t you ask Seth if he has any secrets? When he comes clean, so will I.”

With those words he left. It was a good thing too because I wouldn’t of had a comment back. I was so confused. It was obvious he was telling me that there were things Seth was keeping from me.

I was starting to get severely annoyed. Things weren’t adding up and I was tired of all the questions. Since Seth and Eric slam dunked into my life it’s been one thing after another.

I got up and took another shot before heading outside into the cold. I pulled myself up on the concrete wall that was wrapped around the house and leaned against the wrought iron bars that were attached to it. Everything was a little fuzzy and I could feel the alcohol running through out me, making me light headed.

“
Why do I always attract crazy people?” I said out loud to myself. I wasn’t expecting a response but I got one anyway.

“
Maybe it’s because you might be crazy yourself.”

I opened my eyes and saw a figure leaning against a tree a little ways away. I jumped down from the wall unsteadily and tried to focus my eyes on whoever it was. Slowly they started to step out and it was the same black and grey haired man from the art gallery. He got closer and I started to side step towards the house thinking maybe I could be quick and get away.

“
I wouldn’t go back in there Cameron.” He spoke in what I was pretty sure was an Irish accent and I stopped dead at hearing him say my name.

“
How do you –“

“
I know a lot of things. Like I know that you’re going to come with me quietly.”

I didn’t want to laugh but a small one escaped me. It almost seemed like he was so sure I would comply with him. Little did he know, I would beat every inch of him I could or die trying if he came near me.

He brought out a knife and that put a small kink in my plan of fighting him. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t think twice about slicing me open.

I swallowed hard as he got closer. A million thoughts went through my head; him raping me, stabbing me, strangling me, throwing me in a ditch.

Just then, Seth came out of nowhere making the thoughts leave my mind. I think I heard him say the name Charlie as he decked the man sending him flying back against the tree like he was nothing. I thought this would knock him out but the man got up quickly, dusting himself off as if it didn’t faze him.

“
Seth, this doesn’t concern you.” The man, who I assumed was Charlie, said.

“
The hell it doesn’t, you go near her again and I swear to God I will kill you.”

Apparently they knew each other. If I wasn’t confused before I was definitely confused now.

“
He wants her and it’s my job to bring her to him.”

“
She’s not going anywhere. You’ll have to go through me to get to her and I don’t think you want to do that.”

Something rubbed my arm and looked to see Eric standing beside me. I was too drunk to handle all of this.

Charlie started forwards but stopped at seeing Eric and looked back and forth between them before finally backing down. “If I were you I would be careful about being with her in public. You know they will use her against you.”

When he was done speaking he walked away back into the darkness. Seth and Eric both looked at me and I tried to look at both of them simultaneously but it was too much.

Instead, I pointed my finger at each of them. “You better tell me what the hell is going on!”

Chapter 6

My mind was whirling for two reasons. One: because I was drunk. Two: because someone had just attempted to kidnap me and Seth sent him flying into a tree like he was pebble.