x
Christian was still fuming by the time we got back to his house. His dad was gone for the week, which was good for us, because we needed some time alone to talk about things.364Please respect copyright.PENANAuX7oKb8MuF
364Please respect copyright.PENANARnJffsvcBX
"I cannot believe her, your own mother," he snapped as he put me down on the couch. "How could she say all those nasty things to you, and then go and hit you like it was nothing? I mean, fuck, Kendall! Aren't you even mad at her?"364Please respect copyright.PENANAlKWTqodFj2
364Please respect copyright.PENANA13HrSHeOWQ
"Of course I'm mad at her," I said, glancing at him. "I'm just choosing to not express it as volatile as you are."364Please respect copyright.PENANAqMx4DKSaxs
364Please respect copyright.PENANAUWtdFuKFjM
"It's frustrating to see you go through all of this and not react," he said as he sat next to me. Then he hugged me close, his lips pressed into my hair. "I think your session with Dr. Alder tomorrow is going to take longer than usual."364Please respect copyright.PENANA9l5HlobbZm
364Please respect copyright.PENANA8kLXzYgx5Z
"I don't think I'm going," I murmured. "I don't want to have to see her, take up her time, with every little bad thing that happens. She can't help with my mom, or the dreams, or even what happened with Jude."364Please respect copyright.PENANAuFnkfn81MD
364Please respect copyright.PENANAWxQIFLZBle
Christian blinked, untangled himself from me, and said, "What happened with Jude?"364Please respect copyright.PENANAbwyn8TX7gd
364Please respect copyright.PENANAjU2m2C9pod
I bit my lip, mentally cursing myself, and took a breath. "He's been watching me." No use telling him about the kiss. "He said he was paid a lot of money to get information on me. I didn't meet him on accident."364Please respect copyright.PENANAdrE5c5sZtJ
364Please respect copyright.PENANA8NtIRQaGbs
For a few minutes, Christian didn't speak. His silence was sometimes worse than his words, and this time I didn't blame him for being quiet. I wouldn't have known what to say if I were him. I closed my eyes and waited. Waited for him to start cursing and screaming. Waited for his horrible temper. Waited for him to break something.364Please respect copyright.PENANALD7W8IAvYJ
364Please respect copyright.PENANAZn8rUk5kFj
"What a fucking prick," he mumbled. "Did you punch him in the face?"364Please respect copyright.PENANANlXcmNGWB5
364Please respect copyright.PENANAmeKLI7XAZE
"I really wanted to." I shrugged, glancing at him. I reached out and gripped his hand, squeezing his fingers. I was grateful when he returned the gesture. "But I was too stunned to do anything, especially after I found the pictures."364Please respect copyright.PENANAp0hrccheUX
364Please respect copyright.PENANAxDSsS9nosF
This time he looked at me, his eyes narrowing, darkening. His grip on my hand tightened before he growled, "What pictures, Kendall? What the fuck is going on?"364Please respect copyright.PENANAbjxhHHQ3rM
364Please respect copyright.PENANAloN0y9LgSJ
"They're just of me. Nothing too creepy. But whoever wanted information on me probably wanted to know what I looked like, too. Ugh." I placed my head in my hands and shook it. "This is all so weird. First the letters, then this. What's next?"364Please respect copyright.PENANA3gRKKQzXCi
364Please respect copyright.PENANAfJA9LPFLro
"Letters?" Christian muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Jesus, Scott, you're holding out on me."364Please respect copyright.PENANAyqgIPcYhUt
364Please respect copyright.PENANAC91mf5TUfU
I looked away from his face, unable to tell him the biggest secret. The wounds I'd suffered through all of this had been too much, and I just needed to calm down before I told him anything else. I laid my head against his chest and closed my eyes, said I needed a minute, and tried my best to relax.364Please respect copyright.PENANAU2bKv6xchQ
364Please respect copyright.PENANACGAMA9RXs7
The next time I opened my eyes, it was dark out. I lifted my head and looked around the quiet room. When I didn't feel him beside me or hear him breathing, I started to get up. Since it was pitch black, I didn't see the ottoman in front of me, so I tripped over it, landing on the floor. I let out a shriek and watched one of the lights in another part of the house turn on.364Please respect copyright.PENANAjxtbzn2Xkl
364Please respect copyright.PENANAtqJf4OdyWu
"Are you okay?" Christian's shadow loomed in front of the light from the kitchen, and as he bent down, his body swallowed the glow. He touched my head, my hair, my cheeks and lips. Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.364Please respect copyright.PENANAJod5U7cBZJ
364Please respect copyright.PENANAQSEGAzCn05
"I'm okay," I said. "I just tripped."364Please respect copyright.PENANAIClZB98cG1
364Please respect copyright.PENANAJATsSmOXFj
Even in the darkness, I could feel him smiling when he said, "That's typical of you. Are you ready to tell me your other secret now?"364Please respect copyright.PENANA8StkwGeFZU
364Please respect copyright.PENANAqaAwdH20Kb
Before I replied, I heard a soft vibration. My phone. I could see it trembling, the light from the screen illuminating the other side of the couch. I reached for it, flipped it open, and read the message.364Please respect copyright.PENANAk9iGRSTc84
364Please respect copyright.PENANAJUKfUXpOsd
One New Message From: Unknown Number364Please respect copyright.PENANAqFGdN1kECy
364Please respect copyright.PENANAAPSWDeXOhw
Turn on the news.364Please respect copyright.PENANAZhJbNlJhXO
364Please respect copyright.PENANAp1TM58zEl7
When I found the remote and hit the power button, the TV flooded with white light at first, then a voice spoke. It sent chills down my spine.364Please respect copyright.PENANAO5jspbbmIe
364Please respect copyright.PENANAW1T0pnKCXu
"The body of a local teen was found in this clearing behind me. Authorities believe the body to be that of missing boy, Jared Davis. No further details can be provided at this time."364Please respect copyright.PENANA214IcLwQv5
364Please respect copyright.PENANA1HUt3pQaTN
I dared a glance beside me, where he sat.364Please respect copyright.PENANAZkA9kwO3wf
364Please respect copyright.PENANA43A6iUSa0f
Christian was gone.
ns 172.71.254.241da2 364Please respect copyright.PENANARnJffsvcBX
"I cannot believe her, your own mother," he snapped as he put me down on the couch. "How could she say all those nasty things to you, and then go and hit you like it was nothing? I mean, fuck, Kendall! Aren't you even mad at her?"364Please respect copyright.PENANAlKWTqodFj2
364Please respect copyright.PENANA13HrSHeOWQ
"Of course I'm mad at her," I said, glancing at him. "I'm just choosing to not express it as volatile as you are."364Please respect copyright.PENANAqMx4DKSaxs
364Please respect copyright.PENANAUWtdFuKFjM
"It's frustrating to see you go through all of this and not react," he said as he sat next to me. Then he hugged me close, his lips pressed into my hair. "I think your session with Dr. Alder tomorrow is going to take longer than usual."364Please respect copyright.PENANA9l5HlobbZm
364Please respect copyright.PENANA8kLXzYgx5Z
"I don't think I'm going," I murmured. "I don't want to have to see her, take up her time, with every little bad thing that happens. She can't help with my mom, or the dreams, or even what happened with Jude."364Please respect copyright.PENANAuFnkfn81MD
364Please respect copyright.PENANAWxQIFLZBle
Christian blinked, untangled himself from me, and said, "What happened with Jude?"364Please respect copyright.PENANAbwyn8TX7gd
364Please respect copyright.PENANAjU2m2C9pod
I bit my lip, mentally cursing myself, and took a breath. "He's been watching me." No use telling him about the kiss. "He said he was paid a lot of money to get information on me. I didn't meet him on accident."364Please respect copyright.PENANAdrE5c5sZtJ
364Please respect copyright.PENANA8NtIRQaGbs
For a few minutes, Christian didn't speak. His silence was sometimes worse than his words, and this time I didn't blame him for being quiet. I wouldn't have known what to say if I were him. I closed my eyes and waited. Waited for him to start cursing and screaming. Waited for his horrible temper. Waited for him to break something.364Please respect copyright.PENANALD7W8IAvYJ
364Please respect copyright.PENANAZn8rUk5kFj
"What a fucking prick," he mumbled. "Did you punch him in the face?"364Please respect copyright.PENANANlXcmNGWB5
364Please respect copyright.PENANAmeKLI7XAZE
"I really wanted to." I shrugged, glancing at him. I reached out and gripped his hand, squeezing his fingers. I was grateful when he returned the gesture. "But I was too stunned to do anything, especially after I found the pictures."364Please respect copyright.PENANAp0hrccheUX
364Please respect copyright.PENANAxDSsS9nosF
This time he looked at me, his eyes narrowing, darkening. His grip on my hand tightened before he growled, "What pictures, Kendall? What the fuck is going on?"364Please respect copyright.PENANAbjxhHHQ3rM
364Please respect copyright.PENANAloN0y9LgSJ
"They're just of me. Nothing too creepy. But whoever wanted information on me probably wanted to know what I looked like, too. Ugh." I placed my head in my hands and shook it. "This is all so weird. First the letters, then this. What's next?"364Please respect copyright.PENANA3gRKKQzXCi
364Please respect copyright.PENANAfJA9LPFLro
"Letters?" Christian muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Jesus, Scott, you're holding out on me."364Please respect copyright.PENANAyqgIPcYhUt
364Please respect copyright.PENANAC91mf5TUfU
I looked away from his face, unable to tell him the biggest secret. The wounds I'd suffered through all of this had been too much, and I just needed to calm down before I told him anything else. I laid my head against his chest and closed my eyes, said I needed a minute, and tried my best to relax.364Please respect copyright.PENANAU2bKv6xchQ
364Please respect copyright.PENANACGAMA9RXs7
The next time I opened my eyes, it was dark out. I lifted my head and looked around the quiet room. When I didn't feel him beside me or hear him breathing, I started to get up. Since it was pitch black, I didn't see the ottoman in front of me, so I tripped over it, landing on the floor. I let out a shriek and watched one of the lights in another part of the house turn on.364Please respect copyright.PENANAjxtbzn2Xkl
364Please respect copyright.PENANAtqJf4OdyWu
"Are you okay?" Christian's shadow loomed in front of the light from the kitchen, and as he bent down, his body swallowed the glow. He touched my head, my hair, my cheeks and lips. Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.364Please respect copyright.PENANAJod5U7cBZJ
364Please respect copyright.PENANAQSEGAzCn05
"I'm okay," I said. "I just tripped."364Please respect copyright.PENANAIClZB98cG1
364Please respect copyright.PENANAJATsSmOXFj
Even in the darkness, I could feel him smiling when he said, "That's typical of you. Are you ready to tell me your other secret now?"364Please respect copyright.PENANA8StkwGeFZU
364Please respect copyright.PENANAqaAwdH20Kb
Before I replied, I heard a soft vibration. My phone. I could see it trembling, the light from the screen illuminating the other side of the couch. I reached for it, flipped it open, and read the message.364Please respect copyright.PENANAk9iGRSTc84
364Please respect copyright.PENANAJUKfUXpOsd
One New Message From: Unknown Number364Please respect copyright.PENANAqFGdN1kECy
364Please respect copyright.PENANAAPSWDeXOhw
Turn on the news.364Please respect copyright.PENANAZhJbNlJhXO
364Please respect copyright.PENANAp1TM58zEl7
When I found the remote and hit the power button, the TV flooded with white light at first, then a voice spoke. It sent chills down my spine.364Please respect copyright.PENANAO5jspbbmIe
364Please respect copyright.PENANAW1T0pnKCXu
"The body of a local teen was found in this clearing behind me. Authorities believe the body to be that of missing boy, Jared Davis. No further details can be provided at this time."364Please respect copyright.PENANA214IcLwQv5
364Please respect copyright.PENANA1HUt3pQaTN
I dared a glance beside me, where he sat.364Please respect copyright.PENANAZkA9kwO3wf
364Please respect copyright.PENANA43A6iUSa0f
Christian was gone.
364Please respect copyright.PENANAPUxiv64eGE