Page 56 of Ask No Questions

“No. I’m not done, Aubrey. You took advantage of me and my friendship. I got in a fight at school over you! I could have been suspended, and what did you do? You ran off with Gage! After I warned you about him and told you how he ruins people’s lives.”

“I know I was wrong…”

“That’s the understatement of the year! Do you have any idea how it felt to watch you walk away with him after that? I was defending you, protecting you!”

That was it, I was sick of sitting there and letting him attack me.

“I understand that you thought you were helping me, but you don’t get to control every decision I make. I met Gage outside of school and got to know him. He told me about what happened with Julia, and I know you two dated before them, but your grudge has nothing to do with me.”

Saying Julia’s name seemed to strike a nerve with him. “You don’t know anything about what happened to her. You can’t believe a thing he told you!”

“I get that you’re still angry with him because of what happened, but he couldn’t control what the drunk driver did.”

“He could have brought her home early, or he could have been paying better attention. She shouldn’t have died. She was the best person I have ever known. She was kind and nice to everyone, and everyone loved her. He should have been the one to die.”

“You can’t mean that, Mike.” My heart was breaking for him, but it was clear his pain was controlling his actions when it came to Gage.

“You don’t know me, Aubrey. I wish Gage died. He doesn’t deserve to live instead of Julia.” I could see tears forming in his eyes. I realized then that he still loved her, and that love had turned to hate for Gage.

I stood up and leaned down to hug him. He looked up, shock registering on his face before he opened his arms and pulled me down into him. I nuzzled into him and whispered, “I’m sorry, Mike. I really am, but you have to let go. Being angry at Gage won’t bring her back.”

His shoulders shook, and one hand wrapped around my shoulders while the other got tangled in my hair.

I was emotionally drained, and it was only ten in the morning. After talking to Mike, I went back to grab my things from Mckayla’s house. The girls were interested in what made me take off so early. I played it off like it was no big deal, and they finally let me leave. As I walked into my room, my phone started buzzing.

It was Gage. What were the odds he would call right after I fixed things with Mike?

“Hi, Gage.”

“Good morning. I was just wondering if you had any plans for this fine day.”

“You sound abnormally chipper today. What’s up?”

He laughed before answering. “Can’t a guy be happy without it being suspicious?”

“Normal guys? Yes. You? Not so much.”

“I’m offended, Aubrey! I’m not normal?”

“Normal people don’t cut themselves off from the world and then turn into social pariahs by choice.”

“True. So do you have plans?”

“I don’t, actually. What do you have planned?”

He paused for a moment. Had he expected me to turn him down?

“Let’s meet at the pier at one.”

“Perfect, I'll see you then!”

I hung up and stared down at my phone. What was going on with him? That was the most emotion I’ve ever seen, well heard, from him. Normally he was so placid.

The pier was mostly deserted since the dense, foggy marine layer still hadn’t dissipated. The sky was gray, making the ocean look angrier and more ominous than normal. I arrived a little early, so I walked to the end and leaned against the railing. The waves were crashing against the pillars below me. I was so entranced with the patterns of the ocean I didn’t hear the footsteps coming from behind me until it was too late.

I turned as I sensed someone behind me and gasped when my elbow was clutched.

Flashbacks of the night of the Neil’s party flooded my mind. Before I could process what was happening, I was on the ground. I clenched my eyes, failing to rid the images from my brain. I desperately tried to slow my breathing like I had with Carter, but I was only able to take shallow gulps. When I opened my eyes, Gage was standing over me with panic streaking his face.