Page 122 of Tell No Lies

I didn’t want to call any of the girls this late, either. Mckayla’s parents would find out, and that would be worse than Mike’s reaction.

One option left. Hopefully, he would take it better than how I pictured Mike.

There was no way I could make a call with the noise, so I sent a text and prayed he was awake.

Seconds later, my phone vibrated.

Carter Blackwell: On my way.

Relief flooded through my body before I realized the wrath I was soon to face. I moved through the crowd and stood next to the window by the front door.

It only took a few minutes for Carter to get there, so he must have been in the area. He’d sent me a text to let me know he was outside, and when I walked through the door, he took one look at me and turned away, already walking down the sidewalk. I rushed to catch up to him, but he wouldn’t look at me.

He continued to walk silently next to me. His disappointment was obvious, but I didn’t know what to say to explain.

“I’m sorry, Carter.”

“I know you are.” Well, at least he was talking to me now. Those words were better than what I’d expected the first thing he would say to me.

“Thanks for coming to get me. I didn’t know the party was going to be like this. I swear.”

Silence.

“I wasn’t trying to get into trouble. It just seems to follow me.” I looked up at him, but his gaze was fixed forward.

“Why do you put yourself into those positions, Aubrey?”

I shrugged but realized he wasn’t watching me. “Some guys invited me. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do things on my own. Everything I do either involves Mckayla and the girls or Mike.”

He stopped walking and turned to me. “That’s for your own safety! No teenage girl should go off on her own. Especially with guys she barely knows. Do you realize what could have happened to you? If I hadn’t been close by? If someone slipped something into your drink? You could have gotten yourself into a lot of trouble.”

“I know, Carter. I was so stupid, but that’s why I called you. I realized I was in over my head and got out as soon as I could.”

“You shouldn’t have done something so stupid in the first place.” He turned and continued walking, not waiting for me.

I stood there for a moment, frozen. Yes, I had called him for help, but that did not give him the right to lecture me. “I would have called Brandon if I wanted to listen to someone berate me for an hour.”

“Then why did you call me, Aubrey?”

I didn’t have a good response for that, at least not one that I wanted to admit to him or myself. I could have called one of the girls or Mike if I needed to, but I’d called him. Why? I bit my lip, thinking for a second. “Because I trust you. I knew you would come for me.”

He continued on silently for a few moments. “Yeah, I guessed I proved you right.”

I knew I was going to get into trouble for my little excursion, but I’d been expecting the punishment to come from Brandon, not Carter. I brought this upon myself, so I deserved to face the consequences, but knowing Carter was disappointed was almost unbearable.

Just as I was going to apologize again, I saw a flash a movement from the corner of my eye. Before I could register what I saw, a masked person jumped out from the shadow of the building next to us.

A scream caught in my throat when I saw the glimmer of metal. He had a knife.

Carter flung his arm back, knocking me toward the building. I screamed for him to run, but he continued forward toward the assailant.

In a blur, I watched Cater take a swing as the blade veered toward him. The two were exchanging blows until suddenly the masked man dropped the knife and ran back through the darkness of the alley.

I ran to Carter and held on to his arm as I guided him to a nearby bench. He said nothing, but a grimace appeared when I let go.

I grabbed for my phone in my purse and called 911.

Carter sat with his head thrown back, his face marked with pain.