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The Babysitter was taken into custody the previous week, and the nine-month-long nightmare was over. He admitted to kidnapping five girls over the course of ten years, and to say it caused a nationwide scandal would have been an understatement of epic proportions, especially with who he was and when Lilly took the stage, announcing herinvolvement.
Lilly had stumbled over the news article of his latest victim while doing research for a journalism assignment. The girls were abducted in one part of the country and dropped off somewhere else a few weeks later, completely unharmed. It was all a random string of fucked-up coincidences, but it led her to her family's secret—hersecret. The one they had kept from her for a decade. Ten. Years. She couldn't remember any of it until she had gotten her first "migraine." And whenever a memory hit, she would be crippled with excruciating pain. Toward the end, she even passed out. Lilly was supposed to see a neurologist, but before she could, the shit hit the fan. Nothing turned out as it appeared at first, including my friendship with Rhys.
Starting our senior year at Westbridge High, I never—in my craziest dreams—anticipated how things would change over the next twelve months. Rhys and I had been best friends for years. I would've trusted him with my life. Hell, he basically lived with me. That was how it had been since the beginning of our sophomore year. Before that, it was Lilly, Rhys, and me. The three of us used to be joined at the hip since we were kids—until Rhys changed that.
He and I had spent the summer before our sophomore year at football camp. The minute he got on the bus, something was off, but he wouldn't tell me what happened. After we got back, he wouldn't acknowledge Lilly. If she was in the same room, he'd leave. When we saw her in the hallway between classes, he'd make a show out of tongue diving down Katherine Rosenfield's throat. Kat was the head cheerleader and the queen bitch of Westbridge High. No one crossed her or took what was hers. And Rhys was hers now. Over time, Lilly became a stranger. It was Den and Lilly against Rhys and me—a war driven by secrets I was kept in the dark from.
Fast-forward to said August,afterour senior year. Rhys would barely leave Lilly's side long enough for her to use the bathroom, and Den had become one of my closest friends.
I would've never considered that anything could tear the four of us apart—not after what we'd been through. We were still in Los Angeles, and Lilly and Rhys had settled into her mini-mansion and had no intention of leaving. Den and I were about to return to Westbridge, Virginia, to prepare for the coming year. Lilly and Den had finished their junior year, but Lilly would graduate online ahead of schedule, thanks to her summer school credits. Rhys declined his scholarship on the East Coast to stay with her, Den had another year of high school to finish, and I was due to leave for my dream college in less than two weeks.
Then, a call from my mother changed everything.
I was halfway to the motor pool where the other three were waiting for me. "Mom, what's up? We're about to head out to—"
"Wes, we have to talk."
Her words stopped me dead in my tracks, dizziness forcing me to lean against the wall. The one and only time my free-spirited mother hadto talkto me was when I had climbed into my high school girlfriend's window, not knowing that her grandmother was visiting and sleeping in her room. Mom did not appreciate the call she got at one in the morning.
"What happened?" I held my breath, waiting.
A heavy sigh traveled through the earpiece. "You got a letter from UG. I opened it to make sure you're not missing any deadlines for school."
When she didn't elaborate, my patience snapped. "Well, what did it say?"
She sniffled, and I couldn't breathe. Laura Sheats didn't cry.
"M-mom?" I choked.
"They took your scholarship back." My mother barely got the words out. "I'll send you a picture of the letter." Her voice broke, and she paused. "We will figure it out, baby. I promise."
My legs were suddenly too weak to support my weight, and I sank to the floor. My scholarship was gone. How was that possible? I sat on my ass, back against the wall and knees tucked close. Mom hung up. The phone was still pressed to my ear, unable to move my hand, when the vibration announced an incoming text. I forced myself to pull the device away and opened the message. It was a picture of the letter.
Dear Mr. Sheats,
We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, the scholarship funds for the UG football scholarship had to be reevaluated, and we are no longer able to offer you a spot on the UG football team.
You may contact the university's admissions department for alternative options on attending our school.
We appreciate your interest in our program and wish you the best for your future.
Sincerely,
Nicolas McLowen
Scholarship Committee
That was it?That was all they had to say? Covering my mouth with my hand, I read the three sentences over and over.
What the fuck?
"Sheats, what's taking—" Den's voice penetrated through my wall of disbelief, and I turned my head, locking eyes with her.
"What's happened?" She stood in the doorway to the garage, taking in my position and my probably ashen face. I was going to throw up. I'd worked toward this for as long as I could remember. It was not just a dream; it was what I was meant to do. I didn't have a school to go to. My professional football career, my future, was…gone.
I held my phone out, and she took it without a word. She scanned the screen for what seemed an eternity.
"What does that mean?" Her voice was barely audible. She full well knew what it meant.
