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I listen with my mouth clamped shut until they are out of hearing distance. Harper and Corey. My head tilts back and tears swim in my eyes. Rage burns in my chest and I can’t wait any longer.
I rip the door open and make my way into the secluded lair. Marijuana hangs heavy in the air. The beat of the bass down here is more sultry. There’s less people, and it’s darker. My feet hit the bottom and the hallway splits. The one end looks brighter and I can hear distant chatter. My hand uses the wall to guide me through the blackness. Voices grow louder the closer I get. When I hear Corey’s voice and the angry way he says my name, I freeze. I swear I stop breathing.
“I think you should just get over her, man,” Rip’s voice says and I hear him exhale something out of his mouth.
“I think you should mind your own damn business,” Corey retorts with a grunt.
There’s a shuffle before Rip speaks again. “Have you forgot, young cub, you are my business. And that girl has been nothing but trouble for you since the day you decided to play hero. If you had just let that pissant Jackson Pritcher mess her up a little back then, you wouldn’t have fallen down the rabbit hole.”
My blood thunders in my ears. What is Rip talking about?
“If that psycho Chase Matthews hadn’t been with him, I would have let justice be served. You know why I stepped in. Besides her mom never slept with Jackson’s dad anyways,” Corey argues and Rip chuckles deeply.
“Doesn’t matter. Money is money. We were asked to send her mother a message.”
“And we did. Jade still has nightmares about what happened to her mother.” Corey’s voice echoes in my ears, but my mind can’t think straight. Tears fall in hot currents down my cheeks. This isn’t happening.
“If we hadn’t, you think any of those rich pricks would keep lining our pockets? Besides, you got the girl anyways. Not that she's giving you any pussy. You were better off with the friend.”
“Dude, shut the fuck up,” Corey barks out, “Jade is worth all of it.”
“I sure hope so, brother.” Rip grunts. “Because you’ve spilled way too much blood to keep her. If she found out everything, you think she’d stay?”
I can’t take it. I turn and bolt from the basement and battle through the bodies to get outside. I make it to my car before my stomach revolts. Their conversation plays in my head, while I gag and spit into the grass next to my tires. This can’t be happening. My knees give out, forcing my body to curl into itself. Everything I knew was a lie. I’m not safe and now I’ve never been so alone. My mom. Harper. Onyx. They’re all gone and I’m left with a best friend who would have let horrible things happen to me just to please Rip and his gang. For money. Sobs threaten to tear from my throat. I can’t stay here.
Blindly, I climb in my car and drive away. I don’t know where to go. Corey knows all my places. He can gain entry to my apartment building. I drive in circles, ignoring my phone, while it rings and messages come through. There is only one place I can think of and it kills me even as I drive toward it. When I reach the gate, my hand freezes by the box. He could have erased his password. He could have changed it. I try anyways. I enter my birthday and the gates swing open. From memory, I take the secluded and tree-lined road until I get to Onyx’s home. I don’t dare drive up; instead, I park on the side of the road and kill my lights. My phone keeps buzzing. 20 missed calls and 25 text messages. I power it off and throw it in the passenger seat.
Dejected, alone, scared, I climb into my back seat. I hug my arms around my body and sob until I’m numb again and nothing matters anymore.
ChapterEighteen
Jade
I’ve always walked around watching my back. I’ve known from a young age that not all people are good, no matter their age. I’ve experienced being abandoned, fending for myself. I learned to only rely on myself. I had to make my own choices and I let a monster into my life.
Once the sun came up, I snuck back to my apartment and managed to clean up for school. It’s a Thursday and none of my classes have a test today. I could have skipped but being alone sounds just as terrifying. In all my experience, I’ve never lived in fear until last night and today. I dressed quickly and ditched my phone at home. I got to school early, hoping to avoid Corey. Even though he graduated last year, he still hangs outside the building with people he knows and with me. Instead, I find Harper at her locker when I get to mine.
“Hi,” I tell her, hesitating when she takes longer than usual to turn toward me. Her head falls.
“Hey.”
“Um, how are you? I tried calling you,” I tell her. Harper finally turns to me and I see how tired she looks. My eyes trail over her smaller frame, and take in the baggy t-shirt and shorts.
“I haven’t been feeling myself lately.” She shrugs and avoids my eyes, glancing down the hallway instead. Her eyes widen and she glances back at me. I can guess who's there. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Wait,” I grab her wrist, “Harper, can we hang out or something. What are you doing tonight?”
Her brow furrows. “It's Thursday. Thirsty Thursday. Probably going to a party or something.”
“I’ll come with,” I say, before thinking it through. People will be around though, so I’ll be fine.
“You will?” Harper looks at me surprised and slightly put off, which I try not to let sting.
“Should I pick you up or…”
“Meet me there,” she says and tugs her hand out of my hold. “I’ll text you.”
I watch as Harper disappears into the crowd and I feel my own doom looming over me.
