“You want everyone to know?” he asks, gesturing at me, still breathing hard. “Maybe you should change first?”
We stare at each other, and I nod, standing up and pausing for a second.
“I … thank you, Ranger—”
“Just go,” he says, breathing hard as I take off for the cabin, pushing in the door, and grabbing my discarded hoodie from the bathroom. I slip it and my jeans on over the short dress, pulling it up so that it's hidden beneath the sweatshirt's heavy folds.
A quick scrub down with some makeup remover takes care of that, and then I'm slipping my sneakers on, changing my glasses out, and heading back outside. Ranger's right there waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, and I realize he's prioritized my safety over the girl's.
I'm not exactly sure what to think about that.
“Let's go find your dad,” he says as I grab his arm hard, feeling the hard muscles taut beneath my fingers. He looks down at me with those sapphire eyes of his, and my breath explodes in a rush. I'm not even sure what the hell I was going to say in the first place.
“Okay.” That's the only thing that'll come out. I feel numb as we work out way back across the camp, only to find out the blue-haired girl is gone. Ranger and I exchange a glance, and then we both start running, back through the woods to the clearing.
The rope is gone.
“What the fuck?” he snaps, raking his fingers through his dark hair and spinning to face me. “Tell me I'm not going crazy. There was a rope here just a few minutes ago, right?”
“There was,” I start, but I don't know what to say. Ranger's chest is still bleeding, but it doesn't seem to be too bad. That's the only real proof that anything actually happened here tonight. We're both panting so badly, and there's this charge in the air, an attraction born of danger. “We really do need to find my dad then.”
Ranger nods, looking down at me again, his face tight. I imagine that we'll probably end up having a long conversation later. For now, the danger's too real, the sight of that rope stark and awful in both our mind's eyes.
On the way back, Ranger stops at his cabin and retrieves a hoodie to hide his wound. I’m not sure why. Maybe he just doesn’t want to scare anyone?
We head to the dance hall next, and there she is, the blue-haired girl sitting in one of the chairs with a drink in hand, talking with her friends. Ranger and I exchange a look before going over to stand beside her.
“Kesha,” he says, voice hard but with the slightest hint of a quaver. She glances over her shoulder at him, grimacing slightly and reaching up a hand to touch her fingers to the side of her head. “What happened?” He gestures at her loosely. “You've got blood in your hair.” I notice he doesn't mention that we saw her lying there on the grass. Smart move.
“I don't really know. I think I tripped or something, and hit my head.” Selena reaches out a hand and gives her friend's a squeeze.
“I'll go get you some more water.” She takes the cup before glancing over to me with a raised brow. I give a slight shake of my head, and Selena moves away in a flutter of honey-blond hair.
“You tripped and hit your head?” Ranger repeats, and Kesha gives him a weird look.
“Isn't that what I just said? I appreciate the concern, but we only slept together once, Ranger. Get over yourself.” She turns back to her friends as my cheeks flush, and I try really hard not to think about what she just said.
“Come on.” He grabs me by the wrist and drags me through the crowd.
“Do you think she's telling the truth?” I ask, refusing to let myself wonder about the when, where, and how of Ranger's sexual encounter with Kesha. It must've been last year, right? Why do you even care, Charlotte?! There's more important shit to worry about; let it go!
“I have no idea. Maybe.” He pulls me over to my dad, and pauses politely next to him while he finishes whatever conversation he's having with the headmistress of Everly.
“Mr. Woodruff,” Dad says, looking between the two of us, his eyes fixating on the spot where Ranger's fingers are curled around my wrist. As if he can sense trouble coming, Ranger releases me abruptly. “How can we help you?”
“Could we speak to you outside for a minute?” Ranger asks, managing to keep his voice even. Me, I feel all tongue-tied. I'm not even sure how to talk about what just happened. Part of me wonders if it's even real.
Dad nods, and we head outside, just to the left of the door, and the silence settles over me in a wave.
Two people in hooded sweatshirts attacked me tonight. There was a noose, hanging from a tree. Part of me wants to believe it was all some sort of elaborate prank, but … the rest of me wonders if I just slipped through death's fingers.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Dad asks, and Ranger and I exchange a long look. As if he can sense how tongue-tied I am right now, he turns to my dad and tells his version of the story.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Ranger adds after he finishes, glancing over at me as he lifts his shirt and shows my father the wound on his chest. “But I think the same thing that happened to my sister is happening to your daughter.”
“My daughter?” Dad starts, looking over at me. I cringe and shrug, digging my fingers into the pockets of my baggy pants. He's probably got the wrong idea, but I don't care. Tonight's been … awful. Just awful.
“Yeah, well, my secret may have slipped a bit …” I start, and Archie sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He's got a big, stately Roman nose. I inherited some things from him—namely his stubbornness—but I definitely got most of my facial features from Mom. “But does that really matter? Have you been listening to what we've been saying? Some psychos tried to string me up to a tree.”
“Mr. Woodruff,” Dad says, dropping his hand from his face and sighing. “Could you please step inside for a moment, so I can speak with Charlotte privately?” Ranger's eyes narrow, but he nods briskly and turns away, storming back into the building with his giant combat boots, and his blood-soaked sweater. My heart aches strangely as I look after his retreating back, turning slowly to face my father. All I want right now is a hug from him. From anybody, really. But Archibald Carson is the last person in the world that would ever offer me one. He's just not the touchy-feely type. “I've been speaking to May Emille, the headmistress of Everly Academy.”
My eyes widen, and my lips part.
“You're sending me away?” I choke out, knowing I'm probably being irrational. Dad looks at me in just such a way that there's no doubt about that. My irrationality, that is. He better not be serious about the rest of it.
“She's willing to take you midyear. I've already spoken to the board, and based on the previous incidents, they're willing to transfer the tuition gift that comes with my position from Adamson to Everly.”
“Mom's gone, and now you want to bail on me, too?” I ask, feeling this hot, itchy sensation take over my skin. “I lost all my friends when we moved.” Tears are coming now, but I know they're from more than just this conversation. What happened tonight was totally fucked up. Could it have been just a cruel prank? Sure. But Jenica died at the end of a rope, didn't she? My mortality is looking me straight in the face, and I don't like the way she stares. “Friends I've had my whole life. You dropped me in the middle of some dark forest in Connecticut, and threw me to the wolves.”
“Charlotte,” Dad starts, and there's no sympathy in his voice, just pure frustration. “Based on what you're telling me tonight, it's not safe for you at Adamson. Sending you elsewhere is a given.”
“One of my attackers tonight was a woman!” I snap back, throwing my arms up. I'm just done with this conversation. I guess I'd sort of expected Dad to hug me, tell me he was just glad I was okay, call the police. But not this. “We're at a camp, in the middle of nowhere. Maybe this isn't just an Adamson thing? I'd rather not leave, thank you very much.”
Besides, I've just started making friends with the twins. And … maybe I'm a tad attracted to them. Or Spencer. Or even … well
, definitely not Church. No way.
“This isn't a debate, Charlotte,” Dad tells me as I gawp at him.
“I'm not starting all over again,” I blurt, rubbing my hands over my face. “Besides, if this shit can follow me to the middle of the woods, who's to say it won't follow me to Everly?”
“I've heard what you had to say, but I'll be making the final decision,” Archie says, looking up and out across the lake. “Get inside and don't leave the building without me or another teacher beside you. I'm going to talk with Ms. Emille and campus security.”
“Somebody just tried to hang me from a tree limb!” I shout, but Dad remains impassive, grabbing my elbow and steering me inside. He parks me on a chair in the corner, and I'm just too frustrated to say anything else. My hands are shaking, and I'm fuming.
“Are you okay?” Ranger asks, appearing beside me and kneeling down, his combat boots squeaking on the shiny wood floor. The music playing right now is slow and soft, but all I feel like listening to is angry rock.
I turn to look at him, his dark blue eyes locked on mine, and full of shadows.
“Dad wants to send me to Everly to keep me safe,” I whisper, and Ranger's eyes go wide. He shakes his head sharply, the corner of his lip turning up in a sneer.
“You can't go to Everly; Jenica went to Everly.”
“What?” I choke, sitting up suddenly and putting my hand over his on accident. A spark travels up from my fingers and into my chest, like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. He snaps his hand away quickly, making me wonder if we both felt it. “Wait, when?”
“The whole reason my mother petitioned to get her into Adamson in the first place was because she was being tortured at Everly. She was bullied relentlessly, up to the point where Mom thought she was in serious danger.” He reaches up and runs his hand down his face like he's just suddenly tired. “Since Dad was on the Adamson Academy school board, it made the most sense to send her there …” Ranger rises to his feet, and I follow him up.
I don't want to be left alone right now.
Really, all I still want is a hug.
My eyes shift over to his as he stares down at me.
“I can't believe you're a girl,” he whispers, reaching up to touch the back of his head. “Not that it matters because I still don't like you.” My lips twitch in a slight smile. “You're still an asshole, you know? Regardless of what's underneath your clothes.”
“Since this particular asshole almost died tonight …” I start, sniffling slightly and reaching up to fix my glasses. “Could she maybe have a hug?” Ranger's jaw clenches tight, and I start to backpedal. “Haha, never mind. Just kidding.” But then his big, strong arms are sweeping me up, and he's crushing me against his chest.
I've never felt so warm or so protected in my whole life.
And I don't even know the guy.
My fingers curl into his hoodie, and I lean my head against his chest. He's still bleeding; we need to get that stitched up. Ranger squeezes me hard, a real, proper sort of squeeze, and then lets me go …
Just in time to see Spencer staring at us with wide, wide eyes.
“You son of a bitch,” he growls, curling his hands into fists at his sides.
That's the first time I see any real jealousy between the guys, and it's almost funny because in reality, I'm nothing to them. They're nothing to me. We barely know each other.
But that doesn't remain the case for long …
For the first few days after we get back, all is quiet. The next Culinary Club meeting is cancelled, seeing as we all just spent the last week baking up a storm for the Valentine's Day party.
Dad puts Nathan on my ass as a protective detail, but to be quite honest, the guy sort of creeps me out. He's always staring, and eating, and he barely talks. Pretty sure he's only in his late twenties, but his beard and beer gut make him seem more like he's forty or fifty.
The twins and Church have been stepping in to take this place, but it doesn't matter. By Friday, I've got another note from 'Adam' on the corkboard.
This time, Ranger is around to read it with us.
“Dear Eve,” he reads, his jaw tightening, nostrils flaring. Last week, when we got back from the V-day thing, I told him all about the other notes, the shadow figure on Halloween, the creepy noises I've been hearing in the bushes. I've never seen a man more furious or determined in my life.
He thinks he's going to catch his sister's killer.
I'm going to help him.
Even if it means I have to be the bait.
“You aren't listening to me. I don't like being ignored. And don't even think about Everly; she's friends with Adam.” Ranger pauses and looks up, clearly furious. “Who the fuck does this guy think he is, and what does he want from you?”
“Sounds like he wants her to go back to California,” Church muses, leaning against the wall with a white chocolate mocha in hand. Merinda makes them special for him at the Jaw Flapper, I've discovered. She has an espresso machine in the back, but if any other customer orders a fancy coffee, she slams down a chipped mug full of black coffee, and tells them if they want cream and sugar they can beg. It's pretty funny to watch actually. “But why?”
“Good question,” the twins say in unison, and then Tobias sighs and pushes red-orange hair from his face while Micah slouches against the wall with his hands tucked in the pockets of his navy slacks. “I thought at first that this psycho just wanted Charlotte out of here because, you know, she has a vagina.”
My cheeks flush as I snatch the note from Ranger's hand.
“Please don't say vagina,” I whisper, and the twins exchange a look before grinning.
“Vagina, vagina, vagina,” they drawl playfully, and I roll my eyes. I don't have a problem with the word, but … something about hearing them say it makes it seem less clinical, and more … um, sexual? Ugh. These Student Council dicks are going to be the death of me.
“Seriously, though,” Micah says, speaking up and pushing off the wall. He grabs the big, plastic container of M&M’s off the table and scoops out a huge handful. Tobias goes for them next, and the brothers have a mini tussle over the chocolate that ends up with brightly colored orbs scattered all over the floor. “Why does this douche-nugget care if Charlotte goes here or goes to Everly? What's his problem?”
“Douche nugget,” I chuckle, grinning. The expression only lasts a second though because I can see Church and Ranger sharing a long, silent exchange. Their expressions are grave. That does not bode well for me.
“Do you think they're after her over Jenica?” Church muses, and Ranger nods once, sharply. He takes the note back from me, crumples it up, and puts it in his pocket.
“What else could it be? But I've been looking into this shit for years, and nothing's ever happened to me.” Ranger sighs and closes his eyes. He's put just the barest bit of shadow on his lids, like some sort of old-school rockstar or something.
“She must be close to finding something we've missed,” Church adds, his honeyed hair glittering in the sunlight. It's such a rich, warm blonde. Makes me wonder what it'd feel like to run my fingers through it …
“Must be,” Ranger muses, switching that intense sapphire gaze of his over to me. “Have you looked in Jenica's room yet?”
My brows go up, and I shake my head.
“I didn't know which one was hers. Besides, a lot of the doors are locked, and I've never really had the tools to break in.” I think about the crowbar I jacked the other day.
“Come on,” Ranger says, exhaling and tucking the note into his pocket. “We'll show you.” He leads the way out of the boys' dorm, and I follow, Church and the twins trailing behind me.
It's so much less scary out here with them by my side. I feel sort of … protected. They might dump spiders on me, and pour honey in my hair, but hey, I won't get murdered by a guy with a knife! What a life I'm leading, I think, trying not to let myself think of the easy way out.
I could just go back to California. Seems Dad would
actually agree at this point. He hasn't mentioned transferring me to Everly since we got back, but I'm gearing up to confront him again.
Ranger goes to open up the loose board when I dangle the keys the twins stole in front of him.
“Your illustrious Student Council crew isn't entirely made up of angels,” I say, giving the twins a look that they return with a pair of bright grins.
“More like it's made up of devils,” Ranger grumbles as I unlock the door, and we all move inside, Ranger lifting up his phone as a flashlight. It's not quite dark outside, but all the windows are boarded up, so it's pretty gloomy in here. The light from the open front door just isn't enough to penetrate such a large building.
We head up seven flights of stairs to the top floor. It looks like there was meant to be an elevator installed, but all that's there now is an empty shaft. I peered down it once, but it looks like it drops straight into the basement, and I can't find any other way to get down there. So creepy.
“Your sister had the penthouse suite, huh?” I ask as we make our way up, up, up. The staircases are winding and decorative, the banisters coated in a thin layer of dust. Our footsteps seem overly loud, echoing in the stairwell as we make our way up to the sky.
“She was the first and only person to ever live here,” Ranger says finally. He doesn't even remotely sound out of breath, but I'm panting and puffing like a crazy person. Maybe it's not such a good thing that I'm getting out of PE, huh? I really fucking miss surfing.
We hit the top floor, and head to the door straight ahead. Ranger pulls the key necklace out of his shirt and unlocks the door, pushing it open to let us into a light-filled room with gauzy curtains, a freshly made bed, and dust free ledges.
He's been taking care of this place, Ranger has.
“Do you hang out here a lot?” I ask, thinking about the noises I've heard coming from upstairs. He nods, and I grin. “I've been chilling in the common area. I'm surprised we've never crossed paths.”
The Secret Girl Page 21