Twisted Secrets: A Dark High School Romance (Twisted Pine Academy Book 3)

by Kai Juniper

  "He can't relate to people our age. Or anyone younger than us. He hates kids."

  "Then why'd he have you?"

  "I was an accident. He put up with me growing up but I wasn't like other kids. I was working when I was five. I acted more like an adult than a kid, which is why my dad could stand being around me."

  "He was talking about college. Does that mean he thinks the cops will drop the charges against you?"

  "No. He's just trying to keep me positive. He wants me to keep living my life as if I have a future."

  "You DO have a future." I hug him. "I'm not letting them take that from you."

  "I love you," he whispers in my ear.

  "I love you too."

  "You want to study now? Get it over with?"

  I sigh and get off his lap. "If we have to, then yeah."

  "How are you doing at school?"

  "I'm failing, but to be fair, that school is ridiculously hard."

  "And you're really smart. You can do this, Rumor. Don't tell yourself you can't."

  "Why do you keep giving me pep talks about school? I don't care about school."

  "I want you to care. I don't want you stuck working some shitty job after you graduate."

  "Then I'll get a job that isn't shitty," I say with a smile.

  "You know what I mean. I want you to go to college. Maybe we could go together."

  "To USC?" I laugh. "Yeah, I guarantee they wouldn't let me in there."

  "They might if you get your grades up. Brock's a guest lecturer there. That alone is enough for them to consider you."

  "Brock teaches classes?"

  "He's not on staff. He just gives a lecture now and then to the acting students, and sometimes he'll take a few of them on set."

  "Let me guess. Hot girls he wants to sleep with?"

  Jackson laughs. "Probably." He points to my backpack. "Let's get started."

  "In a minute." I turn to him. "First I have to tell you something."

  "What is it?"

  "I think I might know where my dad is. I overheard Brock talking on the phone right before I came here and I'm almost positive he was talking about my dad."

  "Brock is your dad."

  I shake my head. "I meant Devon. Brock was asking the guy on the phone to find him. He said he didn't want him showing up here but wanted to know where he is. He told the guy I'd heard from him, so they had to have been talking about my dad, I mean Devon."

  "So where is? Do you know?"

  "I'm not sure but I think the guy on the phone was telling Brock that Devon was last seen in some town by Mexico. I forgot the name, but it was something I've heard before. I think it was the same place I heard that lady say in the background when my dad called me. I mean, Devon." I squeeze my eyes shut. "What was the name? El something. I should've wrote it down."

  "El Paso?"

  "No, but that's close." I open my eyes. "El Centro! I think that was it. Look it up. See if it's real."

  Jackson searches on his phone. "Yeah, it's real. It's about two hours from here. By Baja. Border town."

  "Do you think he's still there?"

  "I'm guessing he's in Mexico. He probably took a bus to El Centro that night you talked to him, then crossed the border the next day."

  "So I'll never find him," I say.

  "Probably not. But Brock might. He knows Devon better than you do. I bet he could predict where he'd end up."

  "But Brock would never tell me. And I can't use the I-need-to-find-my-dad excuse anymore after telling Brock I know his secret."

  "You told him?"

  "I didn't tell you?"

  "No. When'd you tell him?"

  "Yesterday morning. He drove me to school and I blurted it out."

  "Why would you do that?"

  "It just came out. He was saying how he doesn't lie to me, which made me mad because it's another lie. I told him that and he asked for examples. I brought up my mom and how he had an affair with her, then I told him I know he's my dad."

  "What'd he say?"

  "Nothing. I got out of his car and left. I can't believe I didn't tell you this."

  "He hasn't said anything since you told him?"

  "We talked about it on the way to counseling. He said I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

  "Did he say why?"

  "Because it would hurt Trystan and Braden to know that he cheated on their mom. It's a lame excuse. I don't believe him. But we made a deal that if I keep his secret, he has to tell me everything that happened back then."

  "He's not going to do that. He either won't tell you or he'll make stuff up."

  "Maybe, but I'll at least be able to ask him questions."

  "The only person who might tell you the truth is Devon."

  "That's why I need to find him. I know we don't know where he is but could we drive to that town and just look around?"

  "We're not going to find him just driving around the town."

  "I still want to do it. I have this strong feeling he's still there. Please, Jackson. It's only two hours away and you said you'd help me try to find him."

  "I can't leave La Jolla. I'm out on bail. I'm not allowed to leave."

  I sigh. "That's right. I wasn't thinking about that."

  Roman appears again, not saying anything as he goes past us through the living room to the hall that leads to his bedroom.

  "I have to ask you something," I say in a low voice as Roman goes in his room and closes the door.

  "Go ahead."

  "It's about your dad. The guys at lunch said he's part of the mob, or connected with them somehow."

  Jackson laughs. "They're still spreading that rumor? I didn't think anyone talked about that anymore."

  "So it's not true?"

  "No. A tabloid put out that story to sell more copies when one of my dad's movies released. It was one of his biggest movies so he was getting a lot of press."

  "Why the mob? Why'd that pick that for a story?"

  "My dad did a movie about organized crime. A big budget crime thriller. When he was researching it, he went to Vegas and interviewed all these guys who claim to be part of the mob. The tabloid got photos of him going to dinner with some of them and used the photos to support their story. That was all they had for proof. My dad was going to sue for defamation but decided it wasn't worth it."

  "So it was all made up. I think Dante still believes it."

  "He's talking to you again?"

  "All the guys are. I'm back at their table."

  I tell Jackson what happened at lunch and how Braden got mad and left.

  Jackson laughs. "I wish I'd been there to see that."

  "Braden threatened me when I got home, saying he's going to tell the police he overheard us talking about killing Kristen."

  "The police would never believe him."

  "I know. I told him that." I open my backpack. "Okay, let's do this. I want to get it over with."

  We do homework for the next two yours. I need more like twenty hours to catch up but two is enough for today. I actually knew what I was I doing on the homework, which hasn't happened since I started at Twisted Pine. Having Jackson next to me helps me focus. My mind doesn't keep wandering to him because he's here, beside me. I love how he believes in me and wants me to do more than I think I can. Nobody's ever pushed me to do better. Even my mom didn't. She'd just tell me to have fun doing whatever I do.

  "Jackson, you're not ready," Roman says, raising his voice. "I told you we're leaving at six-thirty."

  Jackson checks the clock on the wall. It's six-twenty.

  "Shit." Jackson sets his laptop aside and jumps up from the couch. "Give me five minutes."

  "I'll see you later," I say as he races off.

  He hurries back and gives me a kiss. "I'll call you when I'm home."

  As I'm packing my backpack to leave, Roman comes up to me. "Has Brock dealt with the accusations against you?"

  "He talked to his lawyer." I zip up the backpack. "She said I didn't need to worr
y about it, at least not yet." I stand up, swinging my backpack over my shoulder. "I should get going."

  Roman walks me to the door. "We won't be back until late and Jackson needs his rest. He hasn't been sleeping well. I'm sure you understand."

  "Yeah." I force out a smile. "Bye."

  He doesn't want me coming over later. I thought he was okay with Jackson dating me but I think he changed his mind. I don't know what happened. Did I do something, or does he just not like me?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Later that night, around ten, Jackson calls. I tell him I'm spending the night at home, then realize I only did it because of his dad. Why am I listening to him? He can't tell me what to do. I should've just done what I wanted and stayed with Jackson.

  In the morning, Jackson calls as I'm getting ready. "I know you have to leave soon but I just wanted to call and say how much I missed you last night. You should've come over."

  "It was late and you sounded tired."

  "Not too tired to see you."

  "It feels awkward being there with your dad."

  "Wait until my mom shows up. She tends to make people uncomfortable."

  "Your mom's coming?"

  "I don't know yet. She's thinking about it."

  "Hey, what happened to your coach? You said he was coming by yesterday."

  "He texted me while we were studying. Said he'd be over today around noon. I'm looking forward to it. It's been less than a week but I already miss football. I wish I could play on Friday."

  "Braden's happy you're not playing. So are the other guys. They all think Legion will lose on Friday without you there."

  "That's their problem. They think one player can win them a game. They don't think like a team. And Braden's only made it worse. He has them convinced they can't win without him."

  "They won when he hurt his knee."

  "They'd already won that game before Braden left."

  "So you think Legion will win on Friday?"

  "Guarantee it. We don't give one player all the credit. I'm good, but I'm not the reason we win games. It's all of us together making it happen. Coach tells us that all the time. He doesn't stand for big egos. If one of us starts thinking we're better than someone else, he benches us until we get off our pedestal."

  "That would never happen at Twisted Pine."

  "That's one of the reasons I wanted out of there. I didn't like playing for a coach that let his players have the control. The Twisted Pine coach gives Braden way too much power."

  "Like this weekend, the coach scheduled a practice on Sunday because Braden demanded it."

  Jackson huffs. "Because he doesn't want them going to Jason's memorial."

  "You knew about that?"

  "His parents sent me an invite. I'd go but I can't leave town. I sent them a card."

  "I didn't know you were friends with Jason."

  "We weren't close but we were friends. We went to the same gym."

  Trystan bangs on my door. "I'm leaving!"

  "I have to go," I tell Jackson. "I have counseling tonight. I'll call you when I'm home."

  Racing out of my room, I run through the house to the outside and see Trystan pulling out of the driveway.

  "Dammit, Trystan!" I yell as I run to catch up with car, which is now driving down the street. "Trystan, stop!"

  The car comes to an abrupt halt and the door lock clicks open.

  I jump in, breathing hard from sprinting with a thirty-pound backpack. "This is getting really old. I wasn't even late."

  "You should be thanking me." He laughs. "You got your exercise for the day."

  "I'm serious. Why can't you just wait?"

  "It's not as fun."

  I wipe the sweat off my forehead as I catch my breath. "Now I'm all sweaty. Great way to start the day."

  "I have some deodorant in my bag." He points to it behind me. "It might have a few hairs on it but you can wipe them off."

  "Gross!" I shudder.

  "You going to the game on Friday?" he asks.

  "Probably. Are you giving me a ride?"

  "Not sure. Depends on if you annoy me that day."

  "That's a given. So I guess I need to find a ride."

  "You need to get your license."

  "That'll take over a year. I don't even have my permit."

  Talking about driving reminds me of the road trip I want to take. Jackson can't take me, but would Trystan? He'll tell me no but I have to ask.

  "What are you doing this weekend?" I ask.

  "Going to the gym. Some parties. Catching up on sleep. Why?"

  "If I offered to pay you to drive me somewhere, would you do it?"

  "Where are we talking about? The mall?"

  "No. Out of town. Like two hours from here."

  "Two hours?" He looks at me like I'm crazy. "What the hell? I'm not driving you two hours. What's two hours from here?"

  "El Centro. It's in California. Right next to Mexico."

  "Why do you want to go to a border town? If you're planning to flee the country, I can get you there a lot quicker. In about a half hour we'd be in Tijuana. An hour with traffic."

  "I need to go to El Centro, not Tijuana. And I'm not fleeing the country."

  "Then what are you doing?"

  "I need to talk to someone."

  "Who?"

  "I'm not telling you until you agree to do it. And when I tell you, you can't tell your dad. That's the deal."

  "There's no deal. I'm not doing it."

  "I'll pay you. How much do you want?"

  "I don't need your money. I have my own."

  "Then do it as a favor. It's the only favor I'll ever ask. I swear."

  He glances at me. "Who the hell would you be going to see in El Centro? You're not even from here. You don't know anyone."

  "Will you just think about it?"

  "No. I'm not taking you."

  "Trystan, I wouldn't be asking unless it was really important."

  He pulls up to the school parking lot, taking the space next to Braden's. As his brother, Trystan gets preferential parking.

  "It's your dad," he says, shutting the car off. "Devon's in El Centro?"

  "Maybe. I don't know. It's just a guess."

  "You want me to drive you two hours, not knowing if he's even there?"

  "I'm desperate to find him. He called me a few weeks ago and said he was leaving and couldn't talk to me again."

  "Like ever?" Trystan turns to me. "That doesn't sound like Uncle Devon. Was he drunk?"

  "No. All I know is he gave up his apartment in LA and took off to live somewhere else. He wouldn't say where but in the background I heard an announcement for El Centro, like he was at a bus station. He told me I was better off living with Brock than him and that he didn't want to talk to or see me ever again."

  "Shit, that's harsh. You just lost your mom. And now your dad tells you to get lost? You sure he wasn't on something?"

  "I think your dad is looking for him too. I heard him talking to someone and he mentioned El Centro." I grab Trystan's arm. "Don't tell your dad this. He doesn't want me finding Devon."

  "Devon? You mean your dad?"

  "Yeah." I let go of his arm. "Just think about it and let me know." I get out of the car, nervous after telling him that. I shouldn't have done it. I can't trust Trystan. He could turn on me and tell Brock what I said. Dammit. Why did I tell him?

  When I walk into school, I'm greeted by green and black streamers coming down from the ceiling. The walls are covered with green and black posters that read "Go Falcons!" and "Go Braden!"

  "Isn't it great?" Peyton says, coming up beside me. "The cheerleaders decided we needed to do more to support the team so we decorated the halls. We're going to do it before every game."

  "The game isn't until Friday."

  "We're getting people excited." She steps in front of me. "You're coming, right? To the game?"

  "Probably not," I say, realizing I have no reason to go. Jackson said he didn't need me spying on t
he team anymore and I've given up trying to get on Braden's good side, so why would I go?

  "You HAVE to go," Peyton says. "To support Braden."

  "I think he has enough support," I say, looking at all the posters with Braden's name. I don't see any other names. Just Braden's. It's like Jackson said. The Twisted Pine football team isn't a team but a person. The other players are just there to support him.

  "Why isn't anyone else on the posters?" I ask. "Braden isn't the only one playing on Friday."

  "But Braden's the star. He'll win us the game, like he always does."

  "He throws the ball. If someone didn't catch it, we wouldn't win, so Braden alone can't win us the game."

  "You know what I mean," she says, twirling her hair. "I have to go to class but you're going to the game. You can sit with me!" She walks off.

  "You're not cheering?" I yell through the crowded hall.

  She turns back and frowns, rubbing her head. "Migraine."

  "It's Wednesday. It'll be gone by—" I don't finish. She can't hear me, and as soon as I said it, I realized her migraine is another made-up illness so she won't have to cheer. If she doesn't like cheerleading, why did she try out?

  Someone shoves my arm. "See that?"

  I look back and see Braden pointing at a poster that has his name on it.

  "They love me," he says. "I own the school and everyone here, including you. Don't even try to fucking challenge me like you did yesterday."

  I whip around to face him. "You don't own me. And I'll sit wherever I want."

  "I don't give a fuck where you sit. But you do something like that again, I'll put you in your place."

  "Which is where? Bowing at your feet?" I roll my eyes.

  "To start. Yeah." He laughs. "Actually, I'd like to see that."

  "Too bad because it's never happening."

  Before he can say anything else, I walk away and go to my locker. As I'm opening it, Alyssa comes up beside me.

  "I was wondering if you're going to Kristen's service on Saturday. Kade bailed on me. We broke up. Again."

  "Sorry."

  She shrugs. "I'm sure we'll get back together. So can you go or not? It's at two."

  "I can't show up there. Her dad named me as a suspect."

  "Oh. Yeah. I can't believe he did that."

  "You can't? You mean, you don't believe him?"