Caught Between Worlds (The In-Betweens Book 3)

by Alison L. Perry

  In my haste to put as much distance as possible between Kade’s house and me, I kept my eyes trained on the rearview mirror. My heartbeat slowed down only to ratchet up again at the sound of a long, piercing horn. I flicked my gaze back to the road and jerked the wheel to the right, narrowly missing a car coming from the other direction. The horn was still blaring until I realized it was me, screaming in one long wail. My panic grew while my vision dimmed, and everything blurred together in a frightening blob of gray. I couldn’t tell if I was still moving or screaming or crying. I tried to fight, to stay conscious, to pull myself back. But it was too much. The gray turned to black and then there was nothing at all.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  A bee buzzed in my ear. A big fat bumblebee with angry wings. I pushed my eyelids open and swiped at the air beside my head, but it persisted. Bzzz… bzzz… bzzz. I blinked and tried to understand how a bee had gotten inside my car. Wait, why was I asleep in my car? My confusion zipped into panic and I sat up to look where I was. The colossal lawns and old houses of a neighborhood stared back at me. I didn’t live here. Nobody I knew lived here. Where was I? Why couldn’t I remember what happened?

  The bee started his angry buzz again. I followed the sound to my jacket on the seat next to me. Realization flickered on like a light bulb. I pulled my ringing phone out of the pocket and checked the caller ID. Molly.

  Suddenly, it all rushed back. Kade’s house. His creepy grandmother. My brush with death. I shivered, cold in the knowledge I could have easily died today if Kade hadn’t saved me.

  I clicked “Accept call,” but before I could say anything, Molly’s voice screeched through the earpiece.

  “Sadie! Where the hell are you? Are you there?” I heard muffled voices in the background and wondered who else was panicking over my whereabouts. “Sadie!”

  “I’m here, Molly. Calm down. You’re gonna break my eardrum.”

  “Oh my God, Sadie. Where are you? Are you okay?”

  I thought about how to answer that. I didn’t know where I was. And the question of whether I was okay or not was a subjective nightmare.

  “Sadie!”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. But I’m not sure where I am.”

  “What does that mean? How can you not know?” Suspicion coupled with fear crept into her tone. She was going to be so mad when I told her how I’d spent the afternoon, so I changed the subject.

  “Who’s there with you?”

  “Your dad and Harper. Oh, and Cam.”

  “Cam!” I struggled for air. “What is he doing with you. Why is he there?”

  Molly’s usual snarkiness returned in force. “Well, you have gone missing and people sorta care about that.”

  Missing? “I’ve only been gone a little while, Mol. I’m sorry I didn’t tell y’all where I went, but it’s complicated.”

  “A little while? You call over twenty-four hours a little while?”

  What?

  Her voice interrupted the panic flooding through me. “Come home and we’ll talk about it. And you’d better think of a good excuse for Cam because he’s going nuts with worry. You can tell us what really happened after he leaves.”

  My stomach clenched. I’d been asleep in my car for a day? In the middle of a neighborhood I’d never seen? Was I even in Jefferson anymore?

  “Molly.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I honestly don’t know where I am. I don’t recognize the area. I’m not even sure I’m still in town.”

  She exhaled long and slow. “What does it look like?”

  I scanned the houses surrounding me. “It’s a neighborhood. Not one I’ve ever seen.”

  I could almost hear the rolling of her eyes. “Details, Sadie. I need details.”

  “Small houses, kinda old looking. Not much to it, really.” I scanned the area again. “They’re big lots. Lots of space between houses.”

  Molly’s voice was strained. “I don’t think there are any neighborhoods like that in Jefferson.” She paused. “Why on earth would you not be in Jefferson? What happened?”

  I was getting annoyed at the repeated question. “Judging by the fact I can’t remember anything about how I got here, I can’t answer that.” I started the car with the keys still dangling from the ignition and sighed in relief it wasn’t dead. I carefully made my way down the street, looking for anything familiar that would jog my memory. But it was a complete blank.

  “Molly, I’m gonna drive around until I can figure out where I am. I’ll call you back.”

  A heavy sigh from her end told me how irritated she was. “All right, but don’t take too long calling me back. Everyone here is worried sick and we’re not above calling for a search party.”

  “Don’t be dramatic. I’m fine. I’ll call you in a few minutes.” I hung up without waiting for a response. In truth, I was scared out of my mind, but I didn’t want Molly or anyone else to know it. It would worry them further and the guilt that I was the reason we were all in this mess in the first place was killing me.

  I drove through the streets, turning at random intersections, looking for a store or sign or anything that would indicate where I was. It was turning dark, my stomach growled, and my throat burned with thirst. Guess I was out of it for as long as Molly said. I shivered at the implications of that knowledge. How had I gotten to an entirely different town and why was I asleep in the car? And most importantly, why couldn’t I remember any of it? I glanced at my hands gripping the wheel and noticed the vein shadows slipping up my arms. I needed blood.

  I turned right again and found myself on what looked to be Main Street. I passed a small grocery store, bank, and two churches before I was heading out of town and found what I was searching for. The Linden City Limit sign was a beacon, instantly lowering my blood pressure and calming my nerves. Linden was only about twelve miles from Jefferson. I wasn’t far from home. The question of why and how I got there still gnawed at me, but I pushed it to the back of my mind as I sped my way to familiar territory.

  The drive was quick and soon I was maneuvering Big Blue to my house. I mentally practiced what to say with Cam still there. It would be difficult to lie to him effectively about something this big. A sudden wave of fatigue washed over me. I didn’t want to lie to him anymore. It wasn’t right in so many ways. Only two things had kept me from spilling my guts so far. The fear he might get spooked and hightail it as far away from me as possible, which would break my heart, and the fear he’d be put in harm’s way if Kade’s family or any of the Firsts had an inkling he knew anything. It would utterly destroy me. Those two thoughts stiffened my resolve to stay mute and hurry him out of my house once I got there. I’d have to come up with a convincing story to feed him later. Guilt tried to push its way up my throat, but I swallowed it. It had to be this way.

  Every light in the house was blazing when I pulled into the driveway. A face was peering out the window and when I turned the car off, I heard a loud shriek inside the house. Seconds later, the front door flew open and people spilled out, rushing to me like a fast-moving wave.

  My dad scooped me up into a hug like he used to do when I was little. I snuggled into him for a second, feeling safe for the first time in a long while. My mom was hovering around us, touching my leg, my arm, smoothing my hair. She didn’t say anything, but tears glistened in her eyes. Behind her stood Nate, the twins, Molly, Harper, and Cam. I focused on Cam’s face and my heart sank at what I saw. His jaw was clenched, a muscle working furiously in his cheek. Desperate questions pooled in his eyes. Questions I’d have to field at some point. Questions I wanted and didn’t want to answer. His lips were drawn thin and the overall mask of worry he wore nearly undid me. I mouthed “I love you” at him and was flooded with joy when he returned it with a smile. A worried smile, but a smile nonetheless.

  Dad finally released me and suddenly everyone was talking at once. But Mom’s voice stood out over everyone else’s.

  “Let’s get you inside.”

  I smiled with r
elief and gratefully followed her into the house. She sat me on the couch and wrapped a blanket around me. “Do you need some blood pills” she whispered softly into my ear. I nodded and she left for the kitchen with instructions to the rest to help her get drinks. The room cleared out as they all trooped to the kitchen, leaving me alone with Cam.

  He studied me from head to toe and I grew warm under his gaze. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “Are you okay?”

  How do I answer that?

  Scared I’d let it all out if I spoke, I simply nodded. But he didn’t give up.

  “I want to hear you say you’re okay.” The faint command unlocked something deep inside me. He was worried and I didn’t blame him. If I were in his shoes, I’d be demanding an explanation, too. And truth was, he deserved it. I struggled as I tried to drum up the courage to come clean. He watched me, undoubtedly sensing my internal debate, but he didn’t speak. He just waited.

  “Cam… I… I haven’t told you everything about me.”

  “Clearly.” The word was one of frustration, but his voice was calm. Taking that as a good sign, I took a huge breath and cautiously moved ahead.

  “I’m different from most of the kids at school.” I felt reassured at his nod and plunged on. “You’ve lived here all your life, right?” Another nod. “Have you ever seen anything… weird? Something that didn’t quite seem right?”

  He was slow to answer. While I waited, I glanced toward the kitchen and saw everyone staring at me. When they saw me notice, they scattered and suddenly I could hear cabinets banging and silverware being pushed around. I sighed with relief. Not one of them was stopping me from telling. Maybe during the time I was missing, they’d seen how concerned Cam was and decided he could be trusted with our secret. Or maybe they figured it’d be too hard to keep him in the dark.

  Cam’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “I may have seen some things over the years I thought were odd.” He looked me up and down again. “Are you going to tell me I was right?”

  I whooshed out a breath. He’d noticed things and I was grateful for it. It would make telling him I was a vampire or half-vampire or whatever I was, easier.

  “Yes, Cam. You’re right. This town isn’t normal.” I paused, struggling for the words. “And I’m not normal, either.”

  His chocolaty eyes were warm on mine. “I knew you were special the second I saw you.” He rushed on. “I know that sounds cheesy, and I don’t mean, like, I fell in love with you on the spot.” Smile lines crinkled around his eyes. “But it didn’t take long.”

  I melted. I mean, what girl wouldn’t? He moved closer to me and I leaned into his warm, lean body. He snaked an arm around me and squeezed me close. The sudden movement sent a sharp streak of pain down my arm and I yelped.

  “What is it? Did I squeeze too hard?” He’d tensed up when I cried out and was once again giving me a head-to-toe once-over.

  “My arm. It hurts, but I don’t know why.”

  At that moment, everyone appeared in the doorway. Mom and Harper held trays with drinks and snacks. Molly had a huge jug of lemonade in her hands.

  “What’s wrong, Sadie? We heard you in the kitchen.”

  “I don’t know. Cam hugged me gently, but my arm… it’s throbbing.” I thought back to when I was on my hands and knees in Kade’s yard throwing up. My arm had been hurting then, too, but at the time it seemed to blend in with the general feeling of being an inch away from death.

  Mom put her tray down and came over to me. Cam moved to the other side of me so she could do her inspection. She pushed up the sleeve of my sweatshirt and examined the aching limb. When Mom sucked in a breath, my heart plummeted.

  “What, Mom? What is it?” I tried to see what she’d found, but she was looking at the back of my arm. I twisted so I could see better, but she held me firm.

  “Michael, come look at this.”

  Dad strode over and peered at my arm. His teeth clenched. “What the hell did you do, Sadie? You have a puncture mark back here. One made from a needle. There are red streaks down your arm, too. When did this happen?”

  Everything clicked. Kade’s grandmother. She’d been holding something and I’d bet it was a syringe. She must have injected me as Kade and I passed by her. Maybe she hadn’t been too slow, after all. I was certain that was the reason I’d blacked out in my car. The only question remaining was who drove me to Linden? And why did they leave me there?

  Everyone looked at me expectantly. Molly huffed with impatience, and even Harper was frowning as she waited for me to speak. I sighed and waved at everyone to sit down.

  “Okay, first I don’t want to hear ‘I told you so’ until I finish the whole story.” I looked directly at Molly and she raised her eyebrows at me. I stared her down until she threw her hands up in defeat.

  “All right, all right, I’ll keep my mouth shut until you’re done.”

  “Thank you.” I turned to look at Cam. “What you’re going to hear may be difficult to process. I’ll under… stand”—my breath hitched—“if you decide to run for the hills.” I hoped, desperately hoped, he wouldn’t.

  The look on his face encouraged me. “Sadie, I promise I’m not going anywhere. Just tell us what happened. I can take it.”

  Hoping he was right, I took a deep breath and started. “I went to Kade’s house this afternoon.” Molly and Harper made distressed sounds and Molly opened her mouth to speak. I held up one finger. “Remember what I said.” She shut her mouth, but the look on her face clearly said, “We’ll be talking about this later.” Cam’s hands were clenched into fists and I wanted so badly to calm him. Deciding it was time for a Hail Mary, I pulled my energy inward and released it toward him. My Persuasion was always so-so, but it seemed to work this time. His body relaxed and he watched me calmly. Thank God.

  Mom and Dad looked confused. “Who is Kade?”

  Oh man, I forgot I’d never told them about my brief fling with Kade. This was a more complicated conversation than I’d thought.

  “When I was in University, I met this boy. Kade Anderson. And we connected… I guess you could call us a couple. It was the only thing that got me through those awful months.”

  My dad interrupted. “Anderson? As in the Andersons?”

  “Yes.”

  His eyes widened and Mom silently opened her mouth a few times. I used their surprise to my advantage and kept talking.

  “When I left University and started at Jefferson High, he got a little creepy. He was more aggressive and his personality changed toward Molly. Warning bells went off, so I kept my distance from him. Anyway, to make a long story short, he tried to warn me about the explosion at the school, but I wouldn’t listen. At last, when we did talk, he told me it wasn’t him, but he knew who was responsible. He wouldn’t say anything more after that.”

  Cam took in a deep breath. “So… based on what you’re saying, someone is trying to hurt you? On purpose?”

  “Not just hurt me. Kill me. And Harper and Molly. And a lot more people.”

  His lips tightened into an almost horizontal line. It reminded me of a cartoon character, and for the briefest moment, I wanted to laugh. It passed when I thought about how much information he was being asked to absorb at one time. And we haven’t even hit the big stuff yet.

  Everyone was quiet as he searched for words. In a husky voice, he finally asked the question I’d been dreading.

  “Why?”

  There was no way of easing into it. So, I decided to be blunt. “Because a part-vampire, part-human experiment went terribly wrong.”

  Every muscle in his body tensed. I could literally see him fighting the urge to back away from me. I tried Persuading him again, but his agitation was too strong for me to penetrate it. I sighed, partly at my inability to do basic vampire things and partly because it broke my heart to see him in such a panic.

  “Cam, I’m the same person I’ve always been. I won’t hurt you.”

  “You’re a vampire.”

 
“Half-vampire,” I corrected. “I’m also part human.” I waited to see if it calmed him down any. His shoulders relaxed slightly and I took it as a good sign. “If you’re willing to stay… to hear me out… I’d like to explain it all to you. Together. Just the two of us.”

  He must have heard the plea in my voice. Our eyes met and I tried to convey in that moment all the feelings I had for him, all the confidence he needed that I wouldn’t hurt him, all the right answers to the questions I knew were crowding his mind. I willed him to say yes. Yes to staying with me, yes to everything. I held my breath, waiting for him to speak.

  He broke our gaze and looked around the room. Everyone nodded, silently saying they could be trusted. He was safe here. Nothing had changed.

  “Okay. I-I believe you. But I want to hear all of it. I need to.”

  “I promise I’ll tell you everything and answer any questions you have.” My smile was a combination of joy and relief. He returned it, and in that second, it felt like everything would work out. No matter how difficult the conversation might be, in the end it was going to be okay. My smile grew bigger.

  “Okay, now that the lovebirds have gotten that out of the way, tell us why you were at Kade’s house and what happened.” Molly frowned and kept clicking her nails together.

  Harper looked only a little less agitated. My parents were nodding and even Nate and the twins had expectant looks on their faces. The only one in the room who looked displeased I was there was Harry the Cat. He lay on the arm of the couch, irritably flicking his tail now and then. Part of me wanted to push him off, but I squashed the urge. The fight with Sophia wasn’t worth it.

  “Harper, Cam… this will be hard for you to hear.”