Caught Between Worlds (The In-Betweens Book 3)

by Alison L. Perry

  A heavy silence filled the car. I had no idea Molly was carrying all that inside her. When I heard what I meant to her, my heart swelled, filling to the brim. Knowing it deep inside was one thing, but hearing and seeing her emotional storm was totally different. In that moment, we were experiencing similar fears and I felt all the closer to her for it.

  “You’re not going to lose me and I’m not going to lose you. Period. I couldn’t go on without my Molly by my side.” I teared up a little and so did she when she saw it.

  “Don’t!” she exclaimed. “Don’t get me started again. I can’t take it. We need to lighten the mood.”

  I opened my purse and took out something covered in a napkin. I unwrapped it and held it up, revealing one of the cupcakes Harper’s mom had made. “Wanna bite? I have pie, too.” And I dug around and pulled out another wad of napkins.

  That did it. We cracked up. We were crying again, but this time with hilarity.

  “I… can’t believe you… sneaked that out… in your purse!” Molly howled, doubling over and holding her side. “What are you, a walking dessert shop?”

  My stomach hurt and my cheeks were sore, but I couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of what I’d done. We were making such a ruckus that a light went on at our neighbor’s house and I saw Mr. Crumpus peering out his living room window.

  “Shh. We gotta stop. My neighbor is watching.”

  We stifled our giggles and did what we could to calm down. I hadn’t had a laugh like that in a while and it felt so good. Between the heavy talk with Molly and the giddiness of the laughing fit, I was exhausted. With a yawn, I gave Molly’s hand a squeeze. “Thank you for letting me share, and more importantly, for sharing with me. I’m glad to know your fears so I can do my best to calm them.”

  Her eyes glistened. “Right back at ya, babe.”

  I giggled and opened the door. “Be safe going home and to University later.”

  She waved a hand at me dismissively. “I’ll be fine. And I may skip school tonight. I feel like curling up with a good book or something instead.”

  “Okay. Have fun. I’ll talk to you later?”

  “You got it!”

  I slammed the car door behind me and waved at Mr. Crumpus who was still watching. He hastily closed the blinds and I laughed softly to myself before going inside.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  In keeping with my mystery stalker’s MO, he was quiet again. Thanks to the party at Harper’s, I’d had a brief respite from thinking about it for a day. But it didn’t last long and before we knew it, we were moving in groups and looking over our shoulders every five minutes. The silence made us even more nervous. Every time I left the house, every time I turned a corner, I braced myself for another whispered warning. I took comfort in having Harper and Cam with me at school. But I worried about Molly, alone at University with only Kade in the know about what was happening. And he’d certainly made his point that he wouldn’t be stepping in to intervene anytime soon. Each time I thought about it, I got more furious at him. What was his deal, anyway? If it came to it, would he simply stand by and watch as the stalker murdered Molly or any of us right in front of him?

  I’d made it a point not to mention any of the new events to my parents. Worrying them would do nothing to help. They asked every now and then, but their relief was palpable whenever I told them nothing further had happened. To be honest, I don’t think they wanted to delve much deeper than that. And though I probably should have been more upset about their detachment, it did make things easier. They still held me to getting home straight from school, but that was about it. Otherwise, they didn’t talk about it. And neither did my brother or the twins. The longer it went on, the stronger I felt like a true outsider to my own family.

  “They love you,” Molly had said when I mentioned it to her again during one of our marathon movie days. “They don’t know how to deal with this. Besides, they’re vampires. Feelings are hard for them. Even as parents. They love us, sure. But, as a rule, our species isn’t the lovey-dovey type, ya know? As much as I despise saying it, it’s why Kade is so disengaged, too.” She shrugged. “But he’s still a creep for it.”

  “Then how do you explain you and me?” I’d asked. “Why do you love me as much as you do if vampires aren’t capable of it?”

  “Well, dah-ling,” she drawled out, “I’m an exception to all the rules.” She blew a fake puff of smoke from a fake cigarette and I remember laughing at her exaggerated old movie star act.

  ***

  When we returned to school from our quick Thanksgiving break, Maddie was there. My happiness at having her with us again canceled out the emotional letdown I’d had since Thanksgiving ended. She looked a lot healthier than she had a week ago. Her skin was bright with a healthy glow. Not a bruise was left on her skin, and it was clear she’d been eating better because the gauntness in her cheeks was gone. If you hadn’t known she was in such bad shape before, you’d swear she’d never had a sick or unhealthy day in her life.

  We were at lunch, celebrating her return with homemade cupcakes and trying to get her caught up. Boone was with her, too, feeding her little bites of cake and looking, well, infatuated. For the first time, it struck me as a wee bit creepy how devoted he was to her. But I kept my mouth shut because nobody else seemed bothered by it.

  “Maddie, there’s talk of doing a Secret Santa gift exchange for Christmas. You in?”

  “Am I in? Of course, I’m in! Boone, too.”

  “Okay,” said Harper, “but you have to swear to me that y’all don’t pick each other’s names. I mean it! Pinky swear.” She held her little finger out to Maddie and they shook pinkies, ending with a kiss on their hands to seal the deal. She turned to look at me.

  “We have no intention, I swear!” I said, gesturing between Cam and me. She looked like she didn’t believe us for a second, but then she relaxed and grinned.

  “Don’t forget Molly.”

  Harper gave me a stern look. “Like I would ever do that.”

  I grinned with a burst of love for our eclectic little group.

  “So, I’ll make the drawing bucket and supplies tonight and we can draw names tomorrow, right here.”

  We reached out our glasses, milk cartons, and water bottles to cheer each other. Others in the cafeteria glanced over at us. I saw Kitty and Angie still death-glaring at me. Carmen was sitting in the middle of the room holding court. I watched for her reaction, but she gave none. Which, in my opinion, meant she was going out of her way to ignore my friends and me. It was a bit of a turn from my last literal run-in with her, which made me even more suspicious of her.

  What was Golden Girl up to?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  True to her word, Harper brought the supplies and we drew our Secret Santas a few days later. I pulled Boone, which I figured was the easiest one. All I had to do was give him something Maddie-related. Piece of cake. I sneaked a peek at Cam’s slip of paper. He had Molly. I could give him some solid pointers that would make her day and make it easy on him. Everyone else was making a big show of hiding their papers and trying to divert attention to everyone else.

  Although I’d finished eating, I was still unsatisfied. A small ache was developing in the back of my throat and I immediately recognized it as a desire for fresh blood. The thirst intensified rapidly. I went from not thinking about blood at all to being sure I would die if I didn’t drink from someone right then. I hated this new need, sporadic as it was.

  Despising myself, I found Cam’s hand under the table and squeezed it. He looked at me and I gave a little motion indicating I wanted to leave. Without saying a word, he pushed back his chair and stood, pulling me with him.

  “Excuse us, guys. We forgot we had to talk to Mrs. Stratha before class.” I almost choked at his excuse. Harper was staring at me. I knew that look. I’d be answering questions later, from probably not only her but Molly, too. Harper already had her phone out, fingers flying over the keyboard. I groaned a little. Was th
is worth it?

  Yes, it was.

  I pulled Cam into the courtyard and over to the bushes lining the building.

  “Hey, what’s wrong? Why are we out here?”

  I bowed my head, too ashamed of what I was about to ask of him.

  “Sadie. Look at me.”

  I did as he asked. His lips turned down in a frown and the area beneath his eyes was etched with concern. Before he could say anything, I blurted out my request. “I hate asking you this, and I’ll understand if you say no, but I’m extremely thirsty and craving you. I mean, your blood.” I finished in a rush, looking somewhere at his chin. I couldn’t bear to see his disappointment. But he didn’t push me away. He didn’t say “gross.” He was completely still. I sneaked a peek from underneath my lashes to see what he was doing. To my surprise, he was rolling up one sleeve of his black long-sleeved T-shirt. I felt guilty as I stared at his wrist. I could see faint marks from where my teeth had bit into him before. But craving took its place and it was all I could do to stay still and wait for him to offer.

  He turned me so that I was positioned nearest the back field of the school property and his back was to the glass doors and windows facing the courtyard. Gently, he pushed me against the brick, so the majority of my body was hidden by his.

  He held his wrist up.

  I popped my fangs without thinking, my eyes on the warm skin being offered to me. I brought his arm to my mouth and grazed it with my lips. His familiar smell assaulted my senses, driving me crazy with need. The second I broke his skin, my eyes shut and my mouth flooded with his sweet taste. Like before, a primal desire took over and I was drinking as if I intended to drain him completely. I squeezed his arm tighter, holding it to my mouth as I fed on his life force.

  This time, I couldn’t stop when I felt his weak struggles to pull away. He was gasping and moaning like before, but there was an urgency about his flailing. I realized I’d gone too far. I was hurting him. Oh God, I was hurting him! Panicked, I focused all my energy to retract my fangs and release his arm. I was fighting against an ingrained instinct, fighting to get myself under control and it scared me. When I pushed away from him at last, I was horrified at the fear on his face.

  “Oh m… Cam. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  He gripped his wrist to try to staunch the flow of blood. His face was pale. I reached a hand out but didn’t touch him. What had I done? What in the hell had I done to the person I loved?

  I had to get away from him. Never touch him again. I didn’t trust myself anymore. I’d behaved exactly the way I feared most.

  And Cam was suffering the consequences.

  I backed away, stepping farther into the grass before I turned and ran. My head was empty of all thought, but a screaming echoed in my soul. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know what to do next. But I was positive I had to get as far away as possible so I couldn’t hurt anyone else.

  ***

  “Dammit!”

  I pounded the steering wheel and cursed some more, anger and a sliver of fear coursing through me. “Stupid, stupid car!” I screamed to the blue emptiness. My voice bounced around for a second before the sheer darkness outside swallowed it up.

  My heart rate jumped, skittering along like a spider seeking shelter while I thought about my options. I didn’t have many. I wouldn’t call Cam and put him in more harm’s way by being near me. If he would even come in the first place. I wouldn’t blame him if he never wanted to see me again. I tried Harper. No answer. Next, I tried Molly, but her phone rang through to her voice mail. My thoughts landed briefly on Maddie, but she was sure to be out with Boone and I refused to even think about tearing them away from each other. I even texted Pen on the off-chance she was out of hiding or free from whatever had kept her missing all this time. But she didn’t reply, either.

  That left walking. I shivered slightly. It wasn’t that I was too far away to walk home; I had hit the outskirts of town where buildings and homes were sparse. But it was definitely not a good idea to be alone and unarmed on a moonless, gloomy night… especially with a maniac stalker guy on the loose trying to kill me and all.

  I debated with myself. Heading out on foot was risky. On the other hand, my vampire senses and strength had obviously been growing. I thought briefly of my feeding frenzy on Cam, but then forced it out of my mind. The only good thing from this afternoon’s debacle was discovering I wasn’t as helpless as I used to be six months ago. Surely, if I moved fast and stuck to the trees lining the road, I could get home without being seen.

  Grumbling, I gathered my bag into my arms and opened the door. The old hinges squawked and I jumped slightly at the loudness of it. I kept forgetting about the old car’s creakiness. I took a deep breath and waited for my heartbeat to slow down. When I was a calmer and my courage had returned, I swung my feet out and stood straight and tall. Furrowing my brows, I turned in a circle, glowering at the shadows as though I was telling them they should be scared of me. Optimism tiptoed through my body—until I heard the low whisper. It was so quiet a normal human wouldn’t be able to hear it, but to me, it might as well have been a gunshot crackling through the air. I froze, turning all my attention to the hidden threat lurking nearby.

  “Hello, Sadie.”

  I didn’t recognize it, nor could I even tell if it was male or female, not that it mattered. Whether or not I knew them, they seemed to know me. Goose bumps prickled my arms and legs and I quivered with a tiny ripple of fear. Like a rabbit, I stood unmoving, my eyes and ears searching for the person stalking me. But even with my superior eyesight, I couldn’t see anyone.

  After a few moments of deafening silence, I sucked in a breath and took another step.

  “It’s a nice night for a walk.”

  This time I could hear the deeper tone. It was a guy. Every fiber of my being said it was The Guy—the skulking figure taunting me from the hospital parking lot, Mr. Baker’s Drugstore, the park. A bubble of part panic and part hysteria welled up in my throat, but I choked it down. I didn’t want him to know I was rattled. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

  “That’s kind of a cliché thing to say.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I was being reckless, but it suddenly didn’t matter. What the heck am I doing? Crap! Crap! I let my bag fall to the ground, clenched my fists, and steadied my feet in the dirt. I was ready to fight whatever came my way. My breath hitched, adrenaline pumping through me so fast I thought I’d explode if I didn’t do something. To my own shock, I heard myself taunt him. “C’mon, you’ve gotta have something better than that.”

  A chuckle snaked its way through the air toward me, but from a different direction. He had moved but still didn’t seem willing to show himself.

  What the hell. “Are you afraid to show your face? Is that why you’re stalking me?” My goading words were louder than I’d meant, startling something on the ground by my feet. It scurried over my shoe and into the underbrush, forcing a yelp out of me and exposing my fake bravado.

  “No, I’m not afraid. Just enjoying your attempts at intimidating me when you’re clearly scared of your own shadow.” That low laugh again. “You tend to do that a lot.”

  I inhaled sharply. There it was. Proof it was him and he’d been watching us the whole time. The wind kicked up a little and rustled my hair at the nape. The light movement of it against my skin almost felt like soft fingers. I pushed down the urge to scream.

  As if reading my mind, he continued. “Yes, I’ve been watching you. Even when you thought you were safe, I was watching.” A cold chill dribbled down my spine when he dropped his voice even lower. Despite the barely there whisper, it thundered in my ears. “You were so worried about Harper and Maddie on Homecoming night. So, so worried. I could see you struggling to keep it together, Sadie.”

  Each time he said my name sounded more ominous than the last. The mere sound of his voice put my nerves on edge, and I shifted my feet slightly. My fingers ached from the tight fists I still
held. If one of us didn’t make a move soon, I’d pass out from the stress. I flicked my eyes around the shadows and gasped as they landed on a figure that hadn’t been there a second before.

  He was taller than I thought he’d be. At least six foot. As I studied him, I had a strong sense of déjà vu. I tried to put my finger on it and then quickly identified him as the same guy who was with Carmen when she appeared at school. His caramel hair, matching eyes, causal yet careful stance. Yep, it was him. And since Kade had all but confirmed this stranger was also the one watching us at the hospital, I put the puzzle pieces together. I was looking at the guy responsible for the danger my friends and I were in. We were face-to-face. My heart pounded faster and faster until it sounded in my ears like the long monotone beep of a heart monitor flatlining.

  Again, as if he’d taken over my thoughts, he said, “Did you know people give off a scent when they’re afraid? Just like animals. I can smell it.” His lips turned up at the corners and I stared at them as he smiled at me. “I can smell you. And, my sweet Sadie, you smell very… very, good.”

  Horror crawled through me like a snake slithering beneath my skin, yet a spark of tingles exploded at the nape of my neck. Strangely, they weren’t warning tingles, but rather the good kind of tingles you get when something or someone appealing has your attention. My eyes lost focus as a different kind of buzzing started in my ears. I couldn’t tear my gaze from his mouth and I felt myself sway on the verge of losing my balance. Was I… was I feeling… attraction for him? I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs that had suddenly formed in my brain, trying to toss him out of my head. No! No, I wouldn’t let this creep Persuade me.