Ever Lost (Secret Affinity Book 2)

by Melissa MacVicar

  After school, I texted Charlie.

  Me: Fraser has a meeting, so I’m going to his house.

  Charlie: Jade, don’t!

  Me: I have to. This might be my only chance. Taking my phone. Will call when I’m done.

  Charlie: Why are you so stubborn?

  Me: Love u

  I walk casually by the office to make sure there really is a meeting. The headmaster’s door is shut, so I can only assume Fraser is in there. I sprint up the back stairs then stroll past Fraser’s office. The door is closed. I go down to the end of the hall. No one appears, so I turn around and go back to the office. After looking both ways, I try the handle. Locked.

  Crap! I decide to try his house. I head back downstairs, through the empty cafeteria, and outside. Almost everyone is at sports, so I don’t run into anyone. I have to cross the driveway leading to the back parking lot and the gym. That will be when I’m most vulnerable to being seen. Someone looking out the library windows could spy me. So I break into a trot, heading for the cover of the trees that surround Fraser’s bungalow. When I get there, I look back up at the picture windows in the library, wondering if anyone is watching. I don’t see anyone, and no one is coming up the access road, so I take the steps to his porch.

  My feet sound loud, even though I’m practically tiptoeing. I decide to knock just in case anyone is in there, like a friend or a sister or an appropriate-aged girlfriend. My pulse pounds in my ears. I rap twice—short, quick bursts of noise. No one answers. I wait several more seconds before I try the knob. It’s locked.

  I look around for a logical place for the key to be hidden. I lift the edge of the doormat. Nothing. A potted plant stands to the left of the door. I move it to the side. Nothing.

  I head down the steps and around the house to the back door. I try the knob. It turns. It’s a do-or-die moment. Maybe the datebook isn’t even here. If Fraser catches me in his house, I’ll have a lot of explaining to do. Even so, I decide to go inside. I need to do it for Avery. I have to find some kind of proof.

  The back door opens into the kitchen. A dirty coffee cup and a plate full of crumbs sit on the counter. The cabinets are a shabby oak, dented and dingy, from years of bachelor teachers neglecting them. Mateo told me it was just a regular black datebook, so I figure I’ll recognize it easily. I pull open every drawer in the kitchen. I don’t find it, so I head into the living room. He must work at the dining table because it’s strewn with student papers and books—art, history, and even music.

  I examine the stuff on the table, being careful not to disturb anything. No datebook. I realize that it’s probably tucked away somewhere personal, like in his bedroom.

  I skulk down the hallway, stepping softly even though there’s nobody here. A bathroom is on the right, and there’s a bedroom to the left. A bathrobe lies across the bed, and the comforter is rumpled.

  I enter the bedroom, deciding to go for the nightstands first. In the first drawer, I find a bunch of art magazines and a Playboy at the bottom of the stack. Ew. The second nightstand drawer contains a couple of receipts and some power cords. The bureau is tall and sleek, like something from Ikea. The top drawer holds a stack of white T-shirts and some neatly folded boxers. I feel around under them. My hand brushes against something that feels like a tablet. The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and my heart races as I pull it out. He wouldn’t put his tablet in his underwear drawer unless he had something to hide.

  I hit the Home key with a shaking finger. I groan softly when the screen lights up with a request for a password. I can’t just give up. I have to at least try to guess it. The things Fraser loves the most are Ruben, teen girls, and wrestling. The password box has four slots, so I try the first four letters of these.

  Rube. Fail.

  Wres. Fail.

  Teen. Fail.

  Then I try my dad’s favorite, ABCD. Goosebumps flare my arms as the screen unlocks.

  I tap the Pictures icon and begin scrolling. After a few that look like vacation scenery photos, I find nude selfies of teen girls. I gape at the screen. There’s probably a treasure trove of evidence on here. Those pictures will get him fired, at the very least, and there might even be something about Avery that would make the police reopen the investigation.

  My mind swirls with ideas, but I know I should just get out of here now and figure out what to do with the tablet later. I shove the underwear drawer shut and head back to the living room. I stop and peer out the front windows. I don’t see anyone, but it’s probably still safer to use the back door. Then it will look as though I’m just coming off the path from the pond instead of fleeing after breaking into Fraser’s house.

  I make sure to pull the door shut tight behind me. When I turn to descend the steps, Fraser appears from around the corner of the house.

  We both freeze. Then, his eyes drop to the tablet clutched in my hand.

  Jade

  Chapter 25

  “Jade?” He scowls at me. “What are you doing?”

  I try to think fast. I had a plan in mind in case this happened, a plausible excuse about looking for him because I have a crush on him, but the presence of the tablet throws that idea out the window.

  “Um, I came to see you,” I answer too cheerfully. At the same time, I start down the steps, thinking that if I can get onto the ground, I can make a run for it.

  He takes three giant steps and blocks my way. “Well, come in then,” he says, pressing forward and forcing me to backtrack up the steps until I’m pinned against the door. “Turn around and open it.” He breathes hotly on my face, just inches away.

  For an instant, I think of trying to run. But he’s bigger than I am, and he’s already in my way. So I open the door, hoping I can somehow talk my way out of this.

  In the kitchen, he grips my upper arm and manhandles me into the living room and over to the dining room table. “Sit,” he says as if commanding a dog.

  I gingerly perch on the edge of a chair, ready to jump up and run should the opportunity present itself. He starts pacing, running both his hands through his hair.

  When he gets to the front door, he turns back. “Why do you have that?” He points at the tablet.

  I look down at the tablet, trying to think of a plausible answer. I can’t, so I stall. “This?” I ask, pasting what I hope is an innocent expression on my face.

  “Yes. That. Why do you have it?”

  I decide to go back to my original plan. “Oh… well, I kind of… have a crush on you.” I pause, but he just stares at me, so I go on. “And I wanted to spy on you. I wanted to find out if you have a girlfriend. But I was going to return it, I swear.”

  Fraser strides over and jabs a finger at me. “Did you unlock it?” His voice raises two octaves too high by the end of the sentence.

  “No. I was going to try when I got home. Here.” I hold it out. “You can have it back. I’m sorry. I thought you liked—”

  He snatches it out of my hand and unlocks it. His scowl deepens when he sees the screen. “Were you looking at these pictures?” He turns the tablet around so I can see the naked chest and torso of the girl on the screen.

  “No. It didn’t work when—”

  “You’re lying.” He shakes the screen in front of my face. “I would never have left the pictures open!” He tosses the device on the table behind me, making me flinch.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll just go, and we can pretend this never happened.” I start to get up.

  “Sit back down!” He points at the chair.

  I seriously consider running. But I’m afraid of escalating this situation further. He could really hurt me. I drop back into my seat.

  “So you’re telling me that of all the things in my house, you went into my underwear drawer and pulled out that tablet and decided to take it with you?”

  A ch
ill runs through my body. I raise a trembling hand to smooth down my hair, not sure how to answer him. “Um… I… well, yeah.”

  “Did you read my emails?” he asks.

  “No.”

  “Did you see any pictures of me with anyone?”

  I shake my head vigorously. “No.”

  “Who sent you?” He pulls a chair across the floor to sit right in front of me.

  “No one. I don’t know—”

  “Don’t lie! Was it the Bettencourts? The Averys? It’s you trying to drive me insane, isn’t it? I knew you had something to do with it. You were never surprised by any of it. You’re behind it all, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He holds out his hand. “Give me your phone.”

  “I didn’t bring—”

  “I know you have it! You kids always have your goddamn phones!”

  Tears spring to my eyes. I reach into my back pocket, my hand trembling, and pull out my phone. He snatches it from me and begins poking around on my screen.

  After about a minute that seems more like an hour, he asks, “Who’s Charlie?”

  “My stepbrother.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He doesn’t live here. He lives in Pennsylvania. He goes to Bucknell. I really am sorry. I promise I didn’t read your stuff.”

  Fraser gets up and paces toward the kitchen, loosening his tie. He turns back and shakes my phone in his fist. “What the fuck is going on?” He collapses back into his chair.

  I flinch again, but he just slumps there, his face softer, his fury suddenly melting away. I wonder if I should try to leave now, before his mood swings back to anger.

  He puts his hands over his face. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. Any of it. I feel terrible,” he mumbles.

  He sounds as though he might be crying. I don’t dare move or speak. He rubs his eyes, still clutching my phone in one hand.

  “He just wouldn’t leave it alone.” He lowers his hands and looks over at me. “Even after it was over, he was going to tell. I lost it. I don’t know how it happened.” He puts his head down again.

  “It’s okay. I’m sure everything will be fine.” I stand up slowly.

  He doesn’t look up again. I step toward the front door.

  “Jade?”

  I stop. “Yeah.”

  “Do you really have feelings for me?”

  I close my eyes, trying to think of what to say. “Um, yeah. Yeah, I do.” With all the courage I can muster, I turn around to face him.

  He gives me a confused look, as if he’s not sure who I am. “I can’t let you go. I can’t. Not after…” He gestures with my phone at his tablet on the table. “You might have seen the stuff about Avery.”

  “I didn’t read anything,” I squeak.

  He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I need time to think. Can you be good?” He opens his eyes. “Will you stay here?”

  “I can’t really…” I start to back toward the door. “I left my stuff in the library.”

  “Stop moving!” He springs to his feet. “Here, I’ll text your brother that you’re all right. Tell him you’re on the way home.” His fingers fly over my phone’s screen. “How were you planning on getting home?”

  I realize he’s asking so he can text someone to tell them not to come. “Um… my dad’s picking me up.” Mateo is actually supposed to give me a ride, but I’m hoping he’ll come looking for me if he doesn’t get a text. Plus, Dad will think the message is weird since he wasn’t planning on giving me a ride.

  “I’ll text him that you got another ride.” He starts typing on my phone again.

  I feel a bit sick. I take a step back, hoping I can reach the front door and make a run for it while he’s distracted. It’s too bad ghosts stay in one place. Otherwise, I’m sure Avery would come to my rescue.

  I manage to take three more steps back before Fraser finishes the text. But when he looks up and sees how close to the door I’ve gotten, he lunges toward me.

  I turn to grab the knob. “No!” I scream.

  He bear-hugs me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. He spins me away from the door and starts pushing me toward the hall. “I’m sorry I have to do this. I need time to think, though. To plan how I can make it look like you did it to yourself. Do you use drugs?”

  I shake my head, tears springing to my eyes again. I have to get away. I have to think of some way out of here. Noemie. If I try hard enough, maybe I can contact her with my mind and send her a vision of what’s happening.

  Fraser shoves me into the bathroom. “Sit down.” He gestures at the toilet.

  My phone beeps with in incoming text, and Fraser looks down at it. He starts typing another message.

  “Who is it?” I ask, wiping away the tears rolling down my cheeks. Noemie. Please. I need you. I’m in trouble.

  “Charlie.” He glances up at me. “And stop crying. This is your own fault for coming here.” He frowns. “You said your things are in the library?”

  I don’t answer. Help me. Someone help me.

  “Answer me!” he snaps.

  “Yes.” I sob. I shouldn’t have told him that, but maybe someone will see him picking up my stuff and ask why.

  “Stop crying.” He rifles through a drawer under the sink and tosses a couple of prescription bottles on the counter.

  While he’s distracted, I stand up and try to run. It’s a reflexive action, fight or flight.

  He grabs me by the arms. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

  “It’s Avery. That’s who’s haunting you. He’ll never stop, either. You need me to help you get rid of him.”

  He forces me back down onto the toilet, squeezing my arms so hard I’m sure it will leave bruises. “What are you talking about?”

  “I see ghosts. That’s how I knew about you and Avery. I’ve told other people, too. Killing me isn’t going to do any good. It’s already too late.”

  He stares at me, his right hand pressed to the side of his head as though he has a terrible migraine. He thinks a few moments more before returning to the pills, shaking his head as if to rid his mind of what I just said.

  He lines up six pills—three pink ovals and three blue tablets—on the counter. “Take these. Take them so I can figure out what to do next.” He turns on the tap, fills a cup with water, and places it beside the pills.

  “What are they?”

  “Pain pills and a sedative. Take them. I don’t want to hurt you more than I have to.”

  “Please… no…”

  “Yes. Take them.”

  “Maybe we could run away together. We could go now. We could be together, and I’ll never tell anyone.” My stomach churns that I have to say such a thing, but it’s my best chance of escape at this point.

  “You expect me to believe you really have feelings for me?” he asks, sneering at me.

  “Yes, I do. Let’s leave now and get a hotel.” I reach for his hand.

  He studies me, his forehead wrinkled. I can do this. I gulp as he stares down at me, looking as though he’s trying hard to make a decision.

  He grasps my chin between his fingers and turns my face to the side. “You’re not my type, you know. At all. But there’s something very alluring about you…” He shakes his head and drops his hand. “But not now. We can’t right now. I need to go and get a few things. Tonight, maybe. I need time to think.” He pulls back two of the pills, one of each kind. “Just take this many, and you’ll wake up later.”

  I stare at the pills, terrified at the thought of taking drugs. “So maybe? Maybe we can go away together?” I look up at him with the best seductive pout I can muster under such duress. I swipe at my tears.

  “Yes, maybe. Now take t
hem.”

  I pick up the pills and swallow them two at time. I briefly wonder if I should try to hide one or two in my cheek, but he’s watching me too closely.

  When all the pills are gone, he takes my arm and leads me out of the bathroom. We head down the hall to his bedroom, and my heart starts racing.

  “Lay down,” he orders.

  I fight back tears because I can’t destroy the progress I’ve made. He needs to think I’m happy to be invited into his bed. I lie on my side, but I can’t keep from curling up a little.

  He points at me sternly. “Don’t move. I mean it.”

  “Okay.”

  He leaves the room, but I don’t move. I finally understand why those girls who are kidnapped by crazy pedos don’t try to escape more often. This feeling I have is ridiculously sick and sad, but I want this to go as smoothly as possible. I don’t want him to turn angry and hostile again.

  Less than a minute later, he comes back in, carrying a roll of duct tape and a pair of scissors. “If you promise to be good, I’ll let you stay on the bed,” he says, setting his supplies on the nightstand.

  I shake my head and start to sit up. “I can’t be tied up!” Panic is setting in, and I don’t think I can go through with my plan.

  He starts ripping off lengths of tape and sticking them to the edge of the nightstand. “You’ll be fine. You’ll be falling asleep soon anyway.”

  “I won’t tell. If you let me go now, I promise I won’t say anything to anyone.”

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Jade.”

  I jump up and make a run for the door. I don’t make it far before he grabs me, lifting me off the floor. With my feet pedaling the air, I feel like a cartoon character who has fallen off a cliff and doesn’t know it yet.