by Rachel Leigh
It would appear that Zed wasted no time reclaiming his throne and getting comfortable at Talon’s house. Apparently he’s staying here again and Marni fled to a hotel because she can’t stand being under the same roof as him. Talon assured her this is temporary and that it has to be this way, but it’s obvious where his priorities lie. I wanna fucking break shit when I think about how we’re all catering to Zed just to appease him. At least he’s buying it, because if he catches wind that we’re just trying to save our own asses, we’re all screwed.
“There he is.” Zed beams as he shoots up from the couch and drops the game controller on the cushion. “You bring me a present?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“My girl, Willa. I’m gonna need you to butter her up and pass her my way.”
Something sinister stirs inside of me. Is he really doing this shit again? Thought for sure I made it clear that she’s off-limits.
Tommy comes walking in wearing a salmon colored button-up shirt and a pair of gym shorts. He looks like he dressed himself when he was half-drunk and when he stumbles to the side, I realize that he is, in fact, more than half-drunk. ‘Why the hell aren’t you at school?” I bellow. Out of the four of us, Tommy is the one who takes school seriously. He’s an athlete, an artist, and has his future all mapped out. Lately, though, he’s been different. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like he’s taken an emotional beating and he’s drowning his sorrows in the bottle. “Just do what he says, Lars. Let’s end this shit.”
“Can’t,” I deadpan.
“What do you mean, you can’t?” Zed puffs out his chest like he expects it to intimidate me.
“I mean that I can’t. Willa left town last night. Had it out with her parents and fled the state. Looks like you need to find a different pawn in your little game.” I sidestep around the couch and walk into the kitchen where Talon is pacing the floor while he talks on the phone.
“Listen, babe. It’ll be over soon. Go stay at your dad’s for a bit. Lars mentioned that he was leaving town until after Christmas.”
His eyes land on mine and he raises a brow in question when he notices the displeasure in my expression. I shake my head, no.
Holding his hand over the speaker of the phone, he brings it to his waist. “Why’s that a problem?”
Zed comes flying into the kitchen and gets all up in my face again. “Where’d she go? You tell me right fucking now?”
There’s a sense of familiarity when I shove my hands into his chest. “How the fuck am I supposed to know?”
“I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” Talon ends the call and drops his phone on the counter. “Where’d who go?”
“Willa.” Zed huffs. “Lars said she took off and left Redwood last night.”
“How would you even know that?” Talon asks me.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I discern that I’m royally screwed. “Ok. You,” I point to Zed, “can find someone else to use. Willa is gone. Deal with it. You wanna piss off someone close to her, find another way. And you,” I point to Talon, “tell Marni that she can’t stay at her dad’s because he canceled his trip.” It’s a lie, but it’ll buy me some time. “Now, before we get started on everyone else’s fucking problems, let’s not forget that I’ve got a psychotic girl up my ass who knows what we did. We need to guarantee her silence before we can do anything for Zed.”
If I can get everyone to focus on Madison right now, it’ll give me enough time to get Willa out of here before anyone can toy with her emotions or use her in their game. I’m also pretty sure that Madison is the one who called Willa and left that fucked-up recording last night. It won’t be long until she’s on the hunt for blood if she does, in fact, know that Willa is pregnant with my child. She’s a loose cannon that needs to be disassembled.
“Not my fucking problem. You deal with that shit. Tommy, Talon, and I had a little chat last night and they’ve agreed to my terms. You find out where she went and tell me or else this entire deal goes up in flames and we all let Marni’s innocent dad take the fall.”
“He won’t fall far. He knows the truth.” There, I said it. He knows and there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it.
“What do you mean he knows the truth?” Tommy asks.
Talon and Zed share a look and I repeat myself. “I told him everything. You’ll have to find a new victim this time around.” I turn to walk away but stop myself and make a spontaneous decision on my own. I’ll probably regret this, but fuck it. “Oh, and I’m out. You all can play your games and fight your demons on your own.” Flipping them the middle finger, I walk out feeling like the weight of the world was just lifted from my shoulders.
I just can’t do it anymore. None of it. It’s too much and I fucking quit this friendship if it means driving myself to insanity just to please everyone else. Hell, maybe I should just ditch this town with Willa and start over somewhere else.
Driving around town for a couple hours, I realized that I need help.
A call rings through the speaker and I take it as I turn onto Tommy’s road.
“Bradley, is it taken care of?” Bradley is one of Dad’s employees. He handles the nuts and bolts of the business, which means he takes care of the dirty work.
“She wants a lot, Lars. I’m talking ten-thousand dollars.”
“I don’t give a damn what it cost, you get someone in that office to run the test through the lab or I’ll make damn sure my father fires your ass.” I slam my finger into the dash screen and end the call.
It’s not that I think Willa is lying, but I’d be a goddamn fool if I didn’t make sure the baby is mine before handing her over thousands of dollars.
I’ve gotten quite attached to the modest violet, but as of right now, I don’t trust anyone. I barely even trust myself.
Pulling into Tommy’s driveway, I’m relieved to see that he’s here. I need to talk to him, one-on-one, without outside influences. He’s slightly intoxicated, but hopefully coherent enough to understand what I’m about to tell him. Tommy’s the most humane one of all of us and I know that if I share a little insight to what I’ve got going on, he’ll be in my corner.
Zed wants Willa. Well, Zed isn’t fucking touching Willa.
Without even knocking, I push open the door. Tommy comes walking out of his room in just a pair of gym shorts, with his phone pressed to his ear. “Yeah, Dad. Uh huh. No parties, got it. Ok, bye.” His words slur a bit, but he seems to have sobered up a tad.
“Parents outta town?” I ask him, once he drops the phone on the couch.
“Yeah and it’s a damn shame that I can’t even throw a party because I’m too busy wiping your asses to make sure they’re clean.”
Slapping a hand to his back, I try to reassure him. “It’ll all be over soon. Then we’ll be at your beck and call, bro.”
“Whatever. I don’t even care anymore. This shit just needs to end.” Tommy walks into the kitchen and I follow him. He grabs a couple bottled waters from the fridge and tosses me one. “So, what are you doing here? Need more services? Got another person for me to follow?”
Twisting the top off, I take a long drink before I answer him. “Not exactly.” I screw the top back on and set the bottle down on the kitchen table. “I know that you guys made this deal with Zed to make sure that he gets what he wants, but I need you to help me instead.” It really sucks feeling like I’m out of this group; I’ve been battling all this shit on my own and I can’t fucking do it anymore.
His brows dip. “So you want me to betray our friends?”
“I wouldn’t call it betrayal to them as much as a loyalty to another friend.”
“If this is about Madison—”
“It’s not. It’s about Willa.”
Tommy pulls out a chair and sits down then proceeds to drop his head in his hands and let out a breathy sigh. “Fuck. I knew you had something going on with that girl. What is it? You falling for her?”
He lifts his head and wa
tches my expression. “She’s pregnant and she’s still in Redwood.”
A very thick silence surrounds us and the air suddenly feels heavy. He’s the first person I’ve told this to and now I’m really regretting it.
“Holy shit, man.” He slaps his hands to the table and his wide eyes convey his shock. “Pregnant?”
I nod my head. “Yeah. Pregnant.”
“And it’s yours?” He doesn’t even wait for me to respond. “Of course it is. Why else would you be telling me this shit?”
“That’s what she says.”
“And you believe her?”
I shrug one shoulder. “Yes and no. I mean, I want to because, come on, it’s Willa Mack. But I’m also skeptical.”
He takes his sweet ass time as he chugs the rest of his water, and I’m sure it’s because he’s speechless. Once he finishes and crinkles the plastic in his hands, he asks, “What the hell do you plan to do?”
“She wants to leave Redwood. Told me that no one needs to know and she’d free me from responsibility if I set her up for a while.”
Smacking the bottle to the table, he beams eagerly. “Well, fucking do it, Lars. You’re eighteen years old. You can’t have a baby.”
“Yeah, but she’s eighteen, too. Do I really just send her on her way to live alone and take care of a baby by herself?”
His eyes bug out and he nods. “Yes. Yes, you do.”
I thought Tommy would at least understand, but apparently, he doesn't. It doesn’t matter, that’s not why I’m here.
“I’m still thinking about that. The reason I’m telling you this is because someone has been harassing her. Someone knows. I’m assuming it’s either Zed or Madison.”
“Ah, and you need me to find out? Of course.” He salutes me. “Aye aye, Captain.”
“No. I’m working on that. I need you to convince Zed and Talon that Willa isn’t the answer. For whatever reason, Zed wants to use her and there’s no fucking way I’m letting that happen.”
“Come on now,” he laughs. “This is Zed we’re talking about. The least reasonable person in existence.”
“Did they say what the plan is? What he wants with her?”
A beat of silence has me on the edge of my seat.
“He says he has a plan and swears that no one will get hurt. Maybe he just wants to talk to her.”
“Yeah. Talk to her my ass. We all know what he did to Marni. Not a chance in hell. I’d kill him first.”
“You like this girl, don’t you?”
“No!” I shout as I jump to my feet, running my hands down my face. “She’s carrying a baby, Tommy. You think I’d let Zed near any pregnant girl, or even any girl who’s not pregnant for that matter. He’s a monster. This damn pact has gone too far. These girls are innocent. First Marni and now Willa.”
“And Madison?”
I hold up a finger and glower. “Madison is not innocent. Don’t be fooled. But Willa is. She’s been through enough. Not to mention, she’s fucking pregnant.”
“Zed thinks he can stop Madison, too.”
“Yeah, and what’s in it for him? Hmm? Zed doesn’t do anything for anyone without a string attached.”
“Consolation prize, maybe? He rewards you for letting him use Willa.”
Sighing heavily, I glance at the door, ready to leave. “Yeah, that sounds more like something Zed would do.” My arms fly up. “Fuck it. I guess I’ll just handle this shit on my own. Thanks for nothing.”
“I’ll talk to them. My hands are tied, man. It’s all I can do. We all just want this shit to end.”
“Well, in order for Zed to use her, he has to find her.” Huffing and puffing, I leave before I lose my cool and do something I’ll regret.
Thought for sure that Tommy would have my back. But it looks like Zed’s the ringleader and calling all the shots. Maybe our hands are tied, but I’m shredding that rope and freeing us before he tightens his grip and feeds us all to the wolves.
Once I’m in the car, I rip my phone out of my pocket and tap Madison's name. It doesn't even ring before it goes straight to voicemail. "Fuck," I shout. If I can just find a way to get her off my ass, this can be over. Offer her something she can't refuse. Force her to leave town. If only the roles were reversed and she could go while Willa stays.
I have no fucking idea what it is with Willa, but she's getting to me. She's crawling into my skin and I can feel her piercing the veins of my heart. When all of this started with her, it was a stupid bet, but the more time I spend with her, the more time I want to spend with her. I can’t wrap my head around this nagging desire to be near her. Even if it’s just to watch her from afar.
I’m suddenly noticing things I never did before. The way her rapid blinking happens mostly when she’s nervous. How she has a dimple on her left cheek when she smiles that matches the one on her chin, but her right side is unblemished. Whatever this is, it’s unexpected, and to be honest, it’s unwanted. Yet, the idea of Zed or Madison going anywhere near her stirs something sinister inside of me. Makes me crazy and puts irrational thoughts in my head.
Trying again, I tap Madison's name over and over and over again. Climbing into my car, I keep trying. Starting the engine, I keep trying. Voicemail. Voicemail. Voicemail. School got out ten minutes ago, she should be answering her goddamn phone.
Just as I start driving down the road, the Bluetooth kicks on, and her name flashes on the screen.
Now that I've got her on the line, I'm not even sure what I want to say. But, I play nice.
"Hey, Madison. Where are you?"
"Sitting at home. Bored as fuck. You?"
"I'm coming over. Don't leave." I end the call and shuffle through different options in my head.
I walk up to the front door that was once blocked with an abundance of shoes. My house was always the go-to hang out spot. We'd all come here after school, raid the refrigerator, drink endless cans of soda and play video games until curfew. It was just Dad and me and he was always busy working. My dad wasn't as absent as some parents, but he definitely favors work over family life. It wasn't always that way. It wasn't until we lost Colby that we all changed.
At the very last minute, I think I've come up with a plan. Madison pulls the door open and invites me in, as if this isn't even my house. She and her mom have made themselves far too comfortable here for my liking. Regardless, I bite my tongue. "How was school today?" I ask, making small talk.
"I missed you in drama class. Where were you? Were you with that girl?"
"Girl?" I play stupid, but she doesn't buy it.
"You know who I'm talking about." Her hands slither up my stomach and she locks her fingers behind my head. I twist my neck, looking to the right and avoiding eye contact, as she tries to kiss me.
"If you're worried about Willa, you have nothing to worry about. She moved."
Her hands unclasp and she turns my head to face her. Her eyes light up. "Yeah, so people are saying. But we both know she’s still here."
Pushing her back a few steps, she pouts while I observe her. “What’s that supposed to mean?"
Unable to keep her bony fingers off of me, she reclaims my personal space and cups my face in her hands. “You can fool everyone else, but I know she’s in Redwood. I also know that you’re falling for her.” She bops my nose. The same way that I did to her a few days ago.
“It is you, isn’t it? You’ve been harassing her? Leaving her sick voice messages, creeping around her house.”
Her forehead wrinkles in confusion, but she’s not confused at all. She’s playing stupid. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Stay away from her, Madison. I’m warning you.”
Suddenly looking like she’s on the verge of tears, she buries her face in my chest. “Why don’t you love me like I love you?”
I attempt to pry her off of me, but she’s like a leech. As I push her shoulders back, she tightens her grip on me.
“Given enough time, I think you could love me.”
“Well, unlucky for you, we will never get that time.” I peel her fingers off of me one by one, squeezing her left hand tightly before doing the same to the right. Once I have them both secured, I give her a push back. “I’ll never love you, Madison.”
Glowering, she comes charging at me. She plants her fists in my chest over and over again. “I hate you, Lars. I hate you, and I’m gonna make you pay for this.” More slaps to the chest as I grab her wrists and she breaks out in an all-out ugly cry. “I hate you.” Once I steady her, she stops crying and her mood swings abruptly. “I’m sorry. I don’t hate you. I love you.” With fluttering eyelids, she smiles while tears still roll down her cheeks from the other side of her personality I just witnessed.
Making an attempt to keep my calm and be as straightforward as possible, I try not to unleash her crazy. “You don’t love me. You love the idea of me. Two different things.”
“I really do. You’re like sunshine behind the clouds and the rainbow after the storm. You’re my soulmate, Lars. And soon you’ll see it. Soon we’ll be together and no one will take you away from me.”
This is getting really fucking bad. She’s getting worse by the minute. Madison doesn’t need to just move out of Redwood, she needs years of psychiatric help.
“Mrs. Rhys said she’s announcing the roles for the play after Christmas break. I know we got the parts, even if you did do that awful audition with Willa. I know you’re just trying to be nice to her, right?”
“Yeah,” I shake my head and roll my eyes, “just trying to be nice. Look I've gotta go.”
I go to leave, but she grabs me by the arm. “Stay with me. Please.”
Jerking my arm back, I continue on my way and hope like hell she’s not following after me. When I hit the staircase, she hollers, “We’ll be together soon, Lars. I'll love you forever."