Everyone Keeps Secrets (Romantic Suspense Saga: Part 1)

by Katherine Greyson

  Jake stepped into the pitch-black room and flicked every light switch on the wall up and down. None of them worked. “Damn,” he grumbled to himself. He stumbled across the room, as he tried to remember the layout of the mobile home’s living room. Finding the one lamp that had a light bulb in it, he flicked it on only to hear the sound of electricity crackling from somewhere else in the house. His dad’s cousin, who was letting them stay there until they got back on their feet, had told them the mobile home had “phantom electrical issues.” He could easily believe that. All the outlets had coppery-green film oozing from the sockets. Earlier that morning when Jake went to make himself a cup of coffee, he hesitated to plug the coffeemaker in, but his need for caffeine overrode his fears of being zapped by a hundred and twenty volts of electricity.

  Jake’s day went downhill from there, fast. He shook his head at how he impulsively started a fight at school with the hopes of being expelled. Instead, he found himself going head-to-head with half the football team. He lifted his shirt and examined his abs, now covered in black and blue welts. “Yippee,” he mocked himself.

  He took off his leather jacket and headed into the living room. When he flopped down onto the sofa, a musty smell puffed out of the cushions. He stared across the living room at the hunting rifle and ammunition carelessly left out. His irritation churned. After all these years of hiding, that gun and ammo had come close to being his family’s downfall. Left behind by the evicted crack addicts, his dad decided to keep the gun, mostly out of concern that their friends—or enemies—might return to the mobile home. Jake knew he needed to get it out of sight. He looked up to where they had found it in the ceiling panel, overhead.

  After the day he’d had, he wanted to crash early but thought he’d better clean the rest of the house. He believed Simplicity’s promise not to say anything, but somebody else might get curious about the new kid from school and come to investigate.

  His fears seemed to be realized when he heard footsteps on the front stairs.

  He bolted toward the gun as the door whipped open.

  In walked his twelve-year-old brother, Connor. Looking thunderstruck, he held a load of schoolbooks hooked in his right hand. “Well, that sucked,” he announced as the door banged shut behind him.

  Jake exhaled in relief, and then sat back down. “Yeah. You’re not kidding.”

  “Why do we have to go to public school, anyway?” Connor tossed his books onto the table. “Why can’t I be homeschooled again?”

  Jake looked at the pillow and blanket on the end of the couch where his dad had been sleeping. “You know why we can’t. Dad’s boss was asking too many questions.”

  “You’re a way better teacher than any of them.”

  Jake nodded. “Thanks.”

  Connor pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you know what they had me do?”

  “No.” Jake interlaced his hands behind his head, leaned back, and stared up at the ceiling. “Enlighten me.”

  Exasperated, Connor’s voice rose high. “They made me take a bunch of tests to prove that I was ready for the eighth grade.”

  Jake laughed. “What kind?”

  “Some national standardized dumbass exam.”

  Jake shook his head.

  Connor gestured to himself. “I mean, do I look stupid to you?”

  Jake smiled. “I’d rather not answer that.”

  “Idiots.” Connor shook his head and plopped down onto the old, worn-out recliner.

  Jake stared up at the ceiling and raised his eyebrows. “Why do you think they made you take a test?”

  “I don’t know. It might’ve been because I told them that I’d no records being homeschooled.” He shrugged. “After that, they treated me like I was a baby or something.”

  Jake watched Connor lower his head and break eye contact. He knew his little brother all-to-well, he tilted his head to the side and pried, “Is that all?”

  Sheepishly, Connor scanned the floor. “Maybe I messed up and gave ’em the wrong birth date.”

  Jake rolled his eyes.

  Connor bounced his knee. “You’re not mad at me, are you?” He looked up at his older brother.

  “No.” Jake shook his head. “We all make stupid mistakes sometimes. Lord knows I have my share of them. What’s done is done.”

  Connor slowly nodded.

  “Well?” Jake asked.

  “Well, what?”

  Jake smiled. “Did you pass the test?”

  “Yeah. Of course.” Connor flicked a piece of fuzz at him. “They said the exam takes three hours. I finished it in one.”

  Jake raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t worry. After I got three-quarters of the way through and saw what a breeze it was, I blew the rest of the answers to make it look good.”

  “Nice.”

  “Yeah, right.” Connor spoke with a tinge of sarcasm. “Then I had to sit there like a mop for two hours, doodling.”

  Jake slumped. He hated seeing his brother upset. “Since we’re stuck going to school, that was good you did that, blow the test.”

  Connor rolled his head.

  “It’s probably better we fly under the radar for a while. Try to stay out of trouble.”

  “Yeah . . .”

  “Speaking of staying under the radar.” Jake glanced at the gun. “Wasn’t somebody supposed to stow that away after he cleaned it last night?”

  “I was checking it out. That’s all.” Connor shrugged. “I forgot.”

  “Don’t forget the next time.”

  “Why?” He glanced sideways and stood up to go put it away. “What’s the big deal?”

  Jake shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Connor picked up the gun, checked that the safety was still on, packed up the ammo, popped up the ceiling paneling, and then slid them out of sight.

  Jake closed his eyes and tried to relax.

  Connor looked his older brother over as he sat back down. “So, how was your day?”

  Jake grimaced. “Don’t ask.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  Jake lifted up his shirt to show him the bruises.

  “What the—?” Connor jumped up. He balled his hands into fists. “Who did that to you?”

  Jake held up a hand. “Calm down. He’s a good guy.”

  “A good guy?” Connor stared at his brother. “If you think he’s a good guy, I’d hate to meet a guy you think is bad.”

  Jake smiled. “It’s not what you think.”

  Connor shook his head and sat back down. Mimicking his older brother, he placed his hands behind his head, leaned back, and looked up at the ceiling. “Enlighten me.”

  “I tried to get expelled.”

  Connor sat up. “Did it work?”

  “No.”

  Connor deflated. “That sucks.”

  “No kidding.”

  “What went wrong with your plan?”

  “I got distracted.”

  “By what?”

  Jake hesitated to say it, knowing what it meant. “A girl.”

  Connor gave him a one-eyed glare. “She got a name?”

  “Yeah.”

  There was a long silent pause.

  “Well?” Connor’s bright, green eyes opened wide. “Are you gonna tell me what it is?”

  Jake shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s not going anywhere.”

  “She got a boyfriend or something?”

  Jake’s fist slowly came down on his dad’s pillow. “Something like that.”

  The boys sat in the living room for a while listening to the old clock on the electric stove tick away the minutes.

  Connor looked around the empty living room. “Man, I miss my Xbox.”

  Jake moaned. He knew it had been one of the many things left behind in the frantic, mad dash to escape. Where they had lived before, in an isolated home deep in the woods, had allowed them a few years respite—until everything came crashing down, forcing them to flee. With no money and no posse
ssions, they had to reach out to his dad’s cousin again. Since the mobile home was vacant, he had offered it, along with vouching for his cousin to help him get a job.

  Connor stared at his schoolbooks. “So I take it we’re gonna be stuck here for a while.”

  “Looks like it.”

  “So I need to buck up and blend in?”

  Jake looked at his brother’s face. He didn’t like the ache he saw buried in his eyes. “Connor, do you regret agreeing to do this?”

  Connor exhaled. “No man.” He scratched behind his ear. “Don’t get me wrong, it sucks at times, but no, I don’t regret it. I know it’s for the best.”

  Jake stared up at the ceiling. He wished he could feel the same way. It’d been a long, hard five years. He felt like every choice he ever made was always wrong, leading him straight into a disaster. Earlier that morning when he had reached out and offered Gabe and Simplicity help, part of him knew it was risky, yet Jake yearned to have friends and a semi-normal life.

  He cursed himself as he thought about how he had handled the situation. He knew if Simplicity had called her dad the careful cover they had spent years building up would be blown in an instant. He didn’t know what was going to happen with her; she didn’t seem like the type to just let things drop. He groaned. Avoiding her probably was for the best, but part of him didn’t want to do that.

  Jake dropped his hands onto the couch. “I guess I’d better start dinner. You know how grumpy Dad is when he’s hungry.”

  “Yeah. Paul can be a bear.” Connor rolled his eyes. “You want some help?”

  “It’s mac and cheese.” Jake stood up. “Not much to boiling water.”

  Connor looked up at his older brother. “You know, dude, I don’t think I ever said thank you.”

  Jake scoffed, “Thanks for what?” He gestured around the room. “All this?”

  “No.” Connor’s expression was solemn. “I know how much you want this to end. The only reason I think you keep going now is for my sake.”

  Jake feigned a smile. “Don’t think so much of yourself.” He butted the end of his boot against his brother’s. “There are other reasons too.”

  Skeptically, Connor gave him the once over. “Uh-huh.”

  Jake cocked his head. “Fine. Have it your way.”

  “I will.” Connor grunted.

  Jake headed into the kitchen.

  “Are you gonna tell him what happened today?” Conner asked.

  Jake’s head rose. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

  Cautiously Connor eyed his brother. “What if he finds out?”

  Jake stared at the empty refrigerator shelf. He knew exactly how his dad would react. “I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

  Connor dropped his shoulders and gawked at the pile of schoolbooks. “So we’re stuck here for a while?”

  Jake pulled out a pot. “Yup.”

  “And I gotta go to public school?”

  “Yup.” Jake walked over to the sink and began filling it with water. “At least we survived our first day of school.”

  “Yeah, terrific.” Connor gave out a long exhale. He reached out and grabbed a schoolbook. “Well. Here’s to fitting in.” He flipped open his textbook.

  Jake stared into the woods as steam from the sink fogged the window. “Yeah, to fitting in…and to keeping secrets.”

  A moment later, a speeding car churned its way up the gravel driveway. The boys quickly looked toward the front door; they knew from the distinct engine sound who it was.

  “Paul’s driving fast.” Connor swallowed. “You know what that means.”

  “Yup.”

  A car door slammed shut.

  The boys warily looked at one another.

  Connor put down his schoolbook. “Do you think he already found out?”

  “…Maybe.”

  Jake’s muscles tightened as he prepared for the worse.

  Bang. The front door crashed opened when the tornado flew in the door.

  To Be Continued…

  The saga continues

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