Trouble's What You're In

by Danielle Allen

  Holly dropped to her knees. “The whole thing was Dakota’s idea of a prank. But everything went wrong. It went horribly wrong. I don’t know how Carter ended up drowning. I don’t know how or even when she could’ve gone out to the lake. She ran out the house right in front of me. I remember seeing her. We went out the front door and she was right there in front of me. She went over to Vivian and I went to Kim’s car. It was full and when I turned around, I didn’t see Carter anymore, but I assumed she got into a different car. That’s everything I know. That’s everything. I’m sorry, God. I should’ve said something sooner.”

  “No,” Dakota reacted, shaking her head profusely. “Wait a minute.”

  “Vivian, what was the last thing Carter said to you?” Mrs. Yates asked.

  “Oh outside? She said—I think she asked me if my car was full,” Vivian answered.

  My eyes widened. That’s not what Olive said!

  Mrs. Yates stood directly in front of Vivian. “Didn’t you say the last thing Carter said to you was regarding zipping up her dress?” she questioned.

  “Yeah, it-it was one of those two things,” Vivian stammered.

  “That’s not true,” Kim interjected. “Carter came up to you outside and you two were arguing because Carter felt guilty about the prank on Brooklyn.”

  Vivian froze. “No…” She looked around. “That’s not true…”

  Dakota’s hair whipped around as she looked between Kim and Vivian. “What? Is that why she tried to get to the boat?” She narrowed her eyes at Vivian. “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t tell her to go on the boat. I didn’t even tell her to go to the lake!” Vivian yelled, turning so that she was facing Dakota. “What she did was her own business! I didn’t tell her to do anything!”

  “Did you tell her it was on fire?” Dakota asked through clenched teeth. “What did you say for her to go to the lake?”

  “The boat was in the middle of the lake! I didn’t tell her to go to the boat that you lit on fire—” Vivian growled.

  “A fire that you helped me start,” Dakota countered.

  “You’re not going to put this on me. You lit the boat on fire. If she got on that boat, she drowned because the boat was falling apart, not because of anything I said,” Vivian argued.

  “Were you so jealous of her that you would tell her to go to the boat?” Dakota gasped. “You knew it was on fire!”

  “I’m not jealous,” Vivian snarled. “She was upset because you didn’t tell her the whole story and she felt guilty.” She leaned into Dakota’s face. “So, it’s on you! I didn’t tell her to go on the boat. I told her that Brooklyn was on the boat. It was a joke! And we all knew where Brooklyn was. That was part of the prank! How was I supposed to know that she would actually try to swim out there to get to the boat in the dark?! That wasn’t my fault! She did that, not me!”

  “Enough!” Mrs. Yates yelled sharply, causing me to flinch. “Now I need to bury my daughter.” She turned her attention to the room behind her. “Do you have what you need?”

  Detective Jane Lynch stepped out of the room. “I have exactly what I need. Thank you.”

  …

  Chapter Seventeen

  My mom and I had been talking nonstop since Jay dropped us off at her hotel. I couldn’t tell her at the burial site, and she didn’t completely understand what I was telling Jay in the car. So as soon as we were in the privacy of her room, I told her almost everything. And after a couple of hours, stuffed with Gino’s takeout, I was finally concluding the story of what had been going on

  “Mr. and Mrs. Yates knew that Carter had been on the boat because of the smoke inhalation, but they couldn’t figure out why. Olive and Kim told the police everything they knew. Aiden told the police what he knew. And their stories corroborated mine. But since the cheerleaders were still trying to blame everything on me, Mrs. Yates decided to exploit the weakest links,” I told my mom as I tucked my legs underneath my body on the king-sized bed.

  “How?”

  “She’s friends with the Chief of Police and recruited Detective Lynch and Coach Ainsley to help her. Apparently Detective Lynch was on campus when we had our meeting on Thursday. They felt like the threat of expulsion would crack the resolve of one of the more academic cheerleaders. And since a couple of cheerleaders are very connected with their faith, Mrs. Yates organized that meeting in the atrium at church to compel Holly and others to tell the truth,” I filled Mom in.

  “That’s smart. People tend to not want to lie in church,” she pointed out.

  “And it worked. Once Holly cracked, Dakota and Vivian turned on each other. And once Detective Lynch came out, people were spilling their guts to distance themselves from the situation.” I did a chef’s kiss. “It was perfect!”

  “You didn’t suspect the Yates family were up to something?”

  “Not at all. I thought it was weird how many times Mrs. Yates referred to God since they really aren’t a religious family. But at the same time, it’s a funeral and her daughter died so I didn’t think too hard about it. I certainly didn’t think it was an elaborate ploy to get the cheerleaders to out themselves.”

  “It makes sense. Funerals can force you to let your guard down and your emotions run high. I’m just thankful that it worked.”

  “Me too.”

  “Wow,” my mom commented with a shake of her head. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

  “I was scared, and I didn’t want you to worry,” I answered, taking a sip of my drink. “Look at what happened with Olive. She called her parents to tell them what was going on and they flew here to go with her to the police before withdrawing her from school. Coach Ainsley was the only one who knew. I thought she was kidnapped…or worse.”

  “They had the right idea,” she grumbled. “This whole thing is…” She lifted her hands in confusion, seemingly at a loss for words.

  “I know.”

  “It’s scary to think about how this would’ve turned out if it was indeed one of those fraternity boys.”

  I shivered. “Yeah. I don’t think it would’ve gone this way.”

  “Promise me you won’t keep anything else from me,” she begged, her eyes pleading with me.

  I nodded. “I promise, Mom. I’m sorry.”

  “You were implicated in crimes you didn’t commit. Lost your housing and then your scholarship. Were a day or two away from being expelled from school.” She stroked my coarse hair gingerly. “I’m so sorry you went through all of this. I’m thankful that today came together like it did. But I never want you to struggle or feel like you’re alone.”

  “I know.” Grabbing her hand, I clasped it between both of mine. “I wasn’t alone. And I know I can call on you anytime.”

  A smile brightened her face. “You had James.”

  “I did.” My heart swelled thinking of him. I considered telling my mom about me and Jay being in a relationship. But as soon as I opened my mouth, she started talking.

  “How is James dealing with Carter’s death? He seemed okay. But men tend to want to be strong all the time and don’t allow themselves the permission to let their guard down. I want to make sure he’s taking care of himself.”

  It’s not the time to tell her about us, I decided.

  “He’s shocked and sad, but he’s okay. The first couple of nights after we found out she was gone were rough. It was hard to wrap our minds around. We were trying to reconcile the person we knew with the person she had become…and then with the loss of her altogether. It was a lot.”

  Mom nodded knowingly. “It’s hard to merge the two sides of someone when they change abruptly and then they die abruptly.”

  I sighed. “Knowing that she tried to get to the boat because she thought I was on it makes my heart hurt. A little part of me kind of feels like…she would be alive if it weren’t for me.”

  “Brooklyn…” My mom pulled me until I scooted over to her and enveloped me in her arms. “No part of you should take responsibili
ty or feel like you’re to blame for what happened to Carter. It was a tragedy. But it shouldn’t make your heart hurt. It should make your heart full.”

  “What do you mean?” I murmured as I got comfortable.

  “Earlier you said that you were hurt by the fact that she was in on the prank and then you found out that she felt guilty and tried to find you.” She lifted my head and looked me in my eyes. “That gives you the gift of freedom.”

  “Freedom?”

  “Yes. You can forgive her for being in on the prank. You don’t have to hold on to the hurt of any kind of betrayal. She tried to redeem her mistake and that matters. People make mistakes. It’s how they handle those mistakes that show character. It doesn’t mean you have to keep them in your life. But it means that you can move on from the situation free of any burdens that relationship carried. Carter was your friend and that was a nice chapter. And then Carter wasn’t your friend and that was also a nice chapter—it was just a chapter she wasn’t a part of. Now that she’s gone, you don’t have to worry about feeling guilty or hurt or anything. You can move on from this whole situation free.”

  My mom was a wise woman.

  I hugged her tightly and thanked her for being there for me.

  We decided to watch a movie. She was leaving Sunday morning after checkout, so we planned to stay up late and enjoy a movie marathon. Unfortunately, she was asleep within thirty minutes of the first movie.

  When my phone rang, I tiptoed to the hallway, so I didn’t disturb my mom’s sleep.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “I didn’t think you’d answer,” Aiden greeted me with a light chuckle. “How are you?”

  “I’m really good. How are you?”

  “I’m better now that I’m talking to you,” he flirted.

  “Aiden…”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I had to try.”

  “What are you doing? Aren’t you out celebrating Fashion Week with your mom?”

  “Mom and Dad actually. He flew in. We’re a united front and all that jazz.”

  My lips pulled in a tight smile that he couldn’t see. “Damage control?”

  “Yeah, pretty much. I just wanted to let you know that my guy got back to me about the anonymous email source.”

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s someone named Jade Sheldon.”

  That name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Maybe I had a class with her or something.

  “That doesn’t ring a bell,” I told him, slightly disappointed.

  “Well when I get back on Monday, maybe we can get together over dinner and discuss the findings,” he propositioned.

  “I’m not going to be able to. I just started dating someone.”

  “If it just started, it can’t be that serious.”

  “I’m sorry. It…is,” I realized that as the words spilled from my lips.

  He was quiet for a few seconds. “If you’re sure…”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Well, I will let you go. Have a goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Aiden.”

  We ended the call and I stood outside of my mom’s room for a few minutes, thinking. I knew for a fact that I loved James and I wasn’t even tempted to go on a date with Aiden Black.

  But I needed a second to wrap my mind around the fact that Aiden Black called me to ask me on a date because he couldn’t stop thinking about me.

  Two weeks ago, this would’ve been cause for celebration.

  I walked back into the hotel room shaking my head. “I swear, your whole life can change in an instant.”

  I brushed my teeth and climbed in bed. Even though I had plans to watch the second movie Mom and I had picked, I was asleep ten minutes in.

  “Good morning,” Mom sang in a cheery voice when I woke up.

  “The sun is barely up,” I mumbled.

  “That’s what happens when you go to sleep before nine o’clock on a Saturday night.”

  After showering and getting dressed, I took my mom to my favorite breakfast restaurant. We had a great time and I missed her the moment she got on the road for her six-and-a-half-hour drive back home.

  It was eleven o’clock when I got back to Jay’s apartment. I found him lounging on the couch when I walked in.

  “Hey!” I greeted him.

  “Hey.” He stood up and then immediately got distracted by the box of food in my hand. “Is that for me?”

  “Yes,” I giggled.

  “Sometimes I think you can read my mind,” Jay remarked as he met me in the kitchen. When I opened the box to show him what I got, he grinned. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “How was your night? How did the talk go with your mom?” he questioned, taking a seat at the table. “Everything okay?”

  I sat next to him. “She’s going to call the Financial Aid office tomorrow and try to set up a payment plan. She’s going to help me get the money together so I can finish the semester.”

  He clapped loudly. “Yes! Good!”

  “Yeah, I hope it works.”

  Jay gave me a reassuring smile. “It will.”

  “Mom wanted to know every single detail about what had been going on, so we spent most of our time talking about that. And as I was telling her, it really made sense. Do you remember when we went to get my stuff out of the Cheer House?” I asked, not waiting for an answer. “I remember Vivian saying something about how I didn’t belong and if Dakota wasn’t trying to be so close to Carter, she would’ve seen that me being there was a red flag.”

  “And as far as housing goes—”

  “Stay here permanently,” he interrupted.

  I quirked an eyebrow. “What?”

  “Stay here permanently. Don’t worry about your housing assignment. Let them take that out of your bill and then you’ll only have to worry about covering your classes. That’s it.”

  I wasn’t going to pretend like the idea hadn’t crossed my mind, but I didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. If we were still just friends, I would’ve asked him as soon as the suspension became real. But with our budding relationship, I felt a little hesitant.

  “Do you think it’s too soon?” I wondered, thinking long term.

  His face crumbled in confusion. “Do I think it’s too soon for us to continue to do what we’ve already been doing?” The hint of sarcasm punctuating his words.

  Rolling my eyes, I let out a short laugh. “You know what I mean. Things are a little different now!”

  He took my hand. “The only thing that’s different is that you’re mine now.”

  “Oh, am I?” I replied, grinning from ear to ear.

  “And I don’t just want you here because you need a place to stay. I want you here because I like you being here.”

  I squeezed his hand. “You missed me last night, didn’t you?”

  “A little bit.”

  “Just a little bit?”

  “I mean I missed holding you before falling asleep, but I didn’t miss you snoring.”

  I snatched my hand out of his. “I don’t snore!”

  He made a face. “Oh, okay.”

  “You are a liar!” I shouted.

  He did an imitation snore that made me laugh so hard I snorted.

  “You play too much,” I told him as I got up from the table. “And I’d rather snore than fart in my sleep.”

  He was laughing. “I still don’t believe I do that.”

  “Well let me and my nostrils assure you that it is indeed a fact.”

  Jay got up and washed his hands. Once he sat back down, he devoured his food. The entire time we went back and forth making each other laugh. I felt lighter and happier than I had in two weeks. Between the time with my mom, the time with Jay, and everything that happened at Carter’s funeral, I felt complete contentment.

  “Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

  My lips curled upward. “Yes.”

  �
��What’s that goofy smile about?”

  I stood. “You.”

  He followed me to the couch and we both plopped down heavily. I had the remote, flipping through the movie channels until I found something good. I felt his eyes on me, but I ignored him until I made a decision.

  “What about this?” I asked, looking over at him.

  “Why are you always choosing the movies?”

  “Because I make better movie selections than you,” I told him with a shrug.

  He threw his arms up. “I picked a bad movie two years ago and you haven’t let it go yet!”

  I laughed. “When you figure out how I can get those two hours back, I’ll give you your movie selection privileges back.”

  He looked around dramatically, eyes wide. “This is my house and my TV! How are you going to tell me what I can do in my house?”

  I laughed harder. “Because I lost one hundred eighty minutes of my life and I can’t risk you doing that to me again.”

  He reached over, encircling his arms around my waist. “What was that? You’re in trouble now.”

  Squirming from his fingers tickling my sides, I twisted my body so that I was practically in his lap and my arms around his neck. “Stop!” I giggled.

  He stopped tickling me, but he didn’t let me go. “Say it to my face,” he dared me.

  I got in his face, so close that our noses were practically touching. “I can’t risk…”

  Our eyes locked and my words trailed off into silence as the humor evaporated. I was suddenly very aware of his hands on me, my position in his lap, and how close his mouth was to mine.

  “You didn’t finish what you were saying,” he challenged. His voice was deeper, sexier.

  “I don’t remember what I was saying,” I breathed. My voice came out hot and needy.

  He brushed his mouth against mine before capturing my bottom lip and sucking softly. He pulled away and I let out a soft whimper.

  “I want you here because I love you,” he told me softly. “Live with me.”

  Before I had a chance to respond, his mouth covered mine again. His hand eased up my back before going back down and grabbing my ass. When he pulled me over his erection, he caused a fire to burn throughout my body.