“Come on,” he said, swaying into me. “Let’s go somewhere private.”
Private? My heart flopped over heavily as my gaze drifted up to the lofts. We needed to talk, but not in one of those rooms and not when he was obviously drunk. “I want to stay down here.”
He took a swig out of the bottle and then frowned. “But…you’re not doing anything down here. You’re just leaning up against a wall like…”
“Like what?” I dipped out from underneath his arm and placed my cup on the table next to us.
Del turned his head to the side, his jaw working. “I don’t know. It’s just not you. I’d usually have to pull you away from everyone for some quality time.”
Irritation built inside me, and my eyes burned. “If you haven’t noticed, I’ve changed.”
He gave a dry laugh and took another drink. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
Guilt washed over the annoyance, because I had changed—not Del. Blaming him for it wasn’t right. I shifted my weight. “Del, I’m sorry.”
He finished off the rest of his bottle and then tossed it into an overflowing trash can. “I’m not mad. This is just hard. You’re a totally different person, and no matter how much you try, I know you’re not feeling it.”
My brows inched up. Whoa. Okay, maybe it was time for the conversation. And it might be easier than I’d realized. He already knew things weren’t the same. I stepped forward, stopping when we were inches from touching. “I really am trying hard, but—”
“We just need to try harder. I know.”
Oh. No, not where I was going with that. “Del—”
“Sammy, I still love you even though you…aren’t acting right.” He placed his hands on my shoulders, drawing me against his chest as he supported his weight against the wall. Glassy eyes met mine. “We’re meant to be together. And we’ve faced harder things than this.”
The music pounded in my ears as I stared up at him. “We have? I thought we had a perfect relationship, Del.”
He stared at me. “We did—we do!”
“Then what did we face?”
His mouth opened and closed. “Sammy, let’s not focus on that. Tell me what I need to do to make this work, and I’ll do it.”
“No. I want you to tell me, because I have this feeling…”
“Oh, she has a feeling!” Veronica’s voice trilled over the music and conversation, followed by her giggling. “This reminds me of something.”
Turning around, I saw Veronica standing a few feet away. She wobbled to the side. Someone turned the music down. My eyes found the source. Candy. Dread poured into me, locking up my muscles.
“You had a feeling during the funeral, didn’t you?” Veronica’s voice rang loud with false interest.
Everyone stopped. Dozens of eyes were on us, and the barn suddenly seemed too small. I stepped back and met the wall. Del had inched to the side, eyes downcast. A look crossed his face, tightening the features. At first I thought it was concern, but then I realized it was embarrassment.
I was alone.
“So, tell us what the feelings are like?” Candy joined in, flipping the icy sheet of blond hair over her shoulder. “Is it like psychics on those shows?”
A girl laughed. Others snickered.
I folded my arms around me, wanting to crawl into a hole. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s not?” Veronica leaned against the back of a couch, her catlike eyes narrowed. “So, what’s it like, then?”
A slow anger built inside me. Why were they doing this? Yes, we’d obviously grown apart, but to put me on the spot like this? “I really don’t want to talk about this.”
“Why not?” Candy whined, but her eyes sparked with maliciousness. “Everyone is dying to know what it’s like not having any clue who you are. And, wow, being the last person to see Cassie alive. What’s that like?”
“Knock it off,” Del said, finally speaking up. He’d found another bottle, clenching it tightly in his hand. “You’re embarrassing her.”
Or was I embarrassing him?
Candy rolled her eyes, and a dark-haired boy strolled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. Trey. I almost didn’t recognize him. He whispered something in her ear while he met my eyes. He grinned. Candy giggled, pressing back into him.
Veronica’s lips pursed. “What happened at the funeral?”
My head snapped in her direction. “I’m not talking about that here. Sorry.”
“Don’t be such a bitch, Sammy. Everyone wants to know what it’s like.” She turned around, raising her voice. “Right?”
Voices cheered and people chattered all around me. Their eyes bore into me as they pressed forward. I was falling again, but not from a cliff. I’d been at the top of the social ladder, above them, but now I was tumbling off it, hitting every single rung on the way down. Bruised and shaken, I felt the pressure build in my chest.
Who knew how many of them had waited for this day to come? And could I blame them? No. I’d probably terrorized half these kids. I searched the sea of faces for my brother—for Carson. My gaze skipped over one and darted back. Heart stopping, I thought I saw Cassie’s face—smiling at me. Happy. Thrilled.
I couldn’t catch my breath.
Veronica’s smile grew. “Okay. You don’t want to talk about that. Understandable. But you know what I heard?”
“No,” I think I whispered.
“When you wrecked your brother’s car—Mike Billows said you kept talking about someone being in the car with you, but there wasn’t anyone there.” Her voice rose. “He said you were crazy—‘Insanity Sam,’ I think he said.”
Crazy. Insanity Sam. The words bounced around in my skull. For a moment, the faces around me blurred out of focus. I was crazy. No one had been in the car. And how did she know? I looked at Del, but he was still staring at the floor. A second later, I remembered who Mike Billows was: a kid in my bio class who volunteered with the fire department.
“Seeing things?” Candy said, feigning sympathy. “That must really suck.”
Trey smacked her hip. “Be nice.”
She giggled.
“Or maybe,” Veronica continued, “you’ve always been crazy, and we just didn’t know it.” I wanted to throw myself at her, but I couldn’t move. “You sure you don’t remember the last time you saw Cassie…alive?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. Some of the faces lost their smiles. They were glancing at one another, no longer sure if watching my fall from grace was funny and entertaining.
A tall blonde pushed through the crowd, knocking kids out of the way. Julie took one look at Veronica and sneered. “Are you drunk or just a dumb bitch?”
“Excuse me?” Veronica shot back, lip curling. “You can’t possibly be talking to me.”
Julie got right up in her face. “You’re right, there are a few dumb bitches here. But I’m talking to you. So what’s your problem?”
Music suddenly blasted the air, drowning out whatever the two girls were saying, but it looked heated. I owed Julie—owed her big-time. But I had to get out of here. The dark brown walls of the barn were spinning. Nausea rose sharply.
Del reached for me. “Sammy—”
I pushed away from him, plowing through the closest group now fixated on the girl fight about to go down.
“Hey!” snapped a girl. “Watch where you’re going.”
“Sorry,” I murmured, keeping my eyes on the floor.
Another body blocked me. I stepped to the side. Too hot—I was too hot. Bodies were everywhere, pressing into me, suffocating me. Too much perfume—too many sounds. My heart slammed off my ribs; my lungs squeezed. I needed to get outside, get fresh air. The pressure increased and settled on my chest, cutting off the oxygen. Thoughts swam; the walls tilted.
Did you kill her? a voice whispered.
I whirled around. “Who…who said that?”
The boy closest to me arched his brows, muttering something under his breath, and turned away.
Did you kill Cassie? the voice said from behind me.
Spinning around, I tried to breathe. Faces blurred. My vision darkened at the corners. Tremors ran up my legs. I was going to pass out here, in front of everyone. How lame…
A strong hand found mine in the mess of people and squeezed gently. That scent—his scent—surrounded me. I inhaled deeply, expanding my lungs. I lifted my head, and my eyes met startling blue eyes.
Carson looked grim. “You want to get out of here?”
Chapter sixteen
In Carson’s father’s old red pickup truck, which smelled faintly of cigars, I pressed back into the seat and continued breathing deeply, hands clasped against my stomach. My pulse had finally started to slow down.
“If I had known what was going on, I would’ve come inside sooner,” Carson said quietly.
I swallowed. “It’s not your…your problem, and it’s okay.”
“It shouldn’t be your problem, and it’s not okay.” He reached over, gently pulling my hands free. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” I let out a shaky breath. “I think I was having a panic attack. I thought I heard…”
“Heard what?” His hand smoothed over mine, then folded over it.
When he was touching me like that, I’d probably admit just about anything. I turned my head toward him. A fine current of electricity shimmed between us. “I thought someone asked me if I’d killed Cassie, but I was…hearing things.” Forcing a weak laugh, I looked out the window. Kids streamed out the barn doors. Del was among them. “Or maybe some of them do think I killed her.”
“They don’t think that.”
I shot him a dull look. “It’s not like I’m a fan favorite here—then or now.”
His lips twitched. “Well, if they do think it, then they’re idiots.” He let go of my hand and started the truck. It rumbled to life. “So, want me to take you home? Or do you want me to go get Scott for you?”
“Actually, do you have plans? I was wondering if you’d like to do something with me today.”
He arched a brow. “The answer is yes and always, probably for a very long time, too.” His gaze dropped to my lips. “But unless you’ve kicked Del the Dick to the curb, I’m going to have to refuse.”
My cheeks burned, and my stomach warmed at his teasing. “Um, that’s not what I’m asking, but good to know.”
“Hmm. It wasn’t?” Carson’s lips spread into a half grin. “So what were you asking?”
Images of us together occupied my mind for a couple more seconds. “I was wondering if you would take me up to the cliff.”
“I can do that.” Carson shifted the gears. His hand brushed along my thigh, and I jerked at the contact. “But you probably want to change first.”
The images were still there, in a lot more detail than before. Us kissing. Touching. Talking.
Carson slid me a look. A knowing, smug grin split his lips. “Sam.”
I blinked. “Change of clothes. Got it.”
He chuckled as he shifted gears again, grazing my leg with the side of his hand. I doubted it was accidental. Then he threw his arm over the back of my seat and turned his head toward me. Because I was staring at him, the movement put us within kissing distance. My heart leaped into my throat. For a moment, I thought he was going to say “screw the good-guy thing” and go for it. A second later I realized he was backing up.
Awkward.
Carson met my eyes and winked. I let out the breath I was holding, so aware of him that I felt as if I’d climb out of my skin at any second. And he knew it. That smug half grin was on his face the whole way to my house.
I snuck in and quickly changed into hiking-appropriate clothing. The house seemed empty, but I didn’t stick around to find out, doubtful that either of my parents would’ve been down with me hanging out with Carson.
We stopped at his house, and he changed out of his dress clothes. Returning in under two minutes, he’d thrown on a pair of jeans and a light sweater.
The trip to the state forest was bumpy. The truck rocked, and my phone slipped out of my fingers, falling to the floorboard. Reaching down, my hand knocked into something soft, and I grabbed it with my phone.
It was a hat—the black baseball cap I’d seen him wear before.
An image of the man in the woods flashed before me. He’d been wearing a black cap, but that…that was only a memory or a stress-induced hallucination. It couldn’t be…
“Your hat?” I said hoarsely.
Carson glanced at me, brows raised. “Yeah, had it for years.”
I put it on the dashboard, quickly dismissing the irrational fear. As we drove up the narrow dirt road, I glanced at him. “I tried to talk to Del before Veronica turned on me.”
He gave me a sidelong glance. “Sam, I don’t want to be the reason why you leave him.”
“You’re not,” I said honestly. “Things aren’t the same between Del and me, and that has nothing to do with you.”
“Okay.” One of his fingers tapped on the steering wheel. “Has he told you anything about your relationship?”
I shook my head. “Other than our relationship was perfect? No.”
Carson let out a choked laugh. “He said that? Wow.”
“What?” My interest was immediately piqued.