Page 54 of Just Between Us

“What do I owe the pleasure?” I shut the dark wooden door behind me.

Nick is quiet on the other end for a moment then, “I’ve been thinking about our conversation a few weeks ago and I don’t know, something wasn’t sitting right with me.”

You and I both. I wait, wondering where he is going with this. “I know you said weren’t going to take Dad up on his offer, but I must say, I don’t believe you, Cole. Your track record doesn’t exactly inspire trust.”

I clench my jaw. “What are you talking about, Nick?”

The sound of clicking on a keyboard sounds on his end before he lets out a quiet sigh. “I’ve recently come across some very interesting information. Information I think you’d be interested in.”

This is getting exhausting. I don’t have much patience for Nick’s games. I want to go back to Kai and continue talking about ghosts even though logically there is no such thing, but I like that he’s determined to convince me.

“Nick…”

“Check your email,” he says.

I frown, walking over to my laptop and powering it up. When I get to my inbox, my mouth fills with bile because without reading the first attachment, I know exactly what this is.

I see it all again, menacing plumes of black smoke, roaring flames, and the thick stench of petrol. It’s like the scene is playing in front of me all over again, my mother’s sobs, her wary eyes as she gazes at me, partially hiding her face on my father’s chest. I see Doctor Phillipe with his mousy expression and round spectacles.

Did you want your family dead, Cole?

“These records are meant to be sealed,” I say quietly, unable to move, my eyes refusing to read any more of the first report. “How did you get these?”

Report on Psychological Assessment.

“Don’t worry about all of that,” Nick says. “People might not know what you truly are, Cole, but I do. If you don’t stick to your word, I go public with this and everyone including Levi sees that the golden boy image you try so hard to maintain has all been a façade.”

I’ve never told Levi the truth about that night, about the rabbit or any of it. When I met him, I buried that version of me somewhere I could never find. But staring at the screen now, that Cole glares right back through these reports.

Exhibits acute antisocial behaviour.

“Hello?” Nick sings on the other end. “You still there?”

I swallow, shutting the laptop. “Why are you doing this?” I ask. I’ve mostly stayed out of Nick’s way since the night of the fire.

“Call it an incentive to keep your word,” he says.Blinding rage simmers inside me but I douse it, breathing quietly. Nick is only doing this because he’s paranoid and he thinks I’m lying about refusing our father’s offer.

“Nick, I don’t want any of this,” I tell him, keeping my voice level. “You can have it all. I couldn’t care less.”

He laughs quietly. “Isn’t pathological lying one of the most common symptoms of being a psychopath?”

I flinch at the name. He knows how much I hate it.

“Oh, and I almost forgot; there’s a fun video in that email. Does Levi know about that?” He laughs. “Make sure you’re alone when you watch it. I would hate it if that ended up in the wrong hands.”

“Nick–”

“I have to go but I trust this will keep you in your place and that’s far away from what belongs to me.”

The line goes dead, and I lean back in my chair, shutting my eyes for a second. From the time we were children, Nick has always known where to poke and prod. Everyone else saw him as the sweet little boy who worshipped my father but when no one was watching, he did his best to make me wish I’d never been born.

I know I should probably worry more about him, but as long as I do what he says, he won’t show this to anyone else. He might not believe me but we both want the same thing and that’s me far away from the Armas family.

Kai is cleaning up when I walk back into the kitchen. He stops when he sees me, his eyes flashing with concern. “Are you okay?” he asks.

I shrug. “That wasn’t the most enjoyable phone call.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks quietly.

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