Page 50 of Hers To Keep

I shouldn’t believe a word she said. I know she spews lie after lie, infecting the minds of those around her with uncertain thoughts. Yet I don’t know why her opinion still means so much to me. I’m wary enough without her poisoning my thoughts, but I can’t help if what she says makes me uneasy.

Maybe it’s because deep down inside, I don’t trust Ace.

I mean, how could I after what I saw him do?He swears it’s all a misunderstanding of epic proportions, but yet refuses to clear his name. I’m not sure who he’s protecting, but it pains me just the same to know he’d rather me believe he is at fault for such a heinous crime, than come clean.

So many secrets he still holds, so much power he refuses to letgo of, but I know it all has a purpose. He has to pretend he’s still on his uncle’s side. He has to until we can come up with a concrete plan to end him.

“He shoots, he scores!” Bass hollers, sinking yet another ball into the beer filled solo cup across from him. “Drink up, baby,” he shouts out at Jade who’s standing on the other end. It’s Bass and Beck against Jade and Stella in a clearly unfair game of beer pong. Obviously the guys are winning.

“Oh fuck off, Sebastian!” Jade sneers, picking up the red cup of beer where the ball floats and drinking it in one swift gulp. Bass watches her eagerly as she swallows the beer, licking off the droplets that dripped upon her lips. Ace squeezes my hand beside his, raising a brow questioningly as he follows my gaze aimed at Bass. I smirk, raising a brow back at him causing him to chuckle lightly as he shakes his head knowingly.

These two are driving everyone crazy with their back-and-forth, blatant flirting.

My phone vibrates on the table beside me. I reach over to pick it up wondering who could be calling me if everyone I talk to is in the room with me.

Unknownappears on the screen and my body immediately goes tense. I’ve never saved his number for fear someone might find my phone and discover our conversations, but every time that word flashes on the screen, my body goes numb with a paralyzing fear.

Not wanting to talk to him now, or ever, I ignore the call, silencing my phone and setting it back down on the table. Just seconds later, the screen lights up signaling a new text message. I look toward Ace, whose gaze remains directed at the game before picking up my phone, unlocking it, and reading the message.

Unknown: Enjoying yourself are you now?

My heart drops to my feet, as I frantically look around theroom. He’s near, he has to be, I can almost sense him—like a mysterious aura darkening the skies before us, a cold, chilling air floating around us, and a putrid stench enveloping my senses.

Ace shifts beside me, leaning over to whisper in my ear. “You okay, babe?” I quickly shove my phone in my back pocket, hoping he didn’t see me react anxiously to the text I received.

“Yeah, everything is fine. Is it our turn yet?” I ask, hoping to shift his attention back to the game.

“Not yet, Bass and Jade are still fighting like a fucking married couple. I swear they just need to fuck each other out of their system and spare the rest of us from the agony of listening to them bicker endlessly.” I chuckle at his comment wondering to myself if Bass hasn’t confessed they already fucked each other, and obviously not out of their system. I almost say something but decide it’s best I don’t.

I’m startled once again, when Bass hollers loudly after making the winning shot, requiring Jade and Stella to drink the rest of their cups of beer. Suddenly, I feel my phone vibrate twice more in my pocket. I thought I silenced it. I reach back and pull it out, noticing I have two more unread messages.

Unknown: Must be nice to live so carelessly and carefree. As if danger isn’t knocking on your doorstep.

The next one reads.

Unknown: Don’t ignore me, little girl. It isn’t smart.

My heart beats erratically in my chest, as I look up feeling someone’s stare on me. Across from me I find a wicked smirk on Alek’s face as he watches me read the text messages on my phone. He holds his phone in his hand, his penetrating gaze infuriatingly directed at me, and I immediately know it’s him who must be filtering out information to Wesley. It has to be.

I excuse myself from the room asking Jade to fill in for me on the next game with Ace.

“Where are you going?” he asks, immediately turning defensive.

“I just need to step out for a moment, nothing serious, just need some air.”

“I’ll go with you,” he demands, but I’m quick to shoot down his offer.

“No, I just need some breathing space. It’s all too much for me. Acting like all is well in the world when so much is going wrong. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“Okay, don’t go far. The sun’s set and it gets really dark out here.”

“I won’t,” I assure him, reaching up and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

I head out the front door, down the cobblestone path which leads further down the beach toward the end of the shore. On the other side of the cliff lies Devil’s Point, the tidepools Ace took me to a few weeks ago. I decide it’s safe to go down there as no one in their right mind would follow me. I need to be alone for a while; I’m drowning in the countless lies I keep telling myself and those around me.

The waves are unruly tonight, slamming against the edge of the rocks as the wind harshly plows through them. The sky is dark, the moon just a small crescent in the sky not shining much light down upon me. Dark shadows appear all around me, but I find it somewhat peaceful to be consumed by the darkness of the night. At least I know this darkness, which lies on the outside, will turn to light in a matter of hours. Not like the darkness flowing through me which threatens to eradicate whatever light there ever was.

A chilling breeze flows around me sending shivers down my back, my body covered in goosebumps, as I hear a sinister cackle come from behind me. It’s terrifying and malicious, like one you’d hear in a horror film as the murderer appears in the darknessbefore the victim, or a demon getting ready to possess. I don’t want to turn around because I know he stands behind me. I can feel his presence looming over me, like a dark shadow of malice threatening to devour me.

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