Page 19 of Ruin
What the hell could he want?
“Hello?”
“Are you home?” he asks, something in his voice making it feel like something is wrong.
I sit up straight. “Yeah, is everything okay?”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Meet me outside.”
“What? Why?” I don’t get an answer. “Hello?”
I look at the phone to see he’s ended the call.
What the fuck is going on?
I get up to throw a shirt on along with my boots, but I don’t bother lacing them up. I pace my room until eight minutes have passed and then I go downstairs and wait on the front porch. Dad won’t be home until the sun is up, and if Kaison comes home, I’ll just tell him to mind his own fucking business.
Lucian shows up exactly ten minutes from when he ended his call. The window of his BMW rolls down as he stops in the driveway.
“Get in,” he says, just loud enough for me to hear.
I look both ways, into the dark yard, then down the driveway before hurrying toward his car and getting into the front seat.
“What’s going on, Lucian?” I ask as I buckle my seatbelt. My heart is pounding, but I don’t know why.
He turns around in the spacious driveway, then speeds down it. He doesn’t answer me.
We turn right down the road, and I wait a few more seconds before asking again because he’s scaring me now.
“What the hell is going on? You’re freaking me out.”
“Just… wait.”
“What the fuck?” I growl. “You call me and tell me to meet you without giving me any explanation. It’s fucking ridiculous.”
“Just be patient.”
He’s always so calm. How does he always stay so calm and in control?
I’d love to be more like him than my own father, so I do as he says. At least, I try. My knee shakes the entire ride, and I chew on my nails.
Eventually, he pulls down a narrow dirt road and parks in the small parking lot of Rolling Park. Hardly no one uses it anymore, since the new one was built across town. This one is neglected and hardly used, mostly forgotten. All but one of the four swings are broken, the merry-go-round is crooked, and there are more broken rungs on the ladder for the slide than working ones.
Lucian leaves the car running, but puts it in park, and undoes his seatbelt. Then he just stares forward.
“What is going on?” I demand. I’ve never been so fucking nervous in all my life and I don’t even know what I’m nervous about. Too many thoughts have gone through my mind, especially now that we’re here.
Did he tell my dad? Did he bring me here to kill me? Is he going to help my father hide my body?
After a few beats, he turns toward me, his eyes shadowed with sadness. What the fuck is he going to tell me? Whatever it is, it’s bad news. Did Dad die? My brother? Would that even be bad news? What the fuck is happening?
“I can’t stop thinking about that night.”
“Wh-what?” I breathe out.
I couldn’t have heard that correctly. There’s no way all ofthisis aboutthat.
“Kolton,” he says, letting out a slow exhale.
