Page 12 of His Pretty Little Lies
That had my full attention. It also had my spidey senses tingling. I would have preferred to meet with this mystery note person at school, but they told me the story was happening now, and I needed to come to said location, which is a warehouse down on the docks.
It’s the start of my very own horror movie. I’ve gone around and around about telling Jax about it but pulled that thought back. He’s only been chatty with me for one day, and I’m under his spell. Nope, I’m not going to be that girl. I won’t allow a guy to get in the way of a story. I have to follow the leads that I get, no matter what.
“What’s up with you and Jax?” Blair, Golden Prep’s resident emo girl, asks. I was surprised to see she had taken media as one of her classes, and now here she is hanging out after school. I jotted down both things in my notebook, being as that isn’t her norm.
“Nothing.” I shrug it off.
“Ah, you only take others' information in and don’t give any of your own out, I see.” Blair rolls her bright blue eyes at me. The eyes of an angel cloaked in darkness. She may think she’s hiding her natural beauty under all of the heavy makeup and combat boots, but it still shines through.
Blair isn’t wrong, and she has always shared information with me. It might not hurt to talk to her about Jax. I’m sure the halls are buzzing with this news already. I don’t want to be the news; I want to report it.
“I don’t know what it is. He’s the one talking to me.” If I didn’t know better, I’d call him my stalker. He pops up everywhere; even before today, I would always see him around. Often not during school either.
“Be careful.” Blair stands, grabbing her bag off the ground where she’d dropped it.
“Because he’ll hurt me?”
“There is more than physical pain.” That’s not cryptic or anything. “Also—” Blair leans down close to my ear, her jet-black hair falling to cover her face. “He gives me the creeps.” She points her thumb at her chest so only I can see it, and it’s in the direction of the new media teacher, Mr. McIntyre, who is behind her.
“Well, that’s not good,” I whisper back. “You’re the one that's supposed to be creeping people out.” Blair snorts a laugh before she takes off.
She has to be going off vibes because we haven’t gotten much from the new media teacher yet, but this course is fairly independent, and I run most of it because I’m the editor-in-chief.
I pack up my things, too. I’m lying to myself if I think I’m not going to check out this warehouse. But what if I see or find anything that could be really bad for Jax? Then what? I don’t think I can report on the Marino family unless I want to end upsleeping with the fishes, which is fitting because the warehouse is down on the dock, kind of isolated.
That was the first thing I did when I got the note: searched out the warehouse, and it indeed belonged to the Marino family. It’s not shocking. They control many of the docks and warehouses throughout the whole city.
I give Mr. McIntyre a small wave before I head out. It’s an easy walk from home, but the docks not so much. I have to order a car to pick me up and take me. I find a spot down the way from the warehouse, not wanting the driver to know what I'm up to. Although he probably doesn't care, it's always possible that he might.
“Shit,” I mutter to myself. I told Mary I wouldn’t go into any dark places, and the sun is setting fast. When I see the fence up ahead with a chain on it that leads down to the old warehouse, I think I might be screwed.
I’m still in my stupid school uniform and climbing a metal fence with a skirt on would be rough. When I make my way down the small hill, I see that the padlock on the chain is open. It gives me pause. I glance around but don’t see anyone. It’s dead; the only sound is from the river and the loose gravel under my shoes.
“This is where you turn around,” I tell myself, but I’m already pushing the gate open enough that I can slip through without having to remove the chain.
I spot the surveillance camera, but it’s been turned in an odd direction. I know some can be fake, but the Marino family has the money for legit security. This warehouse isn’t in use, and I couldn’t find anything on the last time it had been.
That said, it could be a warehouse they keep for their personal use, but it appears too run-down for that. If that were the case, I think this place would be loaded with direct security.Then again, when you make things appear unassuming, people tend to leave them alone. It only sucks me in further.
I keep a tight hold on my phone as I make my way down the hill. It’s hard to tell from the loose gravel if anyone has been here recently. I debate whether I should circle the building, but I should get out of sight as quickly as I can. The first door I come to opens, all too easily.
This is some weird trap, but why? Who the hell would want to trap me? The second I pass the threshold, the door falls closed behind me, and every cell in my body goes on high alert. I don't know what’s wrong, but I can sense it.
Fuck this. I'm about to turn and run back out when a hand grabs my wrist. I open my mouth to scream bloody murder like the stupid, naïve virgin in every horror film, praying that I'll make it out alive because of said virginity and be thefinal girl,but a hand covers my mouth, halting me.
"Bunny." Jax whispers my name, his eyes locking with mine. This should freak me out more, but a rush of relief fills me. "I fucked up." Okay, maybe I should knee him in the balls and run. "It's not what you think. Shit, I'm sorry. Don't freak out. I'm not going to hurt you."
I try to respond, but his hand is still over my mouth, so only mumbles come out. Jax drops his hand.
"You scared the shit out of me," I whisper-yell at him.
"I told you not to go to strange places."
"With men." I get defensive.
"Who were you meeting then?" He pushes right back. Jax is riding a line of pissed and apologetic; it's one only he could pull off.
“I don’t know.” I step back, running into the door behind me. Jax matches the step, closing in on me.
