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  “How ya holding up?” Kevin sat in the chair near my bed, resting his elbows on his knees.

  “Fine,” I said, pushing a strand of hair out of my face.

  “Headache better?”

  It took me a minute to realize why he’d asked that. “Oh, yeah. The headache. It’s a little better. I guess I just needed to rest.”

  “Or get away from all the questions,” Kevin said knowingly. My cheeks flushed, but I didn’t agree. My brother and I had shared many secrets over the years and for the most part I trusted him, but this was different. This secret was one I had to hold onto. Leaning forward, his gaze pierced mine. “You’re going to have to tell everyone where you’ve really been sooner or later, Layla.”

  Shuddering, I glanced downward. “I did.”

  “C’mon. It’s me you’re talking to. I know you.”

  “I’m telling the truth, Kev,” I said, firmly. “What reason would I have to lie?”

  “That’s what I’m wondering.” He narrowed his eyes, tenting his fingers.

  “Well, I’m not lying. I got in an accident, and a couple took me in. Now I’m home. Why can’t everyone leave it at that?”

  Kevin was silent a moment while he stared at me intently. When he did speak it was barely above a whisper. “It was him, wasn’t it?”

  My stomach flipped, but I kept my face neutral. “Him, who?”

  Kevin peered toward the door. Then he moved even closer to me. “The beastly boy. He’s the one who had you, right?”

  I fought against the panic rising inside of me. How would he come to that conclusion? Folding my hands, I shoved my fists under my covers to keep Kevin from seeing how they shook. “Of course not.” My voice wavered a bit, and I scolded myself. “How would that even be possible? He’s not real.” I forced out a laugh as if I believed it all to be preposterous. It’s the way I would’ve reacted before meeting Jasper. My brothers knew I didn’t believe in him.

  “There are a lot of holes in your story, and everyone knows it.”

  I felt sick at his words. “There aren’t any holes in my story. It’s not even a story. It’s what happened.”

  “There aren’t any couples living in the forest. The only person living in the forest is the beastly boy. We all know he’s the person who had you. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “That’s crazy. He’s nothing but an urban legend.”

  Kevin paused, taking me in. Reaching out, he gently placed his hand over mine. “I get why you’re afraid to tell us the truth.”

  I yanked my hand back. “I’m really sick of you accusing me of lying. If that’s the only reason you came in here, then you can leave. I’m tired.” It had been my go-to excuse since I’d been home. Holding my head, I slid down further while pulling the covers up to my chin. My conversation with Kevin left me feeling betrayed. If I couldn’t trust him, then there was no one here I could trust. My mind traveled to Jasper, and I was caught off guard by a pang of longing.

  “Layla, I’m sure you think you’re protecting us by keeping quiet, but you don’t have to worry. The police will keep us safe. Nothing bad will happen. You have to believe that.” My gaze slid over to him, wondering what he was talking about. I cocked an eyebrow. Catching it, he continued, “We’ve all heard the stories. We know how the beastly boy operates. I’m sure he threatened our family if you didn’t keep quiet.”

  Shaking my head, I blew out a breath. He had no idea how wrong he was. It was Jasper who had to fear my family. Not the other way around.

  “What?” Kevin asked, and I scolded myself for reacting.

  “Oh, nothing. It’s just this whole theory of yours is ridiculous. I knew you and Grant believed in all this nonsense when we were kids, but I thought for sure you’d outgrown it by now.”

  “It’s not ridiculous. No one thinks it is,” Kevin said firmly.

  His words turned my insides to ice. “What does that mean?”

  “Exactly what I said. Everyone knows he’s real. Our parents. The police.” His gaze met mine, and I could tell the look he gave me was meant to comfort me, but it didn’t. Not at all. “They’re going to find him. I promise you that.”

  I sat up, shoving the covers down to my waist. “They’re looking for him now?”

  He nodded.

  “No!” The word shot out of my mouth before I could stop it.

  Kevin recoiled, his eyes widening. “I knew it was him. It was that monster in the forest, wasn’t it?”

  I shook my head, but I knew the truth was evident in my eyes.

  “He hurt you, didn’t he?” He ground out the words, angrily. “That’s why you’ve been keeping quiet. You’re terrified of him.” Running a hand through his hair, he stood. Exhaling, he turned. “I’ll make sure he pays for this.”

  Desperation bloomed in my chest as he made his way to the door. When his hand lit on the door, the desperation grew, spreading through my insides.

  “He didn’t hurt me!” Kevin whirled around. His eyebrows were knit together in confusion. When his gaze crashed into mine, I regretted my outburst. But it was too late to back down now. I couldn’t pretend I’d never said anything. I’d peeked his curiosity in an irreversible way. “Kevin, please, you have to listen to what I’m saying.” He took a step forward. “I’ll tell you everything if you promise to help me.”

  “Okay.” He nodded warily, crossing his arms over his chest.

  After taking a deep breath, I swallowed hard. I’d reacted so quickly, I hadn’t taken the time to think through what I was doing. But there was no way I could back down now. Kevin was standing over me, his eyebrows raised in expectation.

  12

  THE BETRAYAL

  I FELT LIGHTER after telling Kevin everything. It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I had no idea how taxing it had been to carry the secret of my captivity until now. Letting the words slip out of my mouth was freeing, and I was met with instant relief.

  Kevin hadn’t seemed as shocked as I’d expected him to be. In fact, it was almost as if he’d already known the entire story. Almost like I did nothing more than confirm his suspicions.

  He’d thanked me for telling him the truth, and he promised to help me throw the family off of Jasper’s track. At first, I’d rested in that promise. That, coupled with my relief, kept me going for a few days. I was blissfully content as I spent time with my family, rested, and ate good food.

  Until it hit me.

  No one had asked me any further questions since the night the police were here.

  Since the night I’d spoken to Kevin.

  In fact, no one seemed curious at all about my whereabouts while I was missing. The police hadn’t been back, and the questions from my family members had ceased. Life was continuing on as if nothing had happened at all. As if there hadn’t been a huge gap since my high school graduation and now. As if I’d never been missing.

  Over breakfast one morning, I stared at Kevin as I ate a mouthful of scrambled eggs. He sat across the table from me, laughing about something with Grant. Narrowing my eyes, I wondered if he was the reason for the silence. Had he done what I asked? Had he given my family another explanation for my time away? And if so, what had it been? I swallowed down my eggs and caught his eye. When his gaze met mine, I mouthed that we needed to talk. Then I carried my plate to the kitchen and dumped it in the sink.

  Kevin met me in the hallway.

  “What’s up?” he asked nonchalantly.

  “Did you tell them?” I whispered harshly, my gaze bouncing around the hall. “About Jasper?”

  “I promised you I wouldn’t.”

  It wasn’t an answer and my stomach tightened. Nina had warned me not to trust anyone. Why hadn’t I listened? I grabbed his sleeve and tugged hard. “You did, didn’t you? No one’s asking me any questions. It’s because you told them what happened.”

  Throwing me a harsh look, he yanked his arm out of my grasp. “You told me to throw them off his track, so that’s what I did. I’m
helping you, Layla. I need you to calm down and let me handle this.”

  His words should’ve comforted me, but there was something in his eyes, something that told me he wasn’t being entirely honest. My chest tightened.

  “What’s going on?” Grant sauntered in wearing a cocky smile. His light hair was perfectly gelled to the side, and he wore a collared shirt and pressed jeans. It was a huge contrast to Kevin’s gym shorts and my flannel pajamas. Still, as much as Kevin and I appeared to be on the same side, the look that passed between the two guys made me uneasy.

  I stepped away from them, shaking my head. “Nothing. I’m just gonna go get ready for the day.”

  As I backed out of the room, Kevin flashed me an encouraging smile as if to tell me that everything was going to be okay. If only I believed him. Rounding the corner, I started up the stairs, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. Behind me I heard Kevin and Grant’s muffled voices as they spoke to one another. I froze. They were talking softly, desperately, intensely. It reminded me of how Kevin and I would hide from Grant to tell our secrets, and it caused the skin on the back of my neck to prickle. Quietly, I crept back down the stairs and pressed my back to the wall right beside the opening into the hallway.

  “She’s worried that I told you guys the truth,” Kevin said, and my stomach dropped.

  “I still don’t get why she doesn’t want anyone to know,” Grant responded in an annoyed tone. This was nothing new. Grant had never understood me. I was like a foreign object to him.

  “She says it’s because she cares about the guy and that he was nice to her,” Kevin answered like it was ridiculous. Grant chuckled. My blood boiled. “But I know it’s because she’s scared. That’s why we have to keep quiet. Make her think I did what she asked.”

  “She’s gonna find out sooner or later,” Grant said.

  “True, but by then he’ll be in custody, and we can assure her that she’s safe. That we’re safe. Until then, we need to keep her in the dark. It won’t do her any good to get worked up and freaked out.”

  Too late.

  “He may already be in custody. The police said they had a lead on him,” Grant said.

  My hands shook at my sides.

  “Good. I hope he is after what he did to her. I’ve never seen Layla like this. She’s nothing like the girl she was two months ago.”

  “Don’t worry. He’ll get what he deserves.”

  Nausea swept over me, bile rising in my throat. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. The room spun around me, as I shoved off the wall and grappled for the railing on the stairs. Footsteps sounded in the hallway, propelling me forward. I didn’t want them to know I’d heard. Clearly, I couldn’t trust either of them.

  When I made it to my room, I hurried inside and closed the door. Breathing deeply, I thought of Jasper. His face filled my mind – his kind eyes and gentle smile. I conjured up the sound of his rumbling voice, his tender words. He’d known all along this would happen if he let me go, and yet he did it anyway. He did it because he’s not a monster, regardless of what anyone else thought. His entire life he’d had no one to count on besides Nina.

  But now he had me, and I couldn’t let him down. I had to help him. I had to do whatever it took to save him. It was my fault he was in this mess. For the first time, I empathized with Nina. Her tactics may have been unsavory, but her heart was in the right place. All she wanted was to keep Jasper safe. She was desperate even. And I understood that now, because in this moment, I felt the exact same way.

  He may already be in custody.

  Grant’s words knocked around in my head, stealing my breath. What if Jasper had been arrested? I tried to imagine him locked in a jail cell, but it was too painful. There’s no way he would survive there. Not with the way he looked. Not with what people thought of him.

  But I didn’t think he’d been picked up by the cops yet. I was certain my family would be alerted when he had, especially Kevin, since he was their informant. Again, I felt like an idiot for trusting him. What was I thinking?

  Recalling all that Kevin and I had been through, I knew why I’d done what I had. I needed an ally, and he was my safest bet. It may have backfired, but I was doing what I thought was right. I was trying to protect Jasper. Now I saw that no one at my house was going to help me do that.

  However, there was someone who would help me.

  Racing to my dresser, I changed quickly. My yoga pants and t-shirt didn’t match, but none of that mattered. I had more important matters at hand. Reaching up, I tunneled my hands through my hair, pulling it up into a high pony. Then I slipped on a pair of socks and tennis shoes. Heading to my bedroom door, I carefully peeked out. This would be the tricky part. Leaving undetected wasn’t going to be easy. My family had been keeping a close eye on me since I’d been back.

  As I formulated an escape plan, I almost laughed out loud at the irony of it. Wasn’t I doing this same thing at Jasper’s mere weeks ago? I never thought once I got home that I’d be trying to escape in order to go back there. Yet, here I was.

  I closed the door firmly behind me and then tiptoed down the hall, keeping my ears perked and my eyes wide open. Mom’s voice floated from the kitchen. I paused, listening. Grant’s voice followed. Dad went to work today, so I only had to watch out for Kevin. My pulse jumpstarted. He was the one I was most worried about. If he found me, he would know immediately what I was up to. Mom would have actually been the easiest to manipulate. My brothers would see right through me.

  Swallowing hard, I hurried down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, footsteps sounded. I leapt into the dining room and ducked behind a chair. It wasn’t a great hiding spot, and I was certain if anyone walked in here they’d spot me immediately. Holding my breath, I listened to the footsteps as they passed the dining room and retreated down the hallway. I heaved a sigh of relief at the fact that they didn’t go up the stairs.

  Knowing my window of time was narrowing, I stood and made my way into the foyer. Thankfully, my keys were still where I’d left them when I returned. I scooped them up, careful not to make a sound. Then I deliberately opened the front door. After stepping through it, I closed it softly and ran down the driveway. My tennis shoes clomped on the pavement with each step. I prayed that no one was watching from the windows. Luckily, my car was parked at the curb, which was far enough from the house that no one inside would hear when I turned it on.

  As I headed down the street, I thumped my fingers nervously on the steering wheel. I knew how to get to the forest, but I wasn’t sure I could find my way back to Jasper’s house. However, I had to try. Pressing my foot down harder on the gas, I prayed I would arrive before the police or anyone else.

  I prayed he’d still be there.

  I prayed I could save him.

  ***

  I drove aimlessly through the forest until the sun dropped and the sky became dark. Dread sank into my gut with each passing mile. It was reminiscent of when I tried to escape Jasper’s in the middle of the night. I kept getting turned around and was essentially driving in circles. Racking my brain, I tried to recall the route Jasper took when we drove out of here, but it was no use. There were no visible markers to help identify where I was. It made sense that there wouldn’t be. It was how Jasper and Nina had stayed hidden for so long. As frustrated as I was by the fact that I couldn’t find them, it also gave me hope that no one else would be able to either.

  Frustrated, I was about to give up when I saw something. A flicker of light in the distance. Squinting, I moved forward. Rolling down my window partially, cool air spilled inside. I heard the sound of rushing water. The stream was nearby, which meant that Jasper’s house might be also. It also meant that I had to be careful. I was no longer driving on the street, or even on a path. I had already been having a difficult enough time weaving through the trees, not to mention the fact that I’d turned off my lights so as not to be seen.

  Slowing, I maneuvered around another tree while keeping my eyes peeled for the stre
am. And that’s when I saw the house. Heart thumping, I drove toward it. The lights were out, and the curtains were drawn. My stomach tightened. I detected no movement anywhere on the property. Turning off my car, I stepped outside. The shiver that ran through my body was only partly from the cold. Gaze sweeping the area, I walked up to the front door, my feet crunching over leaves and branches.

  Raising my arm slowly, I knocked. It was weird being back here. Even weirder to be knocking on the front door. It was definitely a first. The other times I’d entered had been against my will.

  When no one answered, fear took root. Had the police already found them? Had my family? Biting my lip, I glanced around. It was eerily quiet. A chill brushed over my skin. Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned in the direction of it. No one was there, but the curtain in the front window moved slightly as if someone had peeked out.

  My heart leapt in my throat. Perhaps I wasn’t too late. Reaching out, I knocked again.

  “Jasper!” I called. “It’s okay. It’s just me – Layla.”

  The door flung open. My eyes widened as Nina came at me. “What are you doing here? Haven’t you already done enough?”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause any problems.” My lower lip trembled.

  “It’s too late for that.” Her eyes were wild as they slid past my shoulder. “You lead them here!”

  I peered over my shoulder, expecting to see the police or my family, but the forest was as empty as when I’d arrived. “No.” I shook my head. “I didn’t. I made sure that I wasn’t followed.”

  “Why are you even here?” She furrowed her brows.

  “I-I-came to warn Jasper that people are looking for him.”

  Nina let out a bitter laugh. “No, Layla, people aren’t looking for him.”

  “They’re not?” Confusion filled me.