AUSTIN
Graduation is four days away, and I hate that it’s so close. For as long as I can remember, all I thought about was freedom. Now, I dread it.
I’ve got no mother. I never did hear from her after she and Phillip left my father’s that night. But I never expected to. Cole is good at one thing. And that’s making things disappear.
I’ve got no Cole. I catch sight of him at school in the halls and classroom, and he looks angrier than ever. Mad at the world. Mad at me. Like I did something wrong.
I still have Becky, so that is a plus. But I don’t see her very much. She spends all her time with Deke, and he is always with Cole, which leaves me alone.
Celeste is always crying. I found her last night in the kitchen sobbing over a bowl of ice cream. I ignored her because I don’t care what is wrong with her. My father hasn’t said anything else to me since he gave me the check almost a month ago. But I think he got the hint that I wasn’t going to take his money when he found it ripped to pieces on the kitchen island.
I don’t want anything from anyone. I just want out of this town. Out of this nightmare and out of everyone’s life.
A fresh start. A new beginning.
I wanna go where no one knows me. Where I can be someone different.
I pull up to my father’s house and put my car in park. It’s late. The clock on my dash reads a little after ten. I went to another movie with Myers tonight. He wanted to come over afterward, but I shut that down. I’m not ready to jump in bed with anyone just yet. I hate to burst his bubble, but I’m not looking for what he is interested in. I’m using him to get to Cole. I hope all that anger I see means it’s working.
The worst part is that once again, I haven’t got to see Lilly. We talk on the phone, but that’s it. And the conversations don’t last long. I think another thing that sucks is that I know Cole is gonna be a part of my life forever. Because I’m not gonna push Lilly out of my life. I’m gonna talk to her. See her. Watch her grow up.
I get out of my car and make my way up the stairs to the front door. The wind blows my hair around, making it stick to my lip-gloss. Opening the door, I come to a stop when I hear Celeste crying down the hall. I sigh. What the hell is wrong with her?
“Please?” she begs. “Don’t do this.”
I head for the stairs but stop when I hear a male’s voice.
“It’s over,” Kellan growls. “It’s been over. But you refuse to believe it.” Just then, Kellan walks into the foyer. He comes to a stop noticing me.
Celeste follows behind him. “You can’t do this …” Her voice trails off when she sees me. “Austin,” she says in surprise, reaching up to wipe her wet cheeks. “I didn’t expect you to be home so soon.”
I look at her. “I’m going to bed.”
“Have you told her?” he demands.
She shakes her head quickly.
“Tell me what?” I ask. He narrows his eyes on me, and I roll mine. “I’m tired, and it’s too late to play games with you, Kellan. What has she not told me?” Is she divorcing my father? Is that why he has been gone so much? Maybe he’s got some ass on the side as well? I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s ten years younger than Celeste.
“All her secrets,” he says simply.
“Kellan, don’t—”
“I don’t have time for this,” I say, running a hand through my hair, interrupting her. I’m exhausted.
I take the first step on the stairs when he speaks. “Why do you think you’re here?”
I pause. My eyes meet his. “Excuse me?”
He smiles, proud of himself. All of a sudden, I’m interested. “It’s ’cause I wanted you here.”
“What?” I ask confused.
“I was with Celeste when your mother called her and said that you were too much for her. That it would make Celeste look like a saint in this city to take in Bruce’s troubled teen. But she didn’t want you. She wanted Lilly.”
I look at her, and her eyes are narrowed on him. “What?” I ask because that’s all I can say.
“So you still haven’t figured it out yet.” He smirks. “What she did. What she is capable of?”
“Don’t,” she growls at him.
His smirk just grows. “She can keep a secret, babe,” he tells her.
My brows rise. What could she have possibly done? It can’t be worse than what the guys have done.
“Celeste here”—he looks at her over his shoulder—“killed Betty, Cole and Lilly’s mother.”