My Partner In Crime

Chapter 15

A/N: Hey, sorry I've been semi-offline for awhile, school just started up again and I've been trying to get back into the swing of things. Publishing for the time being is going to be kind of irregular for the time being, but there won't be month long breaks like this past month. For now, I'm gonna say that I now have more material to write romance-wise. Happy reading!!!!!!)

~Dodge's POV~

Since Rylee, my coworker, had a family emergency, I had to pick up her shift. Clem caught a ride, though I don't know who she could have asked because her dad is out of town. I was about to give up on my personal challenge when I received a text message from an unknown number, just like Clem had gotten earlier that day. I wrapped up my shift and left.

It was a dark farm. The only other person there was Abby, who was wearing a cow-girl costume.

"Hey," I said as I got out of my car.

"Howdy." Abby said, nodding into the depths of the farm. "Follow me."

"How did Clem do?" I asked as I followed her lead.

"What if I wasn't assigned to Clem?" Abby shrugged.

"Don't you all collaborate?" I asked.

"She did great. But, it's your turn now." She said, motioning for me to go into an old barn. "Charles Dickens once said that a very little key will open a very heavy door."

I wordlessly stepped into the barn and flicked on the lights. Hanging from the ceiling was thousands of keys, and even more were scattered on the ground. More towards the back of the barn was a small red trapdoor. I guess I have to get in there. My eyes drifted along the hanging keys when I heard a voice.

"Dodge?" It was Clem. Her voice was coming from the trapdoor. Panic gripped me and I began ripping keys from their strings.

"Clem?"

"Dodge! Help!" She said, voice contorted. In the moment, I assumed that it was different because of the thick slab of wood between us. Key after key, I tried to unlock the door. I wasn't all that shocked when none of them worked. I decided to cheat the challenge and try to break the trapdoor. I stomped on it, kicked it, and grabbed at it. It wasn't until I got a good grip that I finally ripped the trapdoor off of it's hinges. Much to my surprise, there was a speaker stuck to the wood that had Clem's voice coming from it. I took it off and laughed out loud. Anger tore through me and I hurled it at the wall, shattering the speaker. There was a key hanging on the old wood, which I removed. Abby met me outside the barn, where I slapped the key into her hand and left in my car.

~Clem's POV~

I was in my room when Dodge called me. "What's up?"

"Where are you?" He asked sharply.

"My room." I said, realizing that he must have just had his personal challenge.

"I'll be there in like twenty minutes." He said. The end call tone beep before I could ask him about it. I put my shoes on and awaited his arrival. I answered the door as soon as he knocked, and we left.

"What happened?" I asked, noticing how shaken up he seemed.

"Did you and Abby record a video or something?" He asked, jaw clenched.

"Yeah, she said that it was proof of completion." I told him.

"She lied." Dodge said, shaking is head. "They took your voice and put it into a speaker, then they put the speaker into a locked door."

"They made you think I was in there?" I asked with a gasp. He nodded tightly.

"What did they do for yours?" Dodge asked, voice stiff.

"Drew told them that I have a fear of heights, so they put me up at the top of a Ferris wheel and had me get down without falling." I said to him. The rest of the drive was quiet. He pulled off to the side of the road, next to a field. We both got out and leaned against the hood of his car. I heard Dodge take a shuddered breath, turn my face to look at him, then press his lips against mine. 

"Damnit, Clem." He breathed. "I love you."

"That was sudden." I said, jumping up to sit on the hood of his car. "But, damn. What's not to adore?"

"You think your dad will let me date you?" Dodge asked, looking over at me.

"Probably." I shrugged. "But can you come over so you can actually meet him?"

"Absolutely." Dodge nodded.

"We're dating now?" I asked, glancing at him again.

"We're dating now." He confirmed.