Truth or Dare? [REWRITTEN]

¤Chapter 38¤

¤Chapter Thirty-Eight¤

Oden quietly slides into the same spot Jace parked in when he first took me to this hotel. The tall exterior that was once shiny from the sun's golden hue is now dark and full of shadows, adding to the overwhelmingly eerie atmosphere. 

It feels like someone is watching me although my vehicle is the only one parked out here. I got lost trying to find this location a few times because it's isolated from other buildings so it's probably close to midnight now.

Technically, I'm supposed to stay here or leave the watch so everyone waiting can know I've arrived but that was never my plan. While I safely stand in this empty lot, Owen could be getting terrorized by that unstable lunatic. I have to go in, even if it's a dumb idea. 

What my parents don't know is I promised to protect Owen long before they made me promise to protect myself. Back then I wasn't sure about my feelings for him. I close my eyes and allow myself to recollect all the memories we've shared thus far.

I see him boldly speaking to me in the shadows by the staircase. He had no idea how mesmerized I was in that moment. The memory switches to outside our school's entrance. When I fought Brendon the crowd parted but he chased after me anyway, worried about my wellbeing instead of staying away like everyone else. The realization that he was worried about my safety and not his teammate stunned me. 

The scene shifts to one evening at my house. I remember our first kiss and how it literally took my breath away —it was a moment that forced me to think about my feelings and his. Next, I recall a more recent memory. I can vividly see him resting his head in my lap in the living room. He joked that I should take a picture because I kept staring and I hesitated at first but now it's my lock screen. I see it every time I unlock my phone and every time I look at my nightstand. 

All those moments with him made me feel things I thought I could never feel again. I momentarily let myself go back there one last time before opening my eyes to the present once more. The last couple of months have been hectic but I wouldn't trade them for anything. That's why I have to confront my past before it takes everything away from me.

I trudge through the familiar sandy path in a heated daze until I arrive in front of the beach house. It looks like a simple cottage perched on logs to make it taller. The crème color doesn't match the hotel close by, but it blends right into the surroundings perfectly. 

Palm trees line up on both sides like a personal paradise. The full moon beams down on me from above the cabin style structure. I climb the stairs and grasp the door handle. Okay Madi, I hear my own voice ringing in my head, once you go in remember to shut off your emotions.

I turn the knob and enter. The dark, lifeless feeling I was once used to hits me like a wave. Moonlight shines in from a kitchen window to my left, providing the only way for me to see where I'm going. My hand grips the knife at my hip as I walk around an armchair. My destination is behind the only closed door in the cabin. 

My guess is it's the master bedroom and the place where I'll be ambushed. There's a small possibility that Jen's tracker glitched and no one's here but the silence within these walls are unnatural, like the feeling you get walking into a surprise party.

My steps are slower than normal in order to not make a sound. Catching whoever's behind that door off guard is nearly impossible since I'm sure they're expecting me but I have to try nonetheless. I come to a halt in front of the door and open it. Owen is on his knees directly across from me. His hands are bound together by tape and so are his ankles but that's not my main problem with his current appearance.