Craft II (The Craft Saga)

15 - Two Possibilities

It had been one week since I had last seen Ollie and even though I knew preparing my escape wouldn't be simple, I was beginning to grow anxious. Not once had I been sent out on drops with him all week; everyday had consisted of the same weighing and bagging shit. I knew this had gone one of two ways; Ollie was still making some serious arrangements or he'd been caught.

As that one week mark passed by, I woke up the next morning hoping today would be the day that I'd see Karl at my bars telling me Ollie had arrived for me. The footsteps sounded down the hallway and the butterflies began prancing around in my stomach as hope flashed through me. I sat up and watched the bars eagerly, waiting to see Karl and to hear what I'd be doing today. If he was about to tell me I was sorting product in the factory again, I knew my heart would sink heavier than ever.

The footsteps grew louder and I could feel my hands shaking with anticipation. I was so hopeful that I was going to see Ollie today that I even had the slightest smile on my face listening to the footsteps as my eyes were wide with curiosity and I couldn't contain the pounding of my heart.

As the walking shadow dancing on the floor outside my bars grew bigger and closer, I looked up to greet Karl's grumpy morning expression and I got to my feet, ready to move. Instead, Junior Cabrera's face appeared on the other side, and it knocked me for six. I shook my head quickly in confusion and retreated, dropping back to my bed casually.

'Hey, what are you doing here so early in the morning?' I asked, trying to sound like I hadn't just been waiting expectedly for someone else.

He cleared his throat and unlocked the bars, letting himself inside without a single word; not even a look of happiness at seeing me. I automatically knew something was wrong and the first thought that popped into my head was that he was about to tell me Ollie was dead.

He finally got right up in front of me and dropped to his knee, studying my face carefully. 'I couldn't get you out of my head all night, Cece.'

'Excuse me?' I replied, not understanding why he came all the way to the factory so early to tell me this. 'What do you mean?' I'd sensed Junior had always found me attractive but this was very out of the blue for him.

He laughed softly and swiped his nose quickly with his thumb, seeming anxious or possibly even slightly irate - I couldn't tell which. He looked back up at me and his smile dropped. 'I don't mean it like that.'

'Then how do you mean it?' I asked, nervously.

His eyes flickered side to side, studying each of my eyes and the smile spreading on his face again made it seem like he really could read my thoughts through them. His smile disappeared once more and he turned serious. 'I think I know you better than you realise, Cece...and I know something is going on with you and Ollie.'

'Something like what?' I almost snapped at him defensively but I pulled it back and played it cool.

'I don't know what,' he replied. 'But there is something...and I have a feeling I've got it narrowed down to two possibilities, one of which must be it.'

I rolled my eyes and laughed, forcing on the innocent act and I shoved his shoulder playfully. 'So humour me, Junior. Tell me what these possibilities are so I can laugh and ridicule the both of 'em.'

He played along and laughed back but I knew he didn't find it funny at all. 'Well, you're either fucking him...or...you're using him to escape.'

His final words caused an eerie feeling like a spike of stone-cold ice striking me through the heart. Every hair stood on end in unison and a dark snake of terror slid through my body.

'What?' One word was all I could get out and it was a mere whisper.

'I've come to the conclusion that you can't possibly be fucking him though,' Junior continued, and from the sinister look in his eye to the mere dullness of his tone, it was almost like having Roman right in front of me. That was the first time I'd ever seen a likeness between the cousins. 'I'm pretty confident that you have better taste in men than Ollie Lagdon and I had to tell myself I was being ridiculous for even thinking you would lower your standards that far, so...it must be the other possibility.'