One Stupid Thing

3:8:95

It didn't take long for us three girls to pass out last night, and I don't remember much of what happened once Kie, Sarah, and I arrived at the Carrera's home due to sheer exhaustion, but I do remember the conversation that we had during the car ride there. Sarah filled us in on everything that she found out before all hell broke loose at the party.

What John B had told us a few days ago about the lead he and his dad were exploring to find El Dorado being a dead end was a lie. John B himself owned up to his mistake right before Sarah opened up about her own. In frustration, John B blurted out that Singh, yes, the man who had kidnapped Kie, Rafe, and I in Barbados, had taken Big John to South America where he plans to kill him once he is no longer of use to him.

I hadn't really explained much about JJ and I, considering that the conversation we had leading up to the break up involved Kiara to some extent. I didn't want her to think that I didn't trust her, she isn't the one I'm frustrated with, but I also didn't want to make her feel like it was her fault.

Us girls had woken up later than we had hoped to. Sarah hurriedly gets out of bed and starts to put herself together.

"I mean, like, even after he was down, John B was still hitting him," Sarah explains to me as she hikes up her jean shorts and steps around the corner to continue changing.

"Yeah, I've never seen him like that," Kie agrees, neither of us making any move to get out of bed yet. "You actually think he's gonna get arrested?"

"He can't get arrested," Sarah replies, reappearing with a cute purple and white, cropped, Hawaiian shirt. "Not now. If he's locked up, he can't help his dad. I have to fix this." She hurries to gather her things that were scattered on the floor.

"And how do you plan to do that?" I ask her.

She sighs. "I'm not 100% sure yet, but I have an idea." Then she looks at Kie. "Can you give me a ride to Topper's? Please."

"You don't think this plan could make things worse?" the brunette questions, sitting up further.

"I don't know. And I don't know what's gonna happen with me and John B. But I do know is that I can't just sit by and watch him get arrested while his dad is abducted." Sarah pulls on her white sneakers as she speaks. "I have to try."

—

After Kie dropped Sarah off, she took me to Ryan's. I still have all of my things there and while things are still tense with Kie and her parents after the scene the boys made at their party, I didn't want to overstay my welcome.

I close the front door behind me and notice that the house is eerily quiet. "Ryan?" I call out. No answer. I walk a few paces further into the house and call his name again, but there is no response. The whole house is empty, but Ryan's truck is out front, so he has to be here somewhere. Weird.

As I begin to search around the house, I hear Ryan's voice echoing from out by the boathouse. I open my mouth to capture his attention, but the tone of his voice and the way he is pacing back and forth tensely on the pier makes me suspicious.

Instead, I sneak forward and press my back against the opposite side of the boathouse. His conversation is being carried around the corner by the afternoon breeze.

"You know as well as I do that she's not going to buy that. She's smart enough to see right through it."

Who the hell could he be talking about?

"No, no, leave me out of this, I'm not going to push it. The more I push the further she is going to get. We've already got her to see you once and look how that turned out. I've held up my end of the deal, now it's your turn."

My hand slaps over my mouth before I can let out an audible gasp. Is Ryan talking to Ward? I feel my heart sink, but I keep listening until I've heard enough to confirm my suspicions.

"No, Mr. Cameron, you can't back out on this now. This is the least you could do after everything you've—"

The instant that Ryan uttered his name my hands curled into fists at my sides and I feel my ears burn. That's it. I've had enough. I come out from my hiding spot and Ryan whips around to face me. Guilt washes over his face. "I've got to go." He doesn't wait for my father to reply before lowering the phone from his ear and hanging up. "Stella... I can explain."

I scoff under my breath. "Oh sure you can, Ryan. Of fucking course. So you weren't just plotting with my father? How long has this been going on? Or better yet is this the reason you are even back in OBX? All you ever do is disappear to go do some work for your dad, but is this really what you're here for?" I accuse him.

Ryan sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair. "Yes," he admits.

"Unbelievable. Fucking unbelievable." I turn tail and storm away, back up the yard towards the house.

"Stella. Stella, wait! Hey! Just hear me out." Ryan hurries after me and stops right in my path. He grabs my shoulders and practically forces me to look him in the eye.

"Let me go, Ryan."

"No," he replies. "Not until you at least know the full story."

"The full story? I trusted you. All of this has been a lie." I try to escape his grasp, but he just tightens his grip stubbornly.

"Everything I am doing is for you."

"No. No, if you really, truly cared about me, then you would respect that I want nothing to do with my father. You of all people should understand that."

"Helping him reconnect with you was the only way I could get information from him."

"Information?" Ryan clamps his mouth shut and shakes his head. "No, you can't just not tell me. If it's about me, if it's for me, then I deserve to know. What kind of information, Ryan? Tell me."

He sighs before looking back into my cold gaze, but he doesn't shy away from it. "It's your mother. She's alive."

——
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