Cold Tomorrow

[14]

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When we get back from school, the house is empty. Cold. 

"Where's Sarah?" I ask as I move down the hallway, checking our bedroom a second time, just to be sure.

Katherine dumps her shoulder bag on the dining table and sighs. "She mentioned earlier that she'd be gone when I got back. I think she said she was going shopping."

Caden makes eye-contact, an invisible message passing between us. "Shopping?" I say.

"Yeah. You know what Sarah's like." I really don't. "She likes to get out of the house, doesn't enjoy being cooped up all the time."

I try to contain my frustration. Sarah made me a promise that she'd tell me everything this afternoon, and now she's MIA. "Did she say when she'd be getting back?"

Katherine thinks about it for a second. "I don't think so. But it'll be before dinner, I'm sure. She never stays out that late." She pauses. "I doubt she would have left without her phone. If you really need to see her, you could give her a call."

I nod, send a look in Caden's direction and make for the hall. He follows, picking up his pace until we're side-by-side, heading for the back of the house. "Nevers stays out late, huh?" he says in a hushed voice. "Is it just my imagination or did that happen just last week?"

I'm silent until we reach the back door, which I swing open quietly. We emerge into the backyard and come to a stop on the grass.

"There's something I need to tell you," I say, my voice at normal volume now that we're away from Katherine's ears. I take a breath. "Sarah's been lying to us. About – about everything. Her entire backstory – it's all made up."

He frowns. "You're kidding."

"No, actually. And what's worse is, Katherine helped her make it up. That's the thing – they all know. Everyone. Katherine, Ethel, even Patrick. Sarah told me not to say anything to you and I wasn't going to but..."

"But you don't trust her anymore."

I shake my head. "No, I don't. I thought at first I could get past this – I still believed her, you know? But suddenly she has abilities and her father – the one I grew up with – has vanished, and I think she might be an Anarkk somehow. Plus she keeps disappearing all the time with no good explanation, and we're always getting angry at each other – like, always. I don't even know how to have a conversation with her without it eventually ending in an argument. Everything I know about her just feels like a lie."

Caden's silent. I continue. "There's just something going on with her. She said she'd tell me everything this afternoon but now she's not here and who knows when she's going to get back."

"She hasn't told you the truth yet?"

"No. I think she's avoiding it. Although this morning she seemed pretty keen. And a couple days ago too." I exhale. "I really don't know. I don't know what to think."

Caden, on the other-hand, looks like he's piecing together a puzzle. "I think whatever she's keeping from us has something to do with Thomas. And her ability."

"You think it's all linked?"

"It has to be. All of it's being revealed to us at once; it's a chain reaction – has to be. And all these events are a part of the same chain. We just need to figure out what set it all off. Why her father decided now was the time to run off. Because think about it. He's been in that house for ages – if he wanted to get away, he's had plenty of opportunity. But he only leaves when you're there. It's almost as if–"