Where She Lies

Chapter 25: You're Not Alone

"You're such a dork!" Esmee screeches.

"I know." Trevor chuckles.

Quinn and I stand in the doorway watching the two like they're aliens. I'm pretty sure that my jaw is hanging open an inch or so right about now. Esmee is lying down on the couch laughing while Trevor is hovering over her and tickling her to death.

"Ahem." Quinn clears his throat.

Trevor's gaze instantly snaps up to us and an evident blush resides on his cheeks. He moves away from Esmee and sits at the end of the couch as if nothing had ever happened. Esmee simply sits up and waves to us. Huh, funny. If anything I would've thought that Trevor would be the unembarrassed one.

"How was it?" Esmee asks.

"Well," Quinn and I exchange a look, "It was interesting to say the least."

"Oh?" Esmee arches her eyebrows up in surprise.

"Yeah." I nod and begin to chew on my bottom lip.

"What happened?" Trevor gains his confidence back.

We cross the room and take a seat on the couch opposite of them. Quinn gives me as much of an encouraging look that he can muster as they expectantly wait for us to speak.

"My dad told me that he's innocent, which I expected. But, he also told me that my mom, Vanessa, is a murderer. He said that she killed Anna when Anna found out her secret. And my dad said the reason that he left Vanessa was because he found out and that he regrets not taking Anna and I with him. He said that he was working with Andi to try to get the letters that Anna left behind. He was going to get them from Andi on the night that she was murdered, but he never got them. He went to her dorm room awhile after she was murdered looking for the letters because they needed to be in the right hands. He got set up by someone and Wyatt made a mistake by seeing him on the tape and he believed the false evidence that he received. He arrested my dad then. My dad thinks that my mom wasn't kidnapped, he thinks she pretended to be because she never really went on vacation."

"Woah." Esmee breathes.

"We also visited Wyatt." Quinn starts to explain.

"You visited Wyatt?" Trevor looks at us in surprise.

"Yeah," Quinn nods, "Wyatt said that he was forced off of Anna's case when she was found. He went undercover to try and find the murderer and he tried talking to Andi, which some of us already know. Wyatt said that after he arrested Kimberly's dad he found out the truth about her mom. Listette told him and he isn't sure why, none of us are. He said when he gets out of the hospital he's going to try to prove Andrew's innocence."

"Oh wow," Esmee gasps, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know for sure, but we have to find Kimberly's mom and get evidence against her." Quinn shakes his head.

"Esmee," Trevor nudges her, "Could you go in town asking around if anyone saw someone similar to Vanessa McClain? After all, she's supposed to be kidnapped, but she probably isn't according to this new information. Someone must've seen her if she's still here."

"I will," Esmee agrees and stands up, "Can you come with me?"

"I can't, it's not safe for anyone to be out there right now besides you. I'm sorry." Trevor frowns.

"That's okay. I'll call you if I hear anything or if something goes wrong. Stay strong guys, we're going to solve this case." Esmee smiles faintly and grabs her jacket before heading over to the door.

She turns around once she reaches the front door and Quinn tosses her the car keys.

"Thanks." She says before ushering out the door.

"Now what?" I look between Trevor and Quinn.

"Now we wait." Quinn answers.

                                                                                                   ~

"Hey Quinn," I lay sprawled out on the couch while he's lying on the floor below me, "I'm bored."

"Shush," Quinn whines, "I'm trying to watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" I scoff.

"Yes." Trevor complains from the other couch.

"Go make popcorn or something then until I shut up if it really bothers you." I roll my eyes.

"Maybe I will." Trevor pouts and runs to the kitchen to make popcorn.

"Hah." I laugh in victory.

"Could you shut up?" Quinn growls.

"Oh," I bat my eyelashes, "I'm sorry."

"Kimberly McClain!"

"I believe this is a free country." I stare innocently down at him.

"Okay," Quinn leans up and puts his head on his arms in front of me, "What will it take to get you to shut up?"

"A cookie." I beam.

"A cookie," Quinn scoffs, "Are you serious?"

"Yes." I nod wildly.

"Trevor, bring in a bag of cookies too!" Quinn shouts.

"Now who's being the loud one?" I muse.

"Shut up." Quinn grumbles and lies back down.

I give myself an imaginary pat on the back for managing to get cookies out of this situation. Anna used to love cookies, mom use to bake them all the time. My stomach clenches at the thought and tears start to form in my eyes. She's not like I thought she was and she won't ever be. All those birthdays, holidays, everything, Anna and I were being lied to the entire time. And with my dad being in prison now I'm completely and utterly alone. I sniffle once or twice and inwardly curse at myself.

"Kimberly?" Quinn's voice wavers.

"I just need to use the bathroom..." I struggle on each word.

I go to swing my legs off the couch and stand up, but Quinn grabs my arm and I go tumbling down on top of him.

"What's wrong?" He watches me with worried eyes.

I temporarily forget the hollow feeling that I just had as I watch how the golden flecks in his eyes stand out more intensely in this moment; and how his light brown hair is still all messed up but still looks perfect in contrast to his pale skin.

"I just," My voice falters as I continue to stare at him, "I feel like I'm going to be facing the world alone from now on."

His eyes soften at my statement and he places a hand behind my head.

"You're not alone, Kimberly, and you never will be."

Before I get the chance to speak he pushes my head down to his and presses his lips against mine. He kisses me carefully as if he's afraid I'll shatter to pieces if he doesn't. I eventually overcome my shock and I find myself kissing him back while threading my fingers through his hair and messing with it.

"I got the - HOLY PIKACHU WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Trevor drops the bowl of popcorn on the floor, along with my bag of cookies.

"You're not alone." Quinn repeats when we pull apart.

I smile and he does too. I move to the other side of him so that we're both lying on the floor and he wraps an arm around me.

"GUYS ARE YOU GOING TO EXPL-"

"Shut up, Trevor." Quinn and I say simultaneously.

"Wh-" Trevor starts to protest.

"Some people are trying to watch the movie." I shush him.

"Yeah," Trevor mutters under his breath, "Obviously not you two though."

Quinn and I are too busy paying attention to the movie when Trevor's phone rings. He answers it and continues to annoy the crap out of us. I'm starting to see how I was annoying.

"Hey guys," Trevor gets our attention, "It's Esmee, she wants us all to meet at SqUiSHy's right now."