Falling for Nightmares

Chapter 2

"W-What the hell?" I choke out, and Isaac Wagner's frown deepens the slightest bit. "Why would your dead father be after me?" I ask. His full lips turn down. I don't realize I'm staring at them until he speaks.

"No, my father lays at rest, peaceful or not..." Isaac pauses to take a soft, shaky breath. "My father didn't kill your sister. Someone else did it and passed it off."

"And how did you figure this out?" I snap, trying to recover from my shock and fear. Isaac doesn't seem to notice how flustered and upset I am, which I both appreciate and hate.

"I've looked into it. My dad's fingerprints were on the "murder weapon" that is in fact not the correct weapon to match Kennedy's wounds. That isn't the only thing, either: the police didn't look into the traces of DNA that could have been left on Kennedy when she was raped." My stomach churns at the thought and I begin to tear up again, but the stupid wanna-be homicide detective boy isn't looking at me to see it.

"Don't you understand?" he continues. "There is no real evidence! The killer is still loose, and I've been checking out your house once every week or so to check that he's not left proof of coming here since Kennedy's death. The problem is, not too long ago I found a letter in one of the areas that I check." Isaac holds out a folded piece of paper and freezes when he lifts his eyes to my face and notices the return of my tears. I don't think he knows how to react to a girl crying.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Isaac and I turn to face my little brother Jace. His shaggy brown hair is hanging in his eyes like always, and he looks absolutely pissed and kinda threatening, even in his school uniform. "You shouldn't be stalking my family or spinning fucked up tales to get my sister to cry. Leave or I'll make you."

Even though Jace is only thirteen, he's almost 5'8" and has the temper of my mom, who also passed down her anger problems and sarcasm to me. At this moment, I don't doubt that he's okay with fighting Isaac. Even though Isaac is like five years older than him and a half-foot taller.

Isaac glances between us and then pushes his fingers through the front of his black hair. "Fine, I'll go, but here." Isaac grabs one of my hands before he goes, pushing the sheet of paper he'd been holding into my palm. He then walks off the porch, climbing into a pristine white car parked in our driveway.

I turn around and nod at Jace as a reluctant thanks. His expression has softened a little. "Let me know if he shows up again," Jace states, glowering at the white vehicle as it drives away. I nod, not really listening. I'm engaged in my fuzzy thoughts, both afraid and compelled to read the letter Isaac gave me.

"Thanks, Jace," I murmur absentmindedly, and then I push past my younger brother and head to my room. I open the wooden sliding door and latch it behind me. I sit on my bed and stare at the single sheet of paper in my hands. It looks exactly like any other single sheet of paper, but if Isaac is telling the truth, it could change my life. If Harris Wagner really was framed and I'm next on Ken's murderer's hit list... I swallow. Kennedy would have wanted me to help find her killer. I stick my thumb under the fold of the paper, mentally preparing myself. I'll do it for her. The door rattles. I gasp and shove the paper into my pocket, trying not to feel glad for the interruption.

I slowly make my way over and I unlatch the door. "What do you want?" I ask Jace. He frowns down at me, leaning against the doorframe. His black tie is super rumpled and tied on wrong and I stare at it while trying to ignore how he's still getting taller when he's already towering over me.

"Who was that guy?" I glare at him. The way he's looking at me, I can tell that what he thinks is not what was really going on out there. I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at him.