Invisible

Invisible Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Make it Right

(Mason)

Panic. It screams through my veins as I stare at Olivia. Anger and disbelief chase it down as my body goes white hot with rage. What happened to her? My first instinct is to throw my arms around her and never let go. I only get one step into that plan before the crowd of random bodies in front of me ruins it.

I want to scream at them to get out of my way! It infuriates me that none of them can hear me. All I want is to get to Olivia! I stare at the faces of the people standing in my way in confusion. Who are they? What are they doing in our house?

Blonde, middle-aged, I nearly push them out of my way until I hear the name Hayden slip tearfully past the woman’s lips. Hayden? What does he have to do with anything? I look toward Olivia for answers, for help, and am stunned when I realize she’s not sitting there alone. What in the hell is Hayden doing with his arm around her!

Absolutely desperate, I start to push my way through. Evie is the first to get knocked into. Her eyes spring open in recognition even though she can’t see me and her hands grope for my arm. She isn’t strong enough to stop me, but her nails dig into my skin painfully enough that I stop and look down at her.

She shakes her head violently and starts pushing me away, out of the living room and into the hallway. She doesn’t let go of my arm, though, and listens carefully.

“What is going on?” I demand angrily.

“I don’t know,” Evie snaps. “All I know is that Olivia got attacked at some park across town.”

“What? By who?”

Evie glares at me. “How am I supposed to know? They didn’t catch the guy!”

“Why is Hayden Benton here? And why does he have his arm around Olivia?” I shriek.

Throwing up the hand that isn’t latched onto me, Evie growls in frustration. “She was with him, I guess. I. Don’t. Know! And as for why he’s getting all cozy with her, I suspect you know more about that than I do.” The glare she fixes on me is deadly.

“What? Why would I know?”

“All I can tell you is that when Aaron dropped me off, I saw Olivia come tearing out of the house looking like someone just stomped all over her heart and drive off nearly in tears. You were already gone. Mom was calling Dad with her voice sounding all weird and worried and she spent the next hour on the phone with him talking about you and Olivia.”

Evie puts her free hand on her hip and stares me down. “Care to explain?”

“This is none of your business, Evie,” I snap.

The look on her face turns absolutely murderous. “My sister just got attacked! She could have been killed or kidnapped. It is my business! And it’s your fault she was out there!”

Evie whirls around on her heel and stomps away from me. I try to call after her, but she can’t hear me, of course. I don’t think she would have stopped even if she could.

My feet feel like lead as I trudge back to the living room. Everyone is sitting down now. Evie is parked right next to Olivia, holding her hand and leaning on her shoulder. Hayden no longer has his arm around Olivia’s shoulders, but nausea sweeps over at me as I see his hand curled around hers protectively.

My whole body feels numb as I listen to the pair of them explain what happened. When Olivia describes “running into” Hayden at the basketball park, a look passes between them that says there was much more to it than that. Right then I realize that Evie is right and it buckles my knees.