Underlying Truths

Underlying Truths - Chapter Six - "The Invitation"

Sorry for disappearing on you guys. I posted an explanation on the latest chapter of "That Magnetic Pull" if you read that story. Anyway, I had this chapter planned out a couple of days ago and I hope to execute it well. Here goes some heavy thinking...I kinda messed up the execution of the originally planned plot, I'm going to try and wing it from here on out.

I'm horrible.

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Underlying Truths - Chapter Six - "The Invitation"

"What?" Will asked breathlessly at my heavy allegation. "Carina, you're not thinking straight if you think I'm the one doing this to you."

Everything in my head was stating to make sense. How the image was gone once I sent the link to Will, how he denied the credibility of the emails, and how this mysterious creeper seemed to know so much about me. The only piece of the puzzle that didn't fit quite right was the message on my windshield. Will was with me all this time so he couldn't have been the one to erase the message? But, for all I knew, he could have had someone help him out and do it for him.

I shook my head at him, my eyes glazed over with betrayal. How could he do this to me? More specifically, why?

Will took a few steps closer to me, his arms held out--ready to wrap me in a hug. I hurriedly took several steps back, trying to keep some distance between our two bodies. In his eyes, I saw nothing but genuine concern, though I didn't quite know whether it was for myself or his cover being blown. My hands flew to hover over my mouth as sobs began filtering out to the air around us. In Will's eyes, I saw his heart breaking as I, once one of his best friends, completely lost my trust in him.

As he attempted once more to approach me, I turned my back and ran into my house. I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it. The whole downstairs was finally deemed secure as I made sure that every window and every door had been double locked. After double-checking the front door one last time, I slid down against it and finally broke down. My knees were pulled up against my chest as my arms, which shook with every sob much like the rest of my body, wrapped around them. My chin fell as my forehead made contact with my jean-covered knees just as another sob slipped out of my throat. My eyes were sore from the never-ending tears slipping out repeatedly over the last few days, not to mention the last few minutes, as my nose and face were heavily irritated by the constant presence of salty moisture on my skin.

My hands place both of themselves over my ears, cradling my head as I screamed out. I screamed as loud as I could, the built up frustration, anger, fear, and helplessness becoming too much. My head tilted to the ceiling as each ear-piercing cry left my mouth. It felt like hours had passed when I finally got it all out of my system.

Climbing the stairs to my room, I glanced at the clock on my phone and saw that my parents weren't due home anytime soon. Upon entering my familiar bedroom, I immediately made my way to my laptop and flipped it open. It was already running and I immediately went to check my email.

I was done with letting this happen to me. Will had some nerve to do this to me. I ran to him every time something new came up and he played the role of a shoulder to cry on perfectly. Not once did he let a single clue slip on what he was doing. That is, until yesterday. Those few words of farewell were all it took for me to piece it all together. Someone had to be helping him. He definitely couldn't have done it all by himself.

Just as my email client finished downloading all the new messages, I remembered that I had already checked it this morning and there was no log sent for yesterday. Of course there wouldn't be one. He was here; he didn't need to send one when he was going to see me with his own two eyes.