Conspicuous Secrets

Chapter Eighteen

Lying on my bed, I stared at the blank ceiling while my alarm blared through the room, letting me know it was time to start getting ready for school. Thanks to the sleeping pills, I had gotten some sleep, despite the scene that went down the night before. Gavin told Marla everything. I couldn't believe it. There was no telling what was going to happen next.

After five minutes, I finally got myself out of bed, turned off my alarm and got ready for school. I dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and an oversized grey sweater. I tied my black hair into a knot on the top of my head and applied a minimal amount of makeup. My baby-blue eyes looked more alive than they had the morning before, which was a good start. I didn't need anyone asking me any more questions.

Gavin and I didn't talk much as we ate breakfast and drove to school. I was angry at him—that much was clear. As soon as Gavin parked the car in the school parking lot, I opened the door to get out, but he stopped me. "Kason is driving you home today," he told me. "I have a fight right after school."

I sighed. "Doesn't he have to be there at the fight with you since he's your manager?" I questioned, sounding bored.

"No," he replied. "He's just training me."

I nodded and didn't bother replying before I climbed out of the car and walked toward the front doors of the school.

#

All day, I waited for a moment that I could talk to Marla alone, but it was challenging. She was always with her brother, Aria, or Gavin. Fortunately, on my way to my last class, I spotted her alone at her locker. I took that chance, knowing it would be my only one. She spotted me just as she closed her locker door. "Hey."

"You aren't going to tell anyone, right?" I asked quietly. "What my brother told you?"

Her lips curled into a kind, assuring grin. "Your secret is safe with me. Although, I do have to take your brother's side; I think you should tell the others. And maybe go to the cops?" she suggested. "You both are in serious danger from what I've gathered."

I didn't react. "We are still weighing our chances," I told her, making sure I kept my voice down. "I don't think anyone else needs to know yet."

She furrowed her eyebrows, making it clear that she disagreed. "You actually died last time before your brother was able to do CPR on you," she reminded me. "You lost your pulse for nearly a minute...I think you need help...next time it might be worse."

Even if she was right, which I refused to admit, telling more people what was going on in our lives would just put them in danger, too. I wasn't going to let innocent people die because of a monster in mine and Gavin's lives. So I ignored Marla's suggestions and opinions, and walked around her, finishing my route to my last class. I knew I was stubborn, but I had good intentions.

#

"Where are we going?" I asked Kason, realizing we weren't going toward the street we lived on. Though, it didn't surprise me. This wasn't the first time he was supposed to take me home but ended up taking me somewhere else.

I watched him take a deep breath, his mesmerizing blue eyes remaining on the road in front of him. "We are going to a care center on the edge of town." He sounded nervous and scared of my reaction.

I tried to keep my expression calm and assuring so he wouldn't be as nervous. "What for?"

"To see my mom." His words shocked me. I had wondered where his mom was, but I didn't assume that I would find out anytime soon. And now that I was, I didn't know what to think. I opened my mouth to come up with a reply, but he beat me to it. "She has dementia," he explained. "She was young to develop it, but it's getting closer and closer to the worst...sometimes she doesn't even recognize me."