Conspicuous Secrets

Chapter Twenty-Six

I posted chapters 26-27 so make sure you read them in order!

We pulled into the parking garage of the mall and found a spot to park. Marla, Aria and I had dropped the boys off at a snowboarding place on the other side of town earlier that morning. Originally, the plan had been for all six of us to go snowboarding together, but Aria, Marla and I backed out last minute, knowing that none of us could snowboard to save our lives. We knew that we would be holding the boys back from having a great time, so we told them to go have a boys-only trip and us girls would go shopping. Personally, I would have rather went snowboarding with the boys than go shopping, but I didn't dare tell anyone that. No, I had never been snowboarding, but I figured I'd have a better time there than I would here.

As the three of us walked into the large mall, that was much bigger than the one back home may I add, Marla and Aria had bright, excited smiles on their faces, but I was feeling dull. I wasn't really into it, one: because I didn't have any spare money to buy anything, and two: I was spending a lot of time looking at news websites on my phone, checking to see if my father was involved in anything. I searched for "Charles Rose," but I didn't see it anywhere. I thoroughly checked every article for weird situations that involved a man with familiar black hair and hazel eyes, but found absolutely nothing. I didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"What's with the dull attitude?" Aria asked me as we walked into the first store of the day. Looking up from the screen in my hand, I just shrugged. "At least put your phone away," she begged. "You've had your brain immersed in those news articles all morning." I quickly listened to her and shoved my phone in my back pocket, shocked that she had actually paid attention to what I had been doing.

I glanced around at the racks of clothes as the girls shopped, but I didn't see interest in anything—not that I could purchase it if I had. By noon, three hours later, Marla and Aria both had arms full of bags that carried their new clothes. "I can't believe you haven't found a single thing," Marla said, readjusting the bags on her left arm.

I shrugged. "You both know Jaxon and I don't have much extra money to spend even I did find something I liked," I reminded them, noticing how monotone I sounded. I was in some kind of funk and I didn't know when it would release me. My only guess was when I knew that Gavin and I were completely safe.

Aria sighed. "Let's go get some lunch. Afterward, Marla and I will make it our mission to find you at least one thing. I'll buy. It's my treat."

"That's nonsense, Aria," I replied. "Aria, you've paid too much already. After the hotel and..." my voice trailed off as I spotted a figure across the floor. Standing about twenty yards behind Marla and Aria was a familiar face I knew too well. His black hair was the same color as mine and I saw his small hazel eyes every time I looked at my brother. He was staring at me as I stood in my frozen state. Then, without a change of his straight expression, he turned and walked in the opposite direction, getting lost in the crowded mall.

I didn't hesitate. My feet were moving before I could think. I heard Aria and Marla call out my name, but they sounded distant like they were standing on the other end of a long tunnel. "Where are you going?" one of them shouted louder as I sprinted away from them. Ignoring them completely, I darted around bystanders, looking for Charles. I scanned every face around me, turning in circles and searching the whole area, but I quickly lost him in the crowd.

"What are you doing?" Marla asked, breathing heavily and barely holding all her bags up after she and Aria caught up to me.

Shaking my head, I ignored her. I lost him in all the faces around me. Suddenly, he was gone.

"Lydia," Aria spoke loudly.

Finally, I looked at my two friends. "I thought I saw someone," I admitted honestly.

Marla stared at me while Aria looked around us as if she would spot the unfamiliar face. "Who?"

I shook my head again. "Just someone back from California. No one too important."

#

"I could have sworn I saw him, Jaxon," I urgently assured him, trying hard to keep my voice at a whisper.

My brother grabbed his snow boots and started slipping them back on. His raven hair was messy from having a snowboarding helmet on all day, and his cheeks and nose were still pink from being out in the cold. "Are you sure it was him?" he asked, looking skeptical.

I ran my hands through my black hair that reached my shoulders and shrugged. "It was his face—that I know, but whether I was imagining it or not—that's what I don't know."

He stood from the queen-sized bed. "We are in serious trouble if it really was him, Delilah," he whispered lowly.

I nodded, sighing. "I know."

At that time, Aria's head popped through the doorway. "We are ready to go whenever you are. The lady at the front desk said we can rent some sleds from her."

We nodded and watched her leave. I closed my eyes as my older brother moved closer and wrapped his arms around me. "If it is true, then we were lucky today," he told me, holding my head to his chest. He rested his chin on my hair.

I took a deep breath and subconsciously held it. "What do we do if it is true? Do we run again? Do we get the police involved again? Do we just disappear like last time?" My fear kept my voice from rising to a whisper. I spoke so quietly, it was a miracle Gavin had heard me.

"I don't know. The last time we got the police involved, they ended up dead. We were lucky to escape with our lives the first time. I don't know if we will be that fortunate again," he admitted.

I nodded. "Okay...then we will run."

A knock sounded on the door and I pulled out of my brother's comforting chest, but he still held me close. Kason appeared in the doorway. "Are you guys ready to go?"

My brother kissed the top of my head, then ruffled his hand through my hair, making me scowl when he messed it up. "Yeah, let's go."

***

The next chapter is posted! Go check it out, it's a good one;);)

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