The Killer Secret

18.

Looking back at the past few weeks, a lot of Taylor's unexplained behaviour was now clear to me. Why she told our parents she was going to D.C with Eliot even though they had broken up, or why her mood swings had been cranked up two thousand notches from the original. It was all making sense now and I internally kicked myself for not seeing it sooner.

It was past midnight and we were all exhausted but none of us would get some shut eye, too afraid to be vulnerable in case the shooter found out where we were staying.

"You're just in time. I was just getting to the good part," Taylor said as Travis and Tammy came inside.

We all sat down around the table and ate, waiting for my sister to continue her story.

"After I was hospitalized, Tammy contacted me. She had a feeling that she was being followed."

I turned my gaze to the once blonde woman as she took over from Taylor.

"I would go home, sometimes, to check on my parents. Obviously they didn't know I was doing this but I was really home sick." She looked at Travis who was pushing around pasta in his bowl. "Anyways, I was attacked one night, in my room. He came up behind me and said that if I didn't do what he said, he would kill my entire family."

"What did he want you to do?" Liam asked because Tammy had stalled a long time.

She ran her hands through her hair and sighed, standing up from the table. This time, Taylor spoke.

"Tamz, it's okay," she whispered. "They will understand."

When Tammy turned back to face the table, she was crying. Her eyes were blotchy as she sniffed. "I'm sorry Kayla," was all she said before walking out of the room.

What were they not telling us?

"I'll go check on her," Travis said before going after his sister.

Liam was silent, next to me, as Taylor played with her fingers, over her lap.

"Tay, what's going on? What are you guys not telling us?"

I was tired and cranky and they were beating around the bush. My sister's eyes darted to mine. "You think this is easy, Kay? Tammy has been through more than all of us combined and she had to do things to stay alive, even if it means helping to kill someone her brother cared about."

My eye twitched as the words sank into my mind. "W-what?"

Taylor looked away from me. "I'm sorry. She didn't have a choice."

"And you helped her?" I was yelling now. Clearly hurt by what I just heard. "I am your sister, Taylor. Your own flesh and blood and you helped get me killed?"

Liam was holding me back now because I was two seconds away from flying across the table to wrap my hands around my sister's pretty little neck.

"Tammy couldn't go along with it and that's why she made herself the target tonight, Kayla, to save you."

I laughed, my body shaking violently as I tried to get out of Liam's hold on me.

"Taylor, you should go," Liam said still fighting to hold me from getting to my sister.

Taylor left without a word and I broke down. Liam pulled me to his chest and soothed my back as I cried in his shirt.

Was I always the target? Axel died because of me and the guilt ate me alive like a flesh eating bacteria, making its way up my body. I was numb and afraid. Those bullets were meant for me and I couldn't trust Taylor or Tammy anymore to have my back.

- - - - - - - -

"Can we talk?"

I didn't answer but he took that as his cue to approach, leaning against the railing of the balcony like I was, looking through the thick forest. It was dawn. The sky was breaking out of the dark, becoming a mixture of orange, yellow and purple above the tree line.

Ever since our fight, before the fundraiser, we haven't really spoken to each other and it was weighing on the relationship we were trying to mend.

"Kayla..." Travis started, pausing for a moment. "Are you still angry with me?"

I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth at his question. What I felt at this moment was not anger, but retrospect. We were both hiding things from each other and I was starting to understand why Travis couldn't tell me his secret about the night Axel died. His reason was the same as mine. We were trying to protect one another.

I turned to face him. His eyes were fighting to stay awake as he ran his hand through his dishovelled blond hair.

"No. I get it now."

He raised an eyebrow at me questioningly. "You do?"

I nodded firmly. "You have your secrets and I have mine. It's just the way it is and we have to accept that about each other."

Travis still kept his eyebrow raised and turned to lean sideways on the balcony railing, facing me. "And that's okay with you?"

The question was simple, yet complicated at the same time. Could anyone, in their right mind, truly be okay with their partner keeping secrets from them?

"Not really," I said honestly, tucking my hair behind both my ears and hugged myself. "But I can respect that you will tell me, whatever it is, when you're ready. I just don't want to fight with you any longer."

Travis smiled, wrapping his arms around my torso and kissed the top of my head. "That's something we can both agree on."

He led me inside and I yawned. None of us had slept a wink, the entire night, and we all roamed the house like zombies. Tammy was at the table, with Taylor whispering to each other.

"Kayla." My sister stood up when I came in. Maybe she thought I would stay and chat with them but I was still upset with her and was extremely exhausted. I ignored her and walked over to where Liam sat, a pained expression featured on his face.

"Hey, you okay?"

He smiled dimly, nodding his answer but I could tell there was something bothering him.

"What's wrong?" I pressed and he looked at me intently, before handing me his cellphone.

The DNA collected at the Morgan crime scene came back a match to Travis Oscar.

The message was straight to the point and spoke volumes, yet my mind couldn't fathom the news. My eyes diverted from Liam's cell to my boyfriend, who was tickling his little sister.

"What happen's now?" I asked Liam, never taking my eyes off of Travis, shooting him a small smile when he waved at us.

"We play it cool and wait. He doesn't know we're on to him."

I kept the same amazed demeanor as Liam and I stared at the Oscar siblings playfully fight each other.

How could I have been so blind to who he truly was?

* * * * * * * * * *

Soundtrack 32 = In Front Of You by The Quiet Kind