Beneath The Lies (24 page)

My eyes go wide with worry. Talking Alyssa out of this isn’t going to be easy. Actually, it might be impossible, at least without Kyler’s help. “I think Kyler needs to talk to her. Maybe if he tells her she shouldn’t go she’ll listen. At least he’s been there. If I tell her not to, she won’t listen to me anymore than she did earlier today.”

Gavin walks over and pulls me into his body. “Promise me you won’t go anywhere near there,” he states in a pain-filled voice.

“I promise.” After I make my promise I can feel Gavin’s body finally relaxing. I only wish I could figure out a way to relax myself.

From: Jim Togg, Sr.

To: Kate Reynolds

Subject: Adoption

Ms. Reynolds,

My son contacted me with your request to know the details pertaining to your adoption. Unfortunately, it was a closed adoption, meaning everything regarding to it is to remain confidential.

I knew your father for many years, and I felt his loss as both a client and a friend. I’m sorry that I’m unable to provide you with any information, but I hope you find the happiness your parents wished for you.

Sincerely,

Jim Togg, Sr.

Crap. That doesn’t help me in the slightest. Both of my parents are dead, it’s not like they can sue him for telling me, unless...unless the person who gave me up is the one who...who what? Stole me? Shit. My mind is racing with ideas, and I don’t think it will stop until I know who my birth parents are.

From: Kate Reynolds

To: Jim Togg, Sr.

Subject: Re: Adoption

Mr. Togg,

I understand what a closed adoption means, and I also understand what confidential means, however both of my parents are deceased and some accusations were recently made as to how my parents came to adopt me. Are you protecting a third party by keeping this information confidential? I’m not asking as a kid who would like to meet her birth parents. Even after my father’s death, I decided that wasn’t a route I wanted to explore until recently. Now I feel it’s a must that I know because someone else is trying to imply my parents might have kidnapped me from my “real” family.

Please, I beg of you, if you have any information regarding my birth parents, would you please share it with me?

Thank you for your time,

Kate Reynolds

****

As the week goes by, Gavin’s mood alternates from good to dark. He was happy after Callie returned on Tuesday. When she’s gone he’s understandably concerned for her, which definitely played into his mood until she returned.

Then Thursday he got a call from someone and left Callie and I alone for hours while he went out to take care of something. He didn’t return until the middle of the night, and this time he allowed his dark mood to take over. He didn’t wake me up for sex or even pull me tight to his body when he climbed into bed. Instead, he stayed as far away as he could from me, leaving me to wonder what happened while he was gone. To make matters worse, I could smell alcohol on him.

Friday his mood was still dark, and he hardly said two words to me until it was time for me to leave for school. “Don’t get any ideas about going anywhere tonight with Alyssa. Come straight home after class.”

His comment rubs me the wrong way. He went God only knows where last night, and still hasn’t mentioned to me where he went and he thinks it’s all right to demand that I come straight home?

Instead of answering I grab my bag and walk to the door, but as I’m opening it, Gavin puts his hand up, keeping me from opening it all the way.

“Did you hear me?” The only answer I give him is a quick nod of my head. “I’m not trying to sound like an asshole, but I need to know you’re not going anywhere near Phil’s tonight.”

“I’m not,” I snap back without looking at him. Finally he must get the hint that I’m truly pissed off because he steps even closer and nuzzles my neck.

“I’m sorry. I came home late last night. I was pissed and I wanted to make sure I got it out of my system before I came here. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Nowhere in his comment did he agree to open up to me. He went somewhere last night and something happened to upset him, but he doesn’t make any attempt to tell me what. “I won’t go near that fight, I promise. Now I need to go before I’m late for class.”

Gavin sighs but he steps back, allowing me to leave, which is exactly what I do without glancing his direction.

All day I replay last night and this morning. Did he go out and get drunk because he’s concerned about money or is it something else entirely? And why won’t he talk to me about it? He claims we’re a team, but he’s definitely not acting like we’re one right now.

These same types of questions stay on repeat in my head all day long, keeping me unfocused, which is how I manage to run straight into the guy I saw the other day at the library.

I turn the corner of a building on campus heading to my car when I literally run straight into him knocking myself to the ground. At first I didn’t realize who I ran into, but when I get my first good look at his face, it causes my body to go into overdrive.

I get up as fast as I can and I start running to my car. When I make it there I frantically fumble around for my keys, but when I look up I don’t see him anywhere around. Suddenly I feel like a fool for reacting the way I did without any real reason. Sure he was staring at me the other day but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s out to harm me.

I hit unlock on my key fob when I hear Alyssa’s voice shouting at me. “What the hell? You told Kyler I was going to Phil’s fight tonight?” She screeches loud enough that people turn to watch us.

“No.” The look she’s giving me clearly states she believes otherwise. “I didn’t. I said something to Gavin about it. He must have said something to him or Kiran.”

Her anger lessens, but not by much. “Yeah, well I got my ass chewed out by Kyler who thinks Phil’s isn’t safe for me but it’s safe enough for him.”

Anything I say right now could easily be the wrong thing. “Gavin said Kyler was lucky he didn’t get hurt being there. Maybe it’s best that you don’t go.”

I’m worried that my comment is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Instead, Alyssa takes a deep breath and gives me a half-smile.

“I’m sorry for acting like a bitch. I’m just sick of everyone telling me what to do, especially a guy who’s not even my boyfriend.” Alyssa huffs out a fake laugh. “Do you want to go do something tonight? Dinner? Maybe a movie afterwards?” Her eyes are pleading with me to say yes, and to top it off she gives me a pouty smile.

“I don’t know. Gavin wants me to come straight home.”

“Please, Kate. We won’t go anywhere near the fight. I promise.” I’m pissed at Gavin but at the same time I don’t want him to worry about me. I planned to spend the night with him and Callie, and as much as I still would like to, I don’t want to run back to our apartment just to please him.

“Okay, but we aren’t going anywhere near that fight,” I firmly add.

“Deal. Meet me at my place and we’ll drive together.” Before I even have a chance to reply, Alyssa is heading off in the other direction. Dinner and a movie should be long enough to make my point to Gavin that I’m not about to bow down to his demands, at least not when he’s not doing the same.

****

My night has not gone as planned. First, I met Alyssa at her parent’s house, where not long after I arrived she had me change into an Alyssa approved outfit. Next, somehow, Alyssa convinced me she was going to drive us, and it didn’t take long to discover why.

Instead of going to dinner like we talked about she drove us straight to a frat party where Alyssa starts pounding down drinks. I sent a text earlier in the night telling Gavin that I was going out for dinner and a movie where he once again reminded me I was to go nowhere near the fight that Phil was in fact hosting. He’s concerned, I get it, but I hate feeling like a child that’s being scolded, especially when I’ve repeatedly told him I wouldn’t go near Phil’s. I think Gavin wanted to demand that I come straight home, but thankfully, he held his tongue.

About an hour ago, I managed to get Alyssa’s keys away from her. Now I just have to figure out how to get her to either slow down or go home before she passes out.

“We need to go to that thing. What do you call it?” she slurs out. “You know that place.” Alyssa is pointing toward the wall while she’s babbling on and not making any sense. “Fight. That’s where we need to go. I bet we’d find a big bad boy that would take good care of us,” she adds with a giggle.

Thank God she doesn’t have her keys.
“No, we wouldn’t find a boy, instead we’d meet a nasty man who would tie us up and probably rape us. We’re not going...so stop asking, Alyssa.” I roll my eyes, ready to drag her ass out of here.

“Fine. You don’t have to take me. I know a guy here that’s going, he can take me.” My patience with Alyssa is fading fast. This explains why she skipped going to a restaurant and came straight here.

“Alyssa, stop. Neither one of us is going near that fight,” I snap back.

“You’re not my parent. You don’t get to tell me what I can do.” Alyssa rips her hand away from me then turns and walks away.
Screw me
. I’m not equipped to know how to handle drunken fits. Gabby is the only person I know who might be able to help. I pull out my cell phone and call her, but my call goes straight to voicemail.

I decide to wait a few more minutes then try again when suddenly the party starts to thin out dramatically. I stop a girl who was heading off to the front door. “What’s going on?” She quickly turns to me.

“Oh, there’s some fight that everyone is heading to.”

Holy shit.
I have no idea where Alyssa is, but I frantically start looking for her. But after ten minutes and opening every door in the house, she’s nowhere to be found.

I try Gabby’s number one more time. It still goes straight to voicemail, leaving me only one other option. Gavin.

He’s going to be pissed. For starters, I’m not out to dinner or a movie, and secondly I went out with Alyssa while she did exactly what he was afraid of.

Right now, I’m out of options. I pick up the phone and dial Gavin, who answers on the first ring. “Hello?”

“Hey.” I can hear Callie giggling in the background. “Don’t be pissed.”

Gavin makes a growling sound through the phone. “You better not tell me you’re at that fight. I heard the message went out about an hour ago.”

An hour ago? There’s no way Alyssa has been gone that long. Maybe twenty minutes tops. “No, but I think Alyssa did. She drove us to some party. I managed to get her keys away from her, but she heard about the fight and now I can’t find her.”

I can hear him breathing, which is the only reason I’m not asking him if he’s still there. “You have a way to come home?”

“Yes.”

“And you haven’t been drinking?”

“No.” I almost follow my answer with “No, Dad,” but I decide now is probably not the time to poke him.

“Okay. Come home and I’ll call Kiran to find out if either him or Kyler want to go fetch her.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in a few.” Gavin sighs again.

“Your friend is either a moron or has a death wish. I really hope she didn’t bite off more than she can chew.”

Me too, I want to add, but I don’t. “Be there soon.”

****

When I arrive at Gavin’s, Kiran is already there, pacing back and forth as he rants about something.

“What’s going on?”

Kiran’s head snaps to mine when he hears my voice. “Your friend is what’s going on. Kyler took off after her when Gavin called him.

“Shit, he has no business going near that place again. But...fuck, he won’t listen to anyone. Especially if he thinks that dumb girl is going to get hurt.”

I turn my head toward Gavin and notice the harsh look on his face. He’s looking me up and down, apparently not approving of my outfit. “I don’t remember you wearing that to school today.”

I’m wearing a form fitting mini skirt with a wavy sheer blouse and a cami underneath. It’s cute but not slutty. “I changed at Alyssa’s before we went out.”

Gavin’s eyes flare again. “So you knew you were going to a frat party when you told me you were going to dinner?”

Okay, I’m done with the father/daughter conversation. “No, Dad, I didn’t lie. I went back to my friend’s house, who changed into something nicer than she wore to school all day, so I cleaned up too, thinking I was going out to dinner, but instead we ended up at a party.

“You better think long and hard before you speak to me like I’m a child again. Last night you went out and came home—drunk, I might add—in the middle of the night without a word to me about where you were or who you were with, and I’m not about to stand here and allow you to act like the same rules don’t apply to me.”

Gavin’s body language completely changes. He goes from angry and pissed off to calm and collected. “Babe, I went to see Leeta last night. After talking to her I needed too cool down before I would allow myself to come home. I’m sorry for making you wonder where I was at for even a second. Honestly, she pissed me off to the point that I never even thought about how last night must have looked to you.”