Saven Deception (19 page)

“Yeah.” I chew anxiously on the corner of
my lip. What I’m about to tell Jenna has never before left my lips. “It’s the
only evidence I have that my mom
did
love me one time.” Tears well in my
eyes, but I brush them quickly away.

“Go on,” she encourages.

“My family don’t like me. All except for
my sister, Ella. She’s my only ally, but all the rest of them do is shout and
call me names. No matter what I do, how I act or behave, they always find
something to fault. I say as little as possible around them so that I’m not
antagonizing them. Coming to Thalassic City was the only bright spot in the
darkness, my only chance to be me.”

After confessing, I didn’t expect to feel
so … relieved. And more than that. Lighter. Like a barrier has been lifted,
leaving the road clear ahead.

“Jeez, Sadie, that’s so sad.”

“It is what it is.” I shrug. “And I’m
okay. The absolute last thing I want is pity or sympathy. For one, it’s made me
stronger. There isn’t much that anyone can say to me now that I don’t know how
to adequately deflect. And I’ve had to learn to stand on my own two feet. At
least I have my parents to thank for that.”

“And your dad allows all this to happen?”
She sits cross-legged in front of me on the bed.

I mirror her position. “He isn’t the worst
of them, but he doesn’t stop the others. However, he did contact me the other
day to apologize. I’m still in shock.” That reminds me to submit another
Videocon request. For some unknown reason, he ignored my last attempts, but I’m
not giving up that easily. I’m more than keen to explore this newly discovered
peace between us.

She looks pensive. “Is that why you want
the whole marriage and babies dream?”

“Partly. I have so much love to give and
no one to give it to.” I actually shock myself with that heartfelt admission. “What
I want more than anything is to find my ‘one and only,’ and vow to love him
with everything I have for all eternity.”

“That’s really profound.”

“It’s how I feel.”

“Me too,” Jenna says eagerly.

We sit in silence for a couple of minutes,
both of us lost in an impossible dream of a future that’s still beyond reach.

“What are you going to do about Dante?” I
risk asking a couple of minutes later.

“That’s the million-dollar question.” Her
forehead puckers, carving visible worry lines into her skin. “I want to be
honest with you because you’ve been so open with me.”

I squeeze her hand in encouragement.

“There are times when I feel an innate
connection with Dante and other times when instinct urges me to run away
screaming. But when I’m with him, I’m irresistibly drawn to him, and he’s the
center of my everything.”

An icy chill swoops in as her words strike
a chord within me. “Do they know each other?” I ask as sudden realization
dawns.

“What? Who?”

“Logan and Dante.”

She shrugs, and glances at her watch. “I’d
better get ready for work. Are we good?”

I smile. “Definitely. Let’s put it behind
us. How about I call around to the store after school and you can indulge your
inner stylist to your heart’s content?”

“That’d be awesome. I’ve already got my
eye on a few things for you. Maybe we can catch dinner and a movie after?”

“Sounds perfect.” I head for the bathroom
as we quickly finalize our arrangements.

***

I emerge from the apartment a half hour later still feeling
butt-sore despite my invigorating bath. My feet falter when I spot Haydn
hugging the wall outside. “Why are you here?”

“I thought we could travel to campus
together?” He pushes off the wall and reaches for my book bag.

“Whatever gave you the impression last
night that I’d be comfortable with that?” I wrap the strap of my bag pointedly
across my shoulder.

Haydn shoves his hands into his pockets.
“I know you’re mad about last night, but we can explain.”

“You can?” Shock ripples through me.

“Will you meet us for lunch?” My natural
inquisitiveness trumps everything else so I nod my agreement. “Great.” His hand
snakes out, and before I know it, he’s whipped my bag away.

I scowl but raise no vocal complaint. My
entire body aches like I’ve been on the receiving end of a battering ram and
I’m feeling nauseated again. So, I’ll take what little help comes my way, even
if it’s with reluctant acceptance.

***

The morning passes quickly, and I welcome the opportunity
to immerse myself in my coursework. Any spare moments in between, I spend
engrossed in thoughts of Logan, curious about the information I’m about to receive.

Fern’s nose is a bit out of joint when I
inform her I’ve made lunch plans without her again. And this time I can’t make
it up to her with an after-school excursion as Jenna and I need our alone time.

In between classes, Fern peppers me with
questions about why I blacked out last night. “I think it’s a side effect of
living here,” I say, though I’m actually beginning to suspect it’s more than
that. “It’s not the first time it’s happened either. I’m going to schedule a
doctor’s appointment.”

That placates her, but I don’t miss the
concerned looks she throws my way each time I move in my seat and an
involuntary moan leaks out of my mouth.

Lunchtime arrives and I head to the front
entrance to meet up with the others. Neve and Haydn are already waiting. “Where’s
Logan?”

“Logan isn’t joining us,” Haydn says, his
tone indicating there’ll be no discussion on the matter. Although I’m instantly
dejected, I pass no comment. We head off campus to a small café a few blocks
away. It’s half-empty and fairly private.

Haydn leads us to a booth in the back. We
quickly scan the menus and submit our orders. Once the waitress leaves, I sit
up straighter in my chair and level them both with a serious stare. “Okay. Let
me have it.”

Neve tilts forward. “Before we start,
please understand that I only did what I did to protect you. I didn’t
intentionally hurt you or lie to you. I did what was necessary, and I expect
you to fully understand that.”

If I was hoping for an apology, I’m
bitterly disappointed. “Go on.”

“Logan’s father is an important bullion
with direct ties to the president. You remember I spoke to you about my
position? That I’ll have to marry in accordance with my father’s wishes?” I
nod. “Well, Logan is in the same position. He will be required to marry for
political reasons when the time comes. So the two of you starting something
would not be smart.” She reclines in her chair and gauges my reaction.

Haydn nudges her and she rolls her eyes.
“Logan insisted I tell you that he doesn’t actually have a girlfriend, and he’d
never disrespect any girl he was involved with by openly flirting with others.”

A swarm of hopeful butterflies dive bombs
my stomach. “If that’s the case, then why does he have to stay away from me
now? I understand that there’s no future, but while we’re here …” I trail off
as a spike of humiliation paints my cheeks red. I’m coming across desperate and
presumptuous, and besides, it’s not a conversation I should be having with
these two.

“His father would never permit him to even
temporarily date a star. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to get him in trouble.”

I turn puce in the face and Neve has the
decency to look mildly embarrassed.

All hope flitters away. Wasn’t this the
first logical deduction I’d made once I figured out the difference in our
social standing?

Pushing my pain aside for later, I focus
on the other things I seek clarification on.

I rapidly replay the hushed conversation I
overheard last night in my head. My memory is fuzzy, and I can’t recall
everything that was said. “Why did Logan say he needed to stay close to protect
me from
him
? And who does he mean?”

Haydn and Neve trade shocked looks. I
speak up before either of them decides to fob me off again. “Don’t even think
about lying. Was he referring to Dante? Do you guys know him?”

Haydn speaks first. “Yes. He was talking
about Dante, and we all know him.”

My eyes narrow to pinpricks and I shoot my
most venomous look at the pair of them. “I get that Dante is a douche, and I’m
not going to deny that he freaks me out, but he’s only trying to ruin my
friendship with Jen so he can monopolize all her time. You guys are getting all
worked up over nothing.”

I scoot over to the corner of the booth
and twist sideways, pulling my legs into me. My back doesn’t ache so much in
this position.

Haydn scrubs a hand over his jaw, and Neve
stares at him in that strange intense way of hers. Several seconds pass without
anyone speaking. The waitress drops our food on the table and leaves. My
patience reservoir is running dangerously low, and I’m about to stage an
intervention when Haydn speaks. “Look, we want to be upfront with you, Sadie.”

“I’d like that too.” I swipe a fry and pop
it in my mouth.

“Dante and Logan don’t get on. At all.” A
tiny smirk smears Neve’s mouth.

“What’s that got to do with me?”

“Dante has picked up on Logan’s, ah …
attraction to you, and he’s determined to cause trouble.”

My heart does little somersaults, but I
manage to keep any foolish expression off my face. It’s just been said that
Logan and I have no future, so I shouldn’t be so happy at the confirmation that
my feelings aren’t unrequited. Nothing can develop between us for various
reasons. I know that, but try explaining it to my heart. Refocusing, I strive to
unravel the hidden meaning behind Haydn’s words. “I don’t understand. Dante is
with Jenna and I’m not even with Logan, so what does it matter?”

“Haydn hasn’t explained it right,” Neve
interjects, shooting Haydn a scornful look. “Dante and Logan have been natural
enemies for a long time. Dante perceives that Logan has taken something
precious from him, and he’s always looking for ways to exact his revenge. When
you came along, he sensed an opportunity, and now you’ve handed him everything
on a plate.”

Is she suggesting I’m
something “precious” to Logan?
Irrespective of whether
or not that’s the case, Neve has indicated Dante’s attention is more than a
desire to separate Jenna and me. If it’s true, and his interest is because of
Logan, then what does he intend to do? “Well, what do you think he’s planning?”

Neve replies in a steady, confident
manner. “He’s planning to kill you.”

I laugh. Perhaps not a natural reaction, but seriously?
Have we wandered into some alternate universe where kids run around saying
other kids are going to commit murder because they’ve had a falling out with
one another? It’s the most ridiculous thing Neve has said to date. “Is this
some kind of sick joke?” My voice is louder than intended, and a few heads
swivel in my direction. “You can’t be serious?”

This time it’s Haydn’s turn to glance
scathingly at Neve. “We don’t know that for certain,” he says, facing me, “but
he intends to hurt you.”

“You guys suck at explanations. And you,”
I say, pointing my finger at Neve, “nearly gave me a damn coronary.”

“Sorry,” she says, looking anything but.
“But you need to be fully aware of the danger you’re in, and none of us know
exactly what Dante has planned. You need to stay out of his way and avoid
situations where you’re alone with him.”

“That’s going to be difficult considering
he’s dating my roommate.”

“About that,” Neve says, “I think you
should move in with me. I’ll convince my current roommate to switch with you.”

There’s no way I’m leaving Jenna to deal
with Dante on her own. “No can do. I’ve already noticed the affect he’s having
on her. She’s my friend, and I’m not leaving her alone.” I pick absently at my
food.

“You’re
my
friend and I don’t want
anything to happen to
you
,” Neve counters, flicking her glossy blonde
hair.

A worrisome thought lands in my mind.
“What about Jen? Is he planning on hurting her too?”

“That depends on your definition of hurt,”
Neve coolly replies.

“What do you mean by that?” Sweat coats my
palms.

“He isn’t planning on hurting Jen,” Haydn
says, digging his elbow into Neve’s stomach. “He’s pretty enchanted with her.”

“Either she’s in danger or she isn’t.
Which is it?” I glare at both of them as my head starts throbbing painfully.

Haydn rakes a hand through his hair. “I’m
sure Jen will be fine and so will you—provided you stay alert and avoid
situations that force you to be alone with him. None of us will let anything
happen to you, so try not to overreact.”

“Now do you understand why you need to
stay away from Logan?” Neve asks.

“Somewhat,” I say, struggling to
completely understand it all. I suspect I’m not in possession of all the
facts—they’re holding more back.

“You still don’t comprehend the danger
you’re in.” Neve huffs, flinging a frustrated look my way for good measure.
“Dante is responsible for Odie’s death. Now do you get it?”

My lip wobbles. “What?”

“It was no accident that he fell off that
railing to his watery death.”

“Oh my God. What did he do?” My breathing
comes out in rapid spurts. My instinct had warned me Dante was somehow involved
at the time, but Jenna was insistent he was with her. Did she lie to me? To
cover up for him?

“That’s as much as I’m prepared to
explain, but it’s the gospel. Trust me,” Neve says cryptically.

My head is swimming, and I’m more confused
than I was before I received their so-called explanation. I desperately need
head space. “I need time to think all this through. It’s a lot to take in.”

Neve looks hurt and exasperated, but I’ve
no energy to feel guilty about that. “Fine,” Haydn says, “but I’ll be your
shadow whenever we’re in school, and I expect you to accept that.”

I’m too drained to argue so I acquiesce.

All three of us walk in silence back to
campus, and I struggle through the rest of the day.

***

I invoke autopilot Sadie for my shopping trip with Jenna.
She doesn’t even notice my fake enthusiasm. We leave the store laden down with
bags, which I quickly deposit in the apartment before we head out to the diner.
I spot Jarod and Fern the minute we step into the restaurant. They are already
seated and they wave us over.

I introduce the girls as we slide into the
booth.

“’Sup, girl?” Jarod reaches over for a
fleeting hug.

“Nothing much.” The fib glides off my
tongue with remarkable ease. Great, now I’m turning into a liar.

“What did the doctor say?”

My eyes dart to big mouth Fern. She’s
chatting to Jenna and doesn’t even notice me giving her the evil eye. Jarod’s
eyes latch on Jenna across the table.

“I didn’t get a chance to go yet. I’ll go
tomorrow.” This time I’m not lying. With each passing day, and the acceleration
of my aches and pains, even walking is becoming a chore.

“You look exhausted.” He takes a bite out
of his burger.

“Gee, thanks. You sure know how to charm
the ladies.”

He winks. “I know something that’ll cheer
you up.”

I incline toward him. “Spill.”

He puts his burger down. “A certain
someone”—he smacks his leg—“may have made certain discoveries that he’s willing
to share.”

My pulse picks up pace and my eyes spark
alive. “Go on.”

“Are you free Saturday night?”

“Why? What do you have planned?” I grip
his arm.

“Can’t say. You’ll just have to trust me.
So, you free or what?”

“Gosh, let me check my busy social
calendar.” I tap my finger off my chin. “Yup, I’m free.”

“Cool. Pencil my name in that slot. It’s a
date.”

***

Standing in line in the movie theater, I experience a
massive déjà vu moment. All the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand firmly
to attention, and I know Logan is standing behind me. Don’t ask me how I know.
I just do. It takes every scrap of self-control to avoid looking at him, though
that troublesome inner devil goads me.

Jarod starts to say something, but his
mouth hangs open mid-speech. He scowls over my head. If I needed any
confirmation, that’s it. Tucking me protectively under his arm, he corrals me
over to the farthest line, away from temptation.

“What was that about?” Jenna asks once
we’re seated.

Given all that’s happened between us the
last few days, I’ve had no time to update her on the strange goings-on with
Logan. “I’ll tell you later.”

I couldn’t even attempt to explain what
movie I’ve watched because my brain has been in meltdown the entire time. While
a part of me understands the threat Dante presents, I have trouble fully
believing Neve’s assertion. I’m not disputing the argument put forth as to why
he might have it in for me, but to want to actually kill me stone dead? I’m not
buying it. Plus, it’s not as if he could actually carry out the threat and get
away with it. There are cameras all over the city, and if one of the volunteers
died inexplicably, they would surely mount an investigation. So, why would he
risk it? All because of some personal vendetta with Logan? If I were his
girlfriend, maybe the threat would be more plausible.

But I’m not his anything.

If it’s true that Dante was behind Odie’s
death, then I genuinely have reason to be fearful. But Neve’s explanation was
too vague and more of an unsubstantiated allegation than anything. I wouldn’t
put it past her to throw that into the mix purely to manipulate me.

The more I think about it, the more I
conclude that Haydn and Neve were playing me. Even if Dante detests Logan—as
has been suggested—I can’t connect that emotion with a desire to terminate me.
Hurt me? Maybe. But not kill me.

Haydn and Neve are still lying to me. That
can be the only explanation. For whatever reason, they haven’t been fully
truthful, and I can’t be friends with people who deliberately mislead me,
whether or not their professed motivations are to protect me.

I walk out of the movie theater in a daze.
Not watching where I’m going, I plow into the back of a couple. “I’m so sorry.”
The girl twirls around, ready to pounce. I stagger back. Ria is draped around
Logan, squeezing his torso as if he’s her personal property. Humiliation and
hurt whip through me.

 “I didn’t recognize you with your shirt
on.” Ria smirks and my cheeks darken as the memory of my embarrassing
coffee-soaking episode comes back to haunt me.

Logan removes her arm from his waist and
steps away. “That’s enough, Ria.” Her eyes narrow to slits. “I’m sorry,” he
says softly to me.

I understand the wealth of emotion behind
those two words and that he’s apologizing for more than this. I make the
mistake of looking up, and the customary spark buzzes between us like some
cruel form of torture. My heart physically aches.

Jarod laces his fingers through mine.
Logan’s eyes fixate on our conjoined hands, and his lips pucker sourly. Jarod
moves close to Logan, talking in a low voice, and it’s a miracle I can pick out
the words. “I know who you are. Stay away from her or I’ll be forced to take
matters into my own hands.”

Jarod doesn’t hang around long enough to
gauge Logan’s reaction or hear his response. Instead, he drags me away as if my
life depends on it.

***

Later on, I’m sitting on my bed in my short pajamas with a
three-card spread lined out on top of the comforter, debating with myself over
the tarot card reading I’ve just performed. All the cards I’ve pulled are
consistent with the life-changing transformational experiences I’m currently
undergoing. 

However, it’s the interpretation of the
cards that I’m conflicted over. This is where I’d benefit from an external
party conducting the session. When the cards can indicate many different
things, it can sometimes be hard to maintain objectivity in a self-reading.

 I hold the first card in my hand as I
mull over the meaning. The Reversed High Priestess card speaks to hidden
agendas and a need to listen to my inner voice. That, I can easily buy into.
Same with the upright Wheel of Fortune card, which I’m excited about. It points
to a change in destiny, a defining moment. But it’s the third card that I’m
most confused over.

I flip it over and over in my hand,
running through the different symbolism in my head. The Hanged Man, in an
upright position, could signify everything isn’t as it appears to be on the
surface, which is believable in the current circumstances, but it can also mean
letting go and sacrifice or restriction. I could believe the former, and it’s
consistent with the other cards, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s
telling me I’m facing sacrifice. If that’s the meaning, what sacrifice is it
speaking to?

***

Saturday arrives and I appear at Jarod’s apartment at six
o’clock as requested. I’m bursting with excitement about our forthcoming
excursion. Despite persistent attempts on my behalf, he hasn’t given any clues
to indicate what we’re up to.

“Where are we going?” I bound into the
room the minute he opens the door.

He sniggers. “Excited much?”

“Tell me,” I plead, batting my eyelashes.

He laughs again. “I love your enthusiasm.”
He tousles my hair impishly. “We’re gate crashing a gala event at City Hall.”

My eyes narrow. “Why?”

“There are some foreign dignitaries
visiting for the weekend and I want to snoop.”

I hop excitedly from foot to foot. “What
else do you know?”

“They’ve formed some kind of alliance with
our government, but I don’t know why or how. I have a feeling this is tied to
the real reason why we’re all here.”

“How did you manage to score invites?”

His lips twitch. “I didn’t. We’re part of
the waiting staff.”

All visions of dressing up and dancing
trickle out of my mind. A chunky layer slices off my excitement. “That doesn’t
sound like nearly as much fun.”

“Oh, it’s going to be fun all right.” He
signals behind me.

Spinning around, I spot a colorful array
of makeup, contacts, wigs, prosthetics, other accessories, and a few bundles of
black and white clothing draped over the coffee table. I rub my hands with
glee. “We’re going incognito?”

“You’re game?”

“Hell yeah. It’ll be fun to be properly
invisible.” Jarod stares at me funny. “Don’t mind me,” I mumble, not wanting to
get into a serious conversation about the many ways a person can be invisible,
or how practiced I am at wearing a façade.

Jarod thrusts some clothing into my hands,
and I slip into the bathroom to change. When I return, I sit on the floor and rifle
through the assortment of disguise paraphernalia on the table. “We want to
blend in so don’t pick anything too garish or anything that would draw
attention,” Jarod warns.

Scraping my hair back off my face, I
secure a long dark wig over my head. While it’s only synthetic, the sensation
of hair brushing against my shoulders fascinates me to no end as I’ve always
kept mine short. “Where’d you get all this stuff?” I ask as my fingers search
through the items on display.

“A spy never reveals his sources.” He
smirks like a big know-it all.