The Secret (29 page)

“Come back, Lanie,” Rob yelled after me. “We need to talk.”

I clenched my hand and the glass inside of it exploded.

I stopped walking and looked at the shattered glass around me. I hadn’t been squeezing that hard. That shouldn’t have happened. Little accidents had plagued me as of late. My powers were easily aroused…without real intention on my part. It unnerved me.

“Lanie.”

I turned and saw a silent pity on Rob’s face.

I realized that tears were falling down my cheeks. “I don’t know what to do, Rob.”

He grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. “It’s okay, Lanie. It’s okay.”

I let myself cry against the safety of him. He’d always been the only safe thing in my life.

Rob squeezed me tighter. “He’s gone, Lanie. Nicholi is gone.”

I pulled away from him. “But we don’t know what Molly is capable of. I don’t think she’s gone from our lives. I just don’t.”

Rob pulled his glasses off and started to clean them on his T-shirt. “Lanie, I know you’re life hasn’t been normal—ever. But I think we need to focus on the blessing that we’re not running anymore. We don’t know if Molly is even around still. And Mom and Dad would want us to live our lives and be free.”

At the mention of my parents, I tried not to blink too much. We really hadn’t talked about the fact that we might be step siblings.

Rob seemed to read my mind. Moisture filled his eyes and his jaw clenched. “My father is Thomas Hart. That is the
only
thing I know.”

I swallowed down the emotion I saw on his face. “You’re right.”

Rob paused and then put his glasses back into place. “I’ll get a broom.” He turned for the kitchen.

“Wait.” I ran into my room and pulled the gold coin out of my jewelry box. I’d put it there for safe keeping. I stepped back out into the hallway where Rob had frozen at my request. “What do you think Ruth meant?” I held the coin out to him.

Rob accepted the coin and held it up in front of him. “What do you mean?”

“She said if I used it—it would take Jake back.”

Rob inspected the smooth edges. “Mom told you this would block Nicholi if you put it with the other coins, right?”

I nodded. “She told me to put it with the other coins and then I could seal the powers back in the book.”

Rob gave it back to me and touched the tuft of hair beneath his bottom lip. “It must hold some type of power that can take ours away.”

A nervous energy wound itself through the bottom of my stomach and made me want to throw up the juice I’d just consumed.

Rob put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s fine, Lanie. You’re not going to have to use it. Nicholi’s gone.” He shrugged. “Everyone just keeps their powers…no big deal.”

I knew instantly when he said it, he didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe it was so simple.

But I didn’t have time to object.

The kitchen door flew open and Marsha stomped into the apartment. Even though she’d had a hard time the past couple of weeks, going back to school had been good for her. She was decked to the nines in white leather boots with a red sundress that flared out at the waist. Her hair was up on her head with curls coming down her face and matching red lipstick.

I jumped and then annoyance went through me. “You could knock.”

Marsha rolled her eyes at me, but didn’t make any snarky retorts. I’d noticed since the small funeral we’d held for her sister, she’d been nicer to me. “Have you seen Reed and Jake?”

Karen came in behind her and went straight for Rob.

Rob opened his arms and pulled her into a bear hug. Since everything had happened, they always acted like any separation in their day from each other was almost painful.

Rob kissed her head. “I missed you.”

A muffled knock sounded at the door and I looked over.

Sam stood there. His green eyes already fixed on mine.

My heart fluttered in that hopeful, happy way that I hated myself for starting to get used to whenever I saw him. Things were different between us. And, while I knew Sam wanted to be more than I wanted right now, I couldn’t help the fact that he was easy for me to have around. Since he wasn’t Nicholi’s puppet anymore, he was sort of pleasant…in an edgy, sarcastic way.

“Hey,” I said.

The side of Sam’s lip turned up. He wore a loose, red T-shirt and dark jeans. His hair was short—very short. He lifted his chin in his ‘I’m too cool’ way. “Hey yourself.”

I studied him. I had gotten used to the shaved sides and long top. Now, he looked more…clean cut. I moved into the kitchen. “You got a haircut.” 

He scrunched up his nose and pulled me into a casual hug. “Observant, aren’t we?” He smelled seductively into my neck. “You smell good.”

My heart fluttered and I tried to remember that the reaction was nothing. Just the way Sam was. The hug thing had been something he’d started doing since Boston. To me, it felt like what a good friend would do…like Reed. Reed was always putting his arm around me or pushing me or holding me in the air until I would say ‘uncle.’ This was no different. At least that’s what I was telling myself.

Marsha crossed her arms. “Lanie, did Jake tell you where he and Reed were going today?”

I was pulled out of thinking about Sam’s new haircut. “Hmm…no. He…” I looked at the floor. “We don’t really talk right now.”

It felt awkward, admitting it out loud. But they knew it.

Worry circled inside of me.

Sam squeezed me to him. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

Another knock sounded at the door.

Mr. Drake stood in his teaching clothes, his eyebrows frowned down with concern.

I opened the door.

Mr. Drake let out a breath and moved into the apartment. “I have to tell you all something.”

My gut went into a knot. “Have you seen Reed and Jake?” It couldn’t be bad news about them.

Mr. Drake stopped and pulled at his mustache. “What? They’re missing?”

Marsha let out a sigh. “The boneheads weren’t in our last period gym class and they didn’t come home from school today.” Her eyes went into slits. “Pigs. They never think about anyone but themselves.”

Mr. Drake cocked his head to the side and then crossed his arms. “I have to tell you something about Tim…”

I was relieved. At least he hadn’t said something had happened to Jake and Reed. Everything was fine. Tim must be showing signs of what his power would be.

He cleared his throat and looked around at each of us. “He—he told me last night he can see people…like ghosts.”

Fear bristled at my neck.

“I...” Mr. Drake’s hand shook and he held to the kitchen chair in front of him. “And last night…he says he saw Molly.”

Episode 33: Dead

Jake

Reed chugged back the last of his Coke and crumpled the can inside his hand. “Dude—we are so dead. I have like fourteen missed calls from Marsha. Not to mention the texts from
all
of them.”

I glanced at Rob’s Jeep in the driveway and rolled my eyes. “It’s eleven-thirty. It’s not like we were doing anything against the law.”

The river had been cold and crazy and just what we needed. But it had taken us longer because we’d gone up into Boulder Canyon as a starting point and then just let it ride for a few hours.

Reed smiled and I felt pleasure coming off of him as we sat in his truck. “It was totally worth it! Those rapids were da bomb!” He put his fist in the air and held it.

I knuckle bumped his fist and laughed. It
had
been ‘
da bomb’
. It had been the best I’d felt in a long time.

Reed didn’t move to get out of the truck. I didn’t move either. Neither of us was keen on facing our executioners.

Reed leaned back in his seat. “Soo…Sam and Lanie have been hanging out a lot.”

I pushed my hand through my hair and looked out the passenger side window. I knew that. I may have been dead, but I wasn’t blind. “Your point?”

Reed smacked me on my bare chest. I hadn’t bothered putting my shirt back on after swimming.

I grabbed my chest. “Oww!”

“She like…you should have seen her when she thought you were dead.” His voice dropped off and he took a shaky breath. “We were all stunned, but she…she would have done anything to get you back.”

A smothering pain ripped through me and felt like it would unhinge me.

Reed clicked his tongue. “She got you back. And now you won’t even talk to her. What’s your dealio?”

I smacked him as hard as I could on
his
bare chest. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I hate that? She should have let me die…” I pushed open the door to Reed’s truck and jumped out.

Reed did the same and stomped up the deck beside me. “Dude, calm down, okay.”

“Don’t talk to me.”

Reed put his hand on my shoulder and applied pressure.

I stopped.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you’ve got to stop this…this…”

I shrugged away from him and moved for the door.

“Get ready for the Spanish Inquisition.”

“Do you even know what that means?” I knew I was being mean to deflect from his questions, but I didn’t care. I flung the door open.

He grunted and hit me in the shoulder. It was a play punch, but coming from Reed—it would leave a bruise. He gave me a look that told me not to mess with him or I would pay. “Jerk face.”

There wasn’t any time to respond to Reed, however, because the agitated energy I’d been blocking from the group assaulted me en masse as we entered the house.

They all sat on the couch and looked up at us with different versions of angry.

Marsha fixed a glare into place at me and then at Reed. She punched the mute button on the television. “I’m glad to see you have no respect for others—or for the fact that we have been worried about the two of you all afternoon.”

Her voice held an edge to it. An edge that I wasn’t in the mood for. I moved past Reed and headed for the kitchen. “No one
asked
you to worry.”

Reed pointed at me. “I wanted to text you all, but he wouldn’t
let me
.”

I spotted Lanie and Sam sitting next to each other. The bottom of my stomach clenched. I flung the fridge open, pulled out a water, and guzzled it back. I ignored Lanie and turned to Marsha, plugging into her anger. “Think I’m in charge of Hulk here?” I glared at Reed. “Did you ever think that maybe he’s just
tired
of you? Maybe he wants to just live his life and forget about the past?”

Marsha’s eyes immediately glistened with tears and I knew I’d crossed a line. But I didn’t care. I started out of the kitchen and turned toward the stairs.

Reed’s whole body tensed and I knew I would pay later. He went to Marsha. “That’s not true. Come here, baby.”

Marsha collapsed into him. “Don’t tell me it’s no big deal. I’ve lost too many people. Too many people that I loved. Do you understand that? I’ve been going crazy all afternoon and…” She broke off and a sob came out of her.

I stopped walking and turned around. Marsha didn’t deserve my crazy anger.

Reed wrapped his arms around her and brushed his hand down her hair. “Shh. I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry.” He snarled at me. “You’re so dead.”

Nothing undid Reed like a girl’s tears—especially Marsha’s.

Marsha’s grief seeped through my anger and had a somewhat calming effect on me. I closed my eyes. “That wasn’t true, Marsha. I’m sorry.”

“Is that what
you
want, Jake? To be done?” Lanie’s voice was soft and I tried to construct walls against the mixed emotions of anger and despair that pushed at me.

I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t.

Lanie walked around the couch. “Jake, talk to us. What’s wrong?”

An overwhelming concern and warmth washed into me like the heat from a fire.

I threw up another wall between us and gave her an apathetic nod. “I’m fine.”

Sam moved around the couch and stood next to Lanie.

I didn’t hide the way I looked him up and down. I knew I’d given him a perfect in with Lanie. I knew that. And my lack of attention toward her had encouraged him…but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to rip him apart.

Lanie took a few steps forward and reached out to me. “Jake—”

I stepped back and noticed my hand was trembling. “Don’t.”

Sam put his hands in the air. “What’s going on, Jake?”

“Don’t talk to me, Sam.” The way he treated me…like I was about to explode, like I was a child about to have a tantrum…made me
want
to explode.

Sam shook his head. “I’m just trying to help you.”

I stood up straighter and clenched my fists. “You want to help me, Turner? I never thanked you for the last time you
helped
me. How about we take it outside?” I started moving toward the deck.

“Wait.”

I turned around and Rob stood up. Karen looked at me like I was a crazed maniac.

And that’s how I felt.

“What?” I threw my hands up in the air. “You waited all night for us to get back. Why? What’s the point? Is this some sort of intervention?”

Rob frowned and I could tell he wasn’t impressed with my behavior. “Actually, this has nothing to do with you, Jake. Did you ever stop to think that not everything is about you?”

I tucked my tongue inside my cheek. No. I
hadn’t
stopped to think about that.

“Mr. Drake told us something today.”

My adrenaline was on overdrive. “Okay…”

“Tim saw Molly last night.”

I stumbled back; the room tilted beneath me. That had
not
been what I was expecting. I couldn’t get my balance and fell straight to the floor.

Sam was beside me and reached out a hand. “You okay, Jake?”

I was halfway between my back and a sitting position. I ignored his hand and shook my head, pushing myself back up. “I’m fine.”

Sam stepped back. “Tim won’t talk about it. He says Molly told him not to tell anyone.” Sam let out a breath and motioned to the others. “They think we might be able to talk to him…you and me. Or, at least sense his emotions. We need to team up.”