The Wrong Path

Chapter Thirteen





Annabelle looked up at the scuffling noises outside of her window, her heart skipping excitedly in her chest. She set down her book and hurried to the window, opening it and looking down at the tree that separated her house from the Scarlett’s.

Just as she had suspected, there was Will, scaling the tree like an expert. She giggled at the sight, happiness overcoming her at his appearance. She had felt mellow and subdued all day after the night before, but at the sight of him she felt like a light had been turned on inside of her, almost giddy to see him again.

“Late night?” she called down at him.

He looked up quickly, his boyish features lighting up with a charming grin at the sight of her. He hoisted himself up onto the branch outside of her window, straddling it as he faced her. “Some friends of mine needed a ride.”

She grinned back, kneeling down on her floor. “And enter the gallant hero Will to save the day. It’s the curse of being a nice guy. Everyone’s got you on speed dial.”

“Maybe I’ll change my number,” he suggested, mock-thoughtfully.

She shrugged, smiling impishly. “Wouldn’t bother me. I’ll just toss rocks at your window until you open up.”

He laughed. “Okay. I’ll make an exception for you. But only because I don’t want to clean up broken glass when you pick up a rock that’s too big.” He peered past her into her room. “What’re you up to?”

“At nine o’clock on a Sunday night?” she returned teasingly. “I’m having a wild and crazy party in my room. Just about to bust out the disco ball and the smoke machine.”

“Crazy kids these days,” Will tossed back. “Just don’t know when to quit.”

She laughed. “How about you?” she asked. “Now that ‘Will’s taxi service’ is closed for the evening?”

He grinned mischievously, leaning toward her. “Well we do have an after-hours special,” he offered.

She felt her heart skip a beat, excitement and adrenaline rushing through her. “What?” she asked, not quite understanding his meaning through his words.

He held out a hand to her, his eyes dancing. “Let’s go for a drive.”

Her mind spun with all the different reasons why they shouldn’t. “Now?” she asked.

“No. Tomorrow. Yes, now!” He reached out for her hand, to pull her through the window. “Come on.”

She hesitated, but before she had decided on an answer she had already placed her hand in his. Will helped her through the window, her heart pounding in her chest as he guided her down the tree. She nervously darted a look between their houses, but the lights were off—no one was going to come running after them and tell them to get back inside. They were safe.

They hurried to his car, Will unlocking her door and holding it open for her. As he shut it, she reached across his seat to his door and pushed it open.

He caught it and slid in, flashing a charming, mischievous grin at her. He slid the key in, and unlike normal when he gunned the engine and took off, he started it quietly and drove slowly down to the end of the road. Once there, he took off with lightning speed, the tires squealing with protest. Annabelle let out a shriek and he laughed, lowering the top on the convertible. She couldn’t resist laughing as her hair whipped around her face in the warm night air, the rush of wind freeing and exhilarating as they drove.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked, over the music.

He shrugged. “Where do you want to go?” he asked back, grinning.

They were such powerful words. It was like the whole world was laid out in front of them. They could go anywhere; do anything. Will’s mood, so full of life, was contagious, and she felt herself be drawn further into him.

“Where do you go when you sneak out at night?” she asked.

He laughed. “Despite what you may think, Belle, I usually only sneak out because someone got in trouble and needed a ride somewhere.” He looked over at her and winked. “I need my beauty rest, you know.”

She laughed out loud. It felt like every time she was with Will she learned more about him—another secret he never told anyone. It was addictive, and the more she learned, the more she wanted to know. “I won’t tell,” she assured him. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your rep or anything.”

“’preciate that,” he teased.

She grinned and looked around. “Well you seem to be the one with all sorts of secret fun spots. Are there any more that you haven’t shown me?”

He shot her a devilish smile. “There’s a few more.”

Another secret she could be privy to. She was almost giddy with excitement. “Well then take me to one of them,” she ordered.

“Bossy,” he shot out at her.

“Chauffer,” she shot back.

He glanced at her and grinned. She returned it with a brilliant smile of her own and settled back to see where he would take her.



***



“It’s so warm,” Annabelle gasped, slipping her fingers into the water.

Will laughed, even as he perched on the dock and pulled off his sneakers. “Did you think I’d take you swimming if it were freezing?” he countered.

“Maybe,” she returned, making a face at him. She looked around nervously at the secluded lake. “Are you sure this place is safe?” she asked.

He arched an eyebrow, then grinned devilishly. Barefoot, he walked over to her. “Afraid you’re going to be kidnapped and murdered out in the middle of nowhere?” he teased.

She felt a shred of terror go through her. “Well now that you mention it…” she drawled flatly.

He laughed and pulled on her hand, drawing her toward the dock. “This place is totally safe. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“You say that now,” she muttered. “Little late.” Still, she sat beside him on the dock and started pulling off her shoes and socks. She hesitated when she got to her jeans, wishing that she’d brought a swim suit.

Hands suddenly took her shoulders, turning her. She looked up, startled to see Will standing in front of her, his long-sleeved white button-down in his hands. He held up his hands, indicating she should put the shirt on.

“You’re going to run out of clothes pretty soon,” she couldn’t resist teasing, even as she slid her arms into the sleeves. She turned back to face him, buttoning up the shirt over her tank top.

Will grinned down at her. “My master plan is to leave you with all of my clothes so that I never have to do laundry again. I’ll just hop across the window to get dressed every morning. It’s genius.”

She laughed out loud, turning away to slide out of her tank top under Will’s shirt. She turned back, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Will discard his t-shirt beside his shoes. She could see each muscle in his chest and his arms, each one taunt and defined. She had never known, under his layers of clothes, that Will had worked out.

But then, she guessed, it made sense for him to be in shape… He spent enough time outdoors.

Embarrassed that she was staring, she quickly averted her eyes, flushing. To keep her mind off of her thoughts, she all-but yanked off her jeans, throwing them next to her tank top.

And then, as she walked to the end of the dock, she suddenly thanked god she had worn cute underwear that day.

Even more mortified at her thoughts, she turned back to Will, who finished tossing the contents of his jeans onto his t-shirt and stood to face her. He grinned and approached her at the end of the dock.

“Ready?” he asked.

“No,” she admitted, laughing as she peered into the darkened water.

“That’s a pity.” She squealed as she was suddenly hoisted up into his arms. The next moment she was flying through the air, everything moving in slow-motion, and then she was plunged into darkness, surrounded by warmth.

She came up sputtering, Will already in front of her. He grinned and shook wet hair out of his eyes as she grabbed onto his shoulders to keep herself afloat. Apparently it wasn’t deep enough that he had to tread water like she did, because his legs were still. “You suck,” she told him, holding onto his shoulders with one arm as she wiped the water from her face.

He laughed. She let him go when her face was as dry as she could get it, and then he stepped back, until it was clearly too deep for him to stand. She followed, slowly, keeping her head above water.

“You’re not going to suddenly get a cramp and drown, are you?” she teased.

He smiled impishly at her. “Would you save me if I did?”

“Nope. I’d steal your car keys.”

He disappeared almost instantly under the water, and alarmed, she looked around, her heart beat picking up. “Will?” she asked. “Are there alligators or something in the wa—“

She broke off as a hand wrapped around her ankle, yanking her down into the darkness of the water. She tried to scream, but her mouth just filled with water. Panicked, she pushed off of the rocky, grainy lake bottom and went surging back to the top, quickly pushing her hair out of her face as she looked around furiously for Will, who to her fury was treading water just a foot or so away, grinning mischievously.

“You scared me half to death!” she cried, splashing water at him. “I could have drowned!”

“You weren’t going to drown,” he assured her confidently, wet hair curling in his twinkling eyes. He looked so pleased with himself that she felt some of her anger fade, but she continued to frown at him. He swam over to her and held her close, looking up at her as he lifted her slightly. “I wouldn’t have let you drown,” he promised. “You’re wearing my shirt.”

She splashed him and he laughed, tossing her out of his arms and into the water on her own. For a long time they swam around like children, until Annabelle’s body was exhausted from exertion and every bad thing from the night before seemed just like a distant, faded memory.

To her vast relief, Will kept blankets in the trunk of his car, and oddly enough, a duffel bag of clothes. As he pulled it out of the trunk and began rifling through it, she had to laugh.

“Do this often?” she teased.

Will looked up at her through pieces of wet hair. He offered a half-smile. “Remember that barn I showed you?”

She felt her heart skip. “Yeah.”

“Sometimes I stay there when I don’t feel like going home.” He emerged with a t-shirt and held it out to her. “Here.”

They changed on opposite sides of the car, Annabelle’s mind racing as she went over his words in his head. Will stayed in that drafty old barn? But why? Things at home couldn’t be that bad, could they?

They tossed their wet clothes into the back seat and climbed into the car, Will closing the top on the convertible and blasting the heat.

She forced herself to shove the thoughts from her mind, holding her hands over the vents to warm them up. By the time they were home, her hair was nearly dry, and she was so happy and full of cold energy that she thought she would burst. Will helped her scale the tree back up to her room, and once in, she grinned at him through the window.

He grinned back.

“I had fun tonight,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Such a simple word… Tomorrow. But hearing him say “tomorrow” instead of “later” made her heart skip with happiness and she nodded back, watching as he climbed into his own window.

As bad as tomorrow was going to be, as long as she had Will with her, she was pretty sure she would be able to get through it.