“She’s resting still. I’ll take you to school today if it’s all right,” William said with a tense smile. The day before, my car had been making strange noises, and we had taken it to a garage. William looked more serious than normal. Whatever happened yesterday must have left my mother in bad shape if she didn’t want to get out of bed. I nodded, making a mental note to find out what the hell had happened between them.
Thankfully, Nicholas hardly looked at me. I didn’t want to see his face. Not knowing what he knew about me.
William took another sip of his coffee and turned to me.
“You ready, Noah?” he asked.
“As soon as you knot my tie, I will be.” He smiled. It was the first time I’d ever asked him for anything directly. It was strange. Without realizing it, I’d come to trust him, and I felt comfortable enough that I wasn’t afraid to ride alone with him.
* * *
The day passed mercifully quickly: Jenna couldn’t stop apologizing for letting me drink so much, even if she shouldn’t have. It was my fault, my fault alone. More girls who didn’t even know me came up to ask me what it was like to live with Nicholas Leister. I guess I’d turned into the talk of the school, and everyone either wanted to criticize me or be my friend. Jenna told me that was the price of popularity and I’d better get used to it, but I just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide. Especially because of the haters who couldn’t stand that I got to hang out with him whenever I wanted, and one of those was Cassie, Anna’s sister. I didn’t know what she was up to, but every time we looked at each other, she’d start whispering to whoever was next to her and laughing. It was childish, and I wasn’t in the mood for childish nonsense. I ignored her and her groupies and spent the day with Jenna and her friends. Surprisingly, I liked them. They were making plans for parties and all kinds of other stuff.
On the way out, I didn’t see my mother’s car waiting for me, but as more people left, I did see someone crouching behind a tree and leering.
Ronnie.
Adrenaline flooded my body. If he was the one writing the letters, I was screwed. He smiled when he realized I’d seen him and motioned for me to come over. He was some ways off, but if he tried anything, he’d easily be seen. There were still enough students around that I didn’t feel completely vulnerable. But where the hell was Mom?
I told myself I should just try to get it over with, and I walked over as resolutely as I could. When I was close enough, I looked at his nearly shaved head and the dozens of tattoos on his arms and neck.
“What?” I asked, cutting to the chase and trying to convince him he hadn’t gotten to me.
He laughed.
“Not so fast, sugar. You know you look sexy in that naughty schoolgirl uniform. You’re a bad little rich girl, I’d love to take it off and spank you,” he said, coming out from behind the tree and standing up straight.
“You’re gross, and if that’s all you have to say…” I turned around to walk off, but he held me back.
“You think you can just humiliate me the way you did and come out smelling like roses?” he whispered into my ear. I tried to get away from him but couldn’t, and a part of me wanted to listen anyway to figure out if he was the one sending the letters.
With all the self-control I could muster, I told him, “You’re a sore loser, and if I were you, I’d find a new hobby.”
“You’re a frisky one,” he replied. “I could use a girl like you, but if you open your mouth to spit some more of that bullshit, I promise you, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” I asked, motioning behind me to be sure he knew doing anything to me there would be a stupid idea.
Thinking it over, he responded pensively, “I’ll do it all, baby, you can believe that. Just give me a little time. Anyway, I got something for you, something I’ll bet you didn’t expect.”
Then I saw it: the letter. It was him. Ronnie was the one threatening me.
“Your sick joke isn’t as scary as it was before,” I said, trying to keep a cool head. “What’s to keep me from reporting you for stalking?”
He seemed to find that funny.
“I’m just the messenger, sugar,” he said, stroking my face with the envelope. “Seems I’m not the only one who wants to get his hands on you.”
I didn’t get it. If he wasn’t writing the letters, who the hell was?
Just as I reached out to grab it, a car pulled up.
“Get away from her!” Nicholas shouted. He jumped out and ran in front of me.
Ronnie didn’t seem to care. Actually he smiled, as if this was what he’d wanted all along. I put the letter into my bag before Nicholas could see it.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he shouted. He was clearly on edge.
Ronnie stared at us.
“I see I was right… You’re trying to get between those legs too, aren’t you, Nick?”
Nick stepped forward while I grabbed his arm, trying to hold him back.
“Don’t do it,” I said. Nick fighting that dirtbag again was the last thing I wanted.
“Listen to your little sister, Nick. You don’t want to get into it with me. Not here.”
But Nick wasn’t scared. He stepped forward again, telling him, “Make sure I don’t see you near her again or I swear to God it’ll be the last time you ever see the light of day.”
Ronnie smiled, winked at me, and got into his car. Once he’d disappeared, I broke down, shaking all over.
Nick clutched my face.
“Please tell me he didn’t do anything to you.”
I shook my head, trying to keep my emotions inside. I couldn’t appear weak, not in front of him.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just take me home.”
* * *
In the car, I managed to relax. I tucked my hands under my thighs to conceal my tremors. But still, I couldn’t stop thinking about opening that letter. I told myself I wouldn’t read it, that whatever was written there could only make things worse.
“What did he say, Noah?” Nick asked after a moment’s silence. I didn’t really know what to say.
“He threatened me,” I replied. Vague but sincere.
He gripped the wheel tighter.
“How, exactly?”
I shook my head.
“It doesn’t matter. What does matter is he wants revenge for the race.”
“He won’t lay a finger on you.”
I was thankful for his preoccupation, but it wasn’t necessary. I knew how to take care of myself.
“Of course he won’t,” I agreed…but was that the truth?
* * *
Back at home, William was in the living room with a group of lawyers, and when he saw me enter, he shut the door without even greeting me. It was strange, but I was more concerned with my mother then.
She looked tired and had bags under her eyes. She hugged me when she saw me. Whatever they were fighting about, it was clearly worse than I imagined.
“Are you okay, Mom?” I asked when she let me go.
“Of course,” she replied, hardly convincing.
“Is everything all right between you and Will? You can tell me,” I said, trying to get something out of her. She shook her head and gave me the fakest smile I’d seen in a long time.
“Everything is absolutely super, honey. Don’t worry.”
I nodded, but I couldn’t stay there trying to get information out of her. I needed to read the letter Ronnie had given me.
I went to my room and took it out of my bag with my nerves feeling raw.
The letter contained just one sentence.
You stole everything from me and now you’ll face the consequences.
P.A.P.A.
The letter fell out of my hand. And the memories returned.
The school bus had just dropped me off in front of my door. I was only eight. I had a drawing in my hand. I’d won a prize. My first prize. I wanted to tell my parents. I was running with a smile on my face, and then I saw.
My mother was on the floor surrounded by broken glass. He’d broken the table in the living room again. Blood was pouring out of her left cheek, her lip was split, and she had a black eye. But she got up as best she could when she saw me.
“Hey, honey!” she said in tears.
“Were you bad again, Mom?” I asked, stepping nervously toward her.
She nodded, and then a big strong man walked through the door.
“Go get washed up. I’ll take care of her,” my father said. My mother looked at us for a moment and then vanished behind her bedroom door.
I turned to him, still holding my picture.
“What did my precious little girl do?”
I was hyperventilating as the memories flooded in. I sat by the bed and hugged my knees. This couldn’t be happening.