“I didn’t say it was your fault.” I roll my eyes. It is more than a little ridiculous how innocent he’s acting. “I’m saying maybe you could handle it better than she could, that’s all.”
“And by ‘it’ you mean drugs?” Jasper doesn’t wait for me to answer. “Listen, I know you think you know everything about me. That you know everything about everything. But I don’t even drink. I never have. No drugs either. And I mean never tried them,” he snaps. “My dad was high as shit when he beat the crap out of that guy. Almost killed him. And yeah, he did it. Wasn’t the first time, either. Just the first time he hurt someone so bad he ended up in jail because of it. And yeah, I lied about it to Lexi and Doug, because sometimes people don’t think the apple falls far from the tree.” He eyes me then like he knows I’m one of those apple people. “And sometimes I even worry they’re right. So I’m careful. Like staying away from drugs, for one. I’ve never gotten high and I never will get high. And I never personally saw Cassie get high. She knew how I felt and so she didn’t do it around me. But yeah, I knew she smoked pot and I hated it.”
“Okay,” I say, holding up my hands. “Fine, sorry.”
I do feel like a jerk. Because maybe I am one of those apple people. And Jasper’s right, it is a terrible way to think.
“But she was acting weird recently.” Jasper crosses his arms, eyes still on the window. “Like I said before, I thought she was cheating on me. But maybe she was hiding some kind of drug thing. Meth even. Shit, I don’t know. She definitely wouldn’t have told me. She would have known I wouldn’t be okay with it. But whatever, if you think I’m lying, there’s nothing I can do about that.”
“I don’t,” I say. “I didn’t mean to—”
“And by the way, while we’re on the subject of your shitty opinion of me,” Jasper goes on, angry all over again, “Cassie told me you think I did something to Tasha. Not that it’s any of your business, but Tasha and I were friends. Sometimes, she liked to pretend we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and I thought fine, what do I care?” He shakes his head. “But I was too much of an ass to think about how she’d feel when I actually got a girlfriend. And it was bad.”
“Did you tell Cassie that?” I ask. Surely she would have thrown that right in my face.
“No. She asked about Tasha, but I didn’t think it was anybody’s business. Listen, I’m not pretending I’m perfect. And in case you’re wondering, yeah, I broke that kid’s nose. Knocked him flat out. Did I mean to hit him that hard? I don’t know, maybe. He said some crap about my dad and I just lost it. I’m not proud of that. It was a mistake. People make them, you know?” Jasper turns back to the window, crosses his arms. “Maybe if you realized that, you’d be a happier person.”
My cheeks feel hot as I stare at the side of his handsome-boy face. I hate how right he is.
“Look there!” Jasper points again toward the window.
I jump to my feet quick enough to see—something or someone in the shadows of the large cabin across the way. Then a flashlight goes on and starts bouncing across the dark grass toward us. Officer Kendall. At least, I think—same light, same height. On his way back to us maybe? It’s possible he rushed out to investigate and the door slammed shut behind him. It could even be stuck, not locked. Our situation could be bad still—because we haven’t found Cassie—but maybe not as bad.
Instead of continuing on toward our cabin, though, the flashlight turns toward the car. Not Officer Kendall? But a second later, once the light is no longer shining at us, we can see who is behind it. And there can be no doubt. It is Officer Kendall. Sure enough, he’s headed for his car. And away from us.
I close my eyes. Hope that I am seeing things. I have to be. But when I open them, there is Officer Kendall. Still walking calmly toward his car.
Jasper knocks on the window with two of his knuckles. “Hey!” he screams. “Where are you going?”
If Officer Kendall hears, he doesn’t even twitch.
“He’s leaving us here,” I say, barely able to get the words out. My heart is throbbing in my head.
“Hey!” Jasper screams again as Officer Kendall gets into his SUV. He bangs with his whole closed fist this time. So hard I’m afraid he’s going to shatter the glass and hurt himself.
“Jasper, stop.” I put a hand on his arm.
He rests his fist against the glass as Officer Kendall backs up and drives away. We stand in silence until his taillights disappear down the driveway.
“Fuck,” Jasper says quietly. Then sits back down on the floor.
I watch him down there for a minute, looking so defeated. If Jasper’s hope is gone, we are truly lost. But he’ll rally. He has to. I just need to give him a minute. I turn away from him back toward the window.
And there is a face. Right there. Right on the other side of the glass. A man with terrible dead eyes locked on mine.
“Holy shit!”