Lucas had been missing a lot of school. When his injuries were too bad, he’d stay home to avoid DOC’s inquiring into his home life, the nosey stares of others and the persistent questions from his teachers.
I reached the edge of the woods and hid my bike in the bushes, half running, half walking, I made excellent time, now thoroughly familiar with the twists and turns. I arrived at the cabin slightly out of breath but relieved. Little Wren was always at its most spectacular at this time of day. The sun carried its last rays before complete sunset and cast everything in orange and pink hues. The flowers I’d planted at the front of the cabin had grown a few inches and were still producing buds.
My feet crunched the gravel on approach, and I was aware I was wearing a wide smile. I had missed Lucas. It had been too long. I’d sworn never to come back after what Mason did. The place I loved was now tarnished. But I couldn’t say no to Lucas.
Pushing the red door, it creaked open, and my eyes slowly adjusted to the dim interior.
I heard it before I saw it.
Moaning. Deep and guttural. The slapping of skin against skin. When shapes began to form, I could make out a male and a female. He was on top, head down, hips moving fast and rhythmic. There was a young girl, blonde hair cascading over the edge of the mattress.
“Lucas?” I stumbled, feeling my heart firmly lodged in my throat. My body trembled, vomit threatening to rise from my gut.
How could he do this to me? He promised… only me.
The boy glanced at me, and for a moment I felt a sense of relief, but relief soon turned to fear.
It wasn’t Lucas.
It was Mason.
A disturbing smirk spread across his face, eyes alight with a narcissistic glee. He continued moving inside of the girl who was none the wiser I was there. I had been tricked into coming here. Tricked so I could witness him in this state. I reminder of what he wanted to do to me that day in the field.
Mason had planned on getting caught, and I had taken the bait so easily.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I spat angrily.
My outburst caught the girl’s attention, and she turned awkwardly to face me. “Gemma?” she asked in a familiar voice.
Mason moved away but made no effort to cover up his erection. Heat flushed my cheeks, and I shifted awkwardly, not knowing where to divert my eyes. I had never seen a naked man before, and Mason flaunted it with a perverted pride. He moved some more, happily revealing who his conquest had been.
“Joanie?” I asked, incredulous. It felt like I’d been slapped in the face twice over, the sting raw and angry.
My friend since grade three crawled to her knees, lowered her dress and pulled the straps back over her shoulders. “What are you doing here, Gemma?” To her credit, she looked genuinely confused.
“What are you doing here?”
She glanced between Mason and me. “I think it’s obvious,” she said as if I were stupid.
The wind had been knocked clean out me. I was feeling dazed and just a little confused myself. Other than Lucas, Joanie was my best friend. I’d told her so many things in confidence about the boys next door. And apparently, she saw nothing wrong with having sex with the boy who had caused me such pain. And Mason, he knew Joanie was my best friend.
Once again, he’d succeeded in bringing my world crashing down.
“Where’s Lucas?” I fumbled, although I’m sure nobody heard. I gripped the door for support, my heel catching the wooden step. I stumbled but was too weak to right myself. Falling backward, I could do little to stop it from happening. I landed hard on the gravel outside but inside I could hear both Mason and Joanie laughing. Climbing awkwardly to my feet, I backed away until their taunted faces were once again consumed with darkness.
~
“Gemma Sinclair!” My mother’s irate voice called as I arrived home. Lips pursed, a hand on her hip, she waited until I had closed the front door. “It’s a quarter to eight already. Where in God’s name have you been? And what has happened…” Her anger quickly faded, replaced with concern. “Have you been crying?” She approached placing the back of her hand across my forehead checking my temperature. “Are you still not well? You look bloody awful.”
For my mother to swear, she was worried.
“Mom!” The sobs erupted, the tears running free. Her eyes widened in momentary shock at my outburst before taking my hand, her own eyes glassing over. “I can’t take… it… anymore.”
“Take what, honey?”
“Everything!”
“Come here,” my mom’s voice broke revealing her own emotion. Before this, I had been oblivious to her feelings as she watched me retreat into my shell. “Talk to me, Gemma. Tell me what’s happened.”
“What’s going on here?” my dad’s deep voice rumbled from the living room.
Mom pulled me into her arms, wrapping me into her protective cocoon. “Darling, can you check on the roast? I’ll be there in a minute.”
When Dad’s footsteps faded, Mom whispered, “Was it Lucas, honey? Did he do something to you?”
“No.” I sobbed harder. I didn’t even know where Lucas was.
“Then what? It seems a bit coincidental that you run off to meet him and then come back in this state?”
“It wasn’t him, I promise.”
Mom sighed heavily and then kissed my forehead. I wanted to tell her everything, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t want her looking at me any different.
“Go on, honey. Go upstairs and wash up. I’ll tell Aunty Lucy her fitting can wait for another time. But I want you to promise that you’ll fill me in on what’s happening. I can’t help if I don’t know.”
“Okay. I promise. Right now, I’m just really tired.”
“You look it.” She gave a small, sad smile, one that tugged on my heartstrings. “Go on.”
The stairs felt like I was climbing Everest. In the state I was in, it was a long, arduous journey. My limbs were dead weights, my stomach churning with anxiety.
On Monday, I would have to see Joanie at school, our friendship hanging in the balance. I needed to distance myself from Mason Carter, but he was having none of it. His hits were low and hard, designed to cause heartache. I wasn’t equipped to deal with the way his monstrous mind worked. Locking the bedroom door, I pulled off my clothes and slipped on my oversized nightshirt. Looking longingly at the bed, the emotion began to surface. Crawling under the covers, I pulled them above my head and sobbed hard into the pillow. I cried so much my chest hurt, salty tears seeping into the cracks of my mouth. Eventually, a raging headache stilled me. Staring into the darkness, the bed sheets clinging to my damp face, I heard the message chime.
I froze.
Mason had a way of turning things I once considered beautiful into something ugly.
On the other hand, it could be Lucas.
Fresh tears welled while I slipped out of bed, cautiously walking to the window. It was dark outside, but across in Lucas’s room, a lone figure stood in the shadows, the breeze moving the sheer drapes eerily around him.
I still couldn’t tell who it was. Lucas or the monster from next door.
I remained motionless.
Watching.
Waiting.
Eventually, he made the first move by offering a small wave, a gesture that quelled some fear. Reaching out, I pulled the message free and tentatively unfolded the paper.
I gulped, and I’m sure he heard.
I caught his stare, a smiling Mason as he moved from the dark shadows to the dim light of the night. Arms spread wide, he leaned against the window sill. His eyes were that of the devil himself, a Cheshire grin proving how proud he was of his efforts. I recoiled from his hold, a malevolent stare designed to crush me.
“Well?” he asked, followed by a spiteful laugh.
The note slipping from my fingers and floated to the floor like a lost feather. Feeling winded by yet another blow, I stumbled toward the bed, climbed in and pulled the covers high over my face. I lay still for what felt like an eternity, attempting to erase Mason Carter’s words. But they persisted. Playing over and over.
That could be you.
Chapter 21
NOW
Mason Carter had changed.