Jillian Dodd - Hate Me

“I told him all about it,” Aiden tells me. “I have to get to basketball practice. Riley is going to stay with you until I get back, okay?”

He kisses my forehead and is heading toward his door when Riley squints at me. “Wait? So both you and your friend were stalked?”

Aiden freezes, turning around quickly. “What do you mean?”

My lies are unraveling before my very eyes.

“When we were in Miami, there was a guy who tried to grab Keatyn,” Riley says to Aiden.

I get tears in my eyes. Now, not only do I have to lie, but I have to lie about my lies.

“Riley, I lied.”

“Why?”

I put my hands in my face trying to figure out a new story, but my brain is fried.

Thankfully, Aiden sits back on the bed and starts telling Riley what I told him.

About my friend.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Riley asks, pushing my chin up so I have to look at him.

It’s easy to tell the truth to that question.

“I was shocked. I mean, it all happened so fast, and I was told—no, warned, sworn to secrecy—that if I told anyone about the stalker then he could find her.”

“So, where is she?” Riley asks.

I close my eyes again. “She's lost,” I say, simply stating how I feel.

“No one knows where she is?”

“They put her in witness protection, but she didn't feel safe anymore, so she left. She can’t tell me where, but she’s tired of being away from everyone she loves. Her family. Her friends. She wants her life back.”

“But what does that have to do with you?”

“It’s sort of another reason why I didn’t get to stay at my old school. She has this personal security firm that helped. They were worried that all her close friends could be in danger too. That he might hurt us to find her. It just worked out that Damian was away on tour and Brooklyn was leaving to surf. I had the option of coming here or going with my family. I chose here because I was worried about my sisters. She and I were really close. I’d be the natural target if he couldn’t find her. And, now, I’m responsible for a girl being dead because I told her it was time to stop running and fight back. My friend told me about the girl. Says she can’t handle it. The guilt. The fear.”

“Keatyn, you didn't do anything wrong,” Riley says. “You're just stronger than she is.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if it were you, you'd fight back. You wouldn't just sit around and wait for something to happen. You'd make what you want to happen, well, happen. It's like what we just learned in history. How you never know what people will do when faced with danger. How they react like animals. Fight or flight.”

“Fight or flight?”

“He’s right,” Aiden says. “Your friend chose flight, but not you. You'd fight. You wouldn't let this stop you.” He wraps his hands around my fists and squeezes.

I smile at him. “You’re right. And you just gave me an idea.”

“What’s that?”

“Instead of her going to dance this week, I will.”

Aiden and Riley share a worried glance.

Aiden kisses me. “Stay here with Riley until I get back.”

The second Aiden closes the door, Riley narrows his eyes at me and says, “So, which one of us are you telling the truth to?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your story. It’s full of holes.”

“I know. I don’t want to lie to you. I just had to lie about this. I’m sorry.”

“That’s all you’re lying about?”

“Yes. I hate to lie. But I promised. And the lies are only for protection, so I hope you understand.”

“I understand. Now, move over. If you’re going to do something dangerous, I’m going to help you script it.”

I move over and lean against his arm while we brainstorm.

What we end up with is a scene straight out of a movie.

Which is pretty fitting, if you ask me.

Feeling horrible.

5:45pm

Aiden comes back from basketball with takeout food from the cafeteria. Potato soup for me and chicken fajitas for him.

He does our homework while I mostly just lie on his bed feeling horrible.

He makes me stay with him until it’s time for curfew, then walks me to my dorm and gives me a comforting goodnight kiss.

As soon as Katie is asleep, I go into the stairwell, call Troy, and tell him what I think happened.

“Oh, wow,” he says slowly. “I didn’t even put that together. Do you really think it was him?”

I tell him about the picture.

“Wow,” he says again.

“So, I need to know. Did he get one of the bouncers to bring him back there? Give her a card? Anything?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Let me check and I’ll call you right back.”

Ten minutes later, he calls me back.

“Yes. He asked one of the bouncers to give her his business card. Said he was a producer and would be interested in doing a screen test with her. From what I understand, this isn’t unusual for him. A lot of the girls admitted to doing screen tests and many have hooked up with him. They say he’s charming and a perfect gentleman.”

“Is the bouncer willing to tell all this to the police?”

“He will. He feels responsible because he helped her get the job.”

“Troy, if he isn’t arrested this week, I’m coming back Thursday to dance again. I want to honor her in a big way. Do you think the club and the girls would be willing to help?”

“Absolutely. We’re all still reeling. And we’ve been trying to figure out something to do for Leighton.”

“Leighton was her name?”

“Yeah, Leighton Wall.”

I close my eyes. Somehow knowing her name makes it even worse.

“I’m going to have a bunch of packages delivered to the club with your name on them. What time does the club open?”

“Ten.”

“Can you have all the employees there at nine?”

“Will do.”

“And Troy?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t tell Damian. I want to keep him as far away from this mess as possible.”

I know Cooper will probably have a fit about this, but I don’t care.

I toss and turn in bed, trying to sleep, but visions of Vincent, cages, and scissors haunt me every time I close my eyes.

I know there’s a very good chance that I might not come back from this trip.

That my fate might be the same as Leighton’s.

Aiden sneaks in my window sometime after curfew and pulls me into his arms.

I still don’t sleep, but I do realize there’s something important I need to do before I go back to face Vincent.

Just in case I don’t come back.

I slip out of bed, grab my phone, sneak into the bathroom, and send Sam an email with a very specific set of instructions to be carried out in a very short amount of time.

I end the email with a directive to meet me on Thursday afternoon.

Then I use the notes function on my phone and start writing.

Kiss me here.

7:40am

Aiden meets me in my dorm room with coffee and donuts.

“How are you feeling this morning?”

“Better. Thanks for always being there for me, Aiden. I really appreciate it.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he says, setting down the food and taking me into his arms. “What’s that?”

I turn around and see a wrapped tube with another pink bow. “It must be from my naughty Santa. Katie must’ve put it there when she left for her Spanish Club meeting.”

“Do you want to open it?”

“Yeah,” I say, eager to stop talking about yesterday. I rip the paper off the container to find a game called Sexy Truth or Dare. I take off the lid and Aiden pulls out one of the long sticks out and reads it.

“How fun,” he says. “You have the option of answering a truth about sex or you have to do the dare on the back.”