The Life Wish, page 8
“Meh.” Shaking her head, she mumbled, “Not ringing a bell.”
I sighed but carried on into the Cs and then the Ds until I came to, “Daisy? Dahlia? Daphne? Diana?”
“Diana?” she repeated as if that one resonated with her.
I sat up straighter. “You think your name’s Diana?”
“No.” But she didn’t sound very sure of herself until, a second later, she snapped her fingers. “Diane,” she announced triumphantly. “My middle name is Diane. After my mom.”
I shrugged. “Well, that’s a start. No first name yet?”
“No. Sorry.”
So we continued through the alphabet, both of us tossing out names that might belong to her, but none of them inspiring her enough to claim them, and with each letter, we started to yawn more and burrow deeper into our furniture to get comfortable.
I’m not sure why the game dragged on for so long, but it lingered deep into the night, and I started to get drowsy, even though I liked talking and joking with her. She was fun and easy to be around. Still…
I think I passed out somewhere in the Ps.
When I came to, it was morning, and brightness was blaring through all the windows.
I could hear seagulls outside, telling me I was near a beach.
Cramped in the side chair I’d slept in all night, I groaned and stretched my arms and legs, which made the girl on the couch stir and begin to wake up as well.
“Morning,” I mumbled as I pulled my arms from over my head so I could wipe crusties from my dry eyes.
The girl jumped in surprise and whirled her attention to me before blinking about a dozen times and hesitantly asking, “Foster Union? What’re you doing here?”
I laughed out a husky sound before scratching my jaw. “What do you remember?”
“Uh.” She glanced around the front room as if lost. “Not a lot.”
“Well, I found you on the roof,” I started. “Suffering under the influence of something.”
“The roof?” She tipped her head as if that suggestion was pure insanity before she asked, “What in the world was I doing on the roof?”
“Yeah, we never figured that out,” I answered with an uneasy wince. “Nor did we learn your name. So do you happen to know your name this morning?”
“Of course, I know my name.” She straightened self-righteously as if she couldn’t believe I would dare ask her such an insulting question. But when she added, “It’s,” nothing else came out.
“Holy shit,” she croaked. “I can’t remember my name, but—ooh! I do remember last night now.” She pointed at me. “We fell asleep going through the alphabet, trying to remember it.”
“That’s right,” I said with a nod. “At least you remember that.”
She brightened as if proud of herself. Then she sighed with a scowl and pressed a hand to her head. “This is crazy. I can’t believe I scaled Foster Union’s cottage on the beach and ended up on his roof. How random is that?”
I paused in the middle of pushing my way to my feet. “My cottage?” I repeated in confusion.
She lifted her hands and swore, “I promise, I had no idea this was your place. I’m totally not a creepy stalker. It was just a complete and utter coincidence that—”
“This isn’t my place,” I broke in, feeling frozen with shock as I blinked at her in disbelief.
The girl sat upright, looking stunned. “What do you mean?” she demanded. “If this isn’t your cottage, then whose is it?”
“I…” I stood all the way up, realizing I should not be making myself at home right now. “I thought it was your cottage.”
“It’s not my cottage,” she spat back, hopping to her feet as well. “Why would you think it was my cottage?”
“Because you were on the roof,” I said with more force and a chest full of growing panic. “And there was no ladder, so you had to have gotten up there from the inside, like through a window. I assumed the place was yours. That’s why I brought you inside and nursed you through the night here.”
“Oh,” she said in a small voice. “Well…oops.”
“Oops?” I echoed. “Why were you on the roof if it’s not your cottage? Or at least the cottage of someone you know?”
“I-I-I thought we decided that was still a mystery.”
“Holy shit,” I exploded, gripping my hair. “Are we breaking and entering into a complete stranger’s beach house right now?”
“Um…” With a wince, the girl sent me a small, apologetic smile. “I think so, yes.”
My mouth dropped open, and I could only gape at her for the longest second before we heard what sounded like a car pull up in the driveway.
“Oh, no, no, no, no,” I chanted and hurried toward a window to peer outside. “Please don’t be—” But when I saw the roof of a red car stop and park before the driver’s side door swung open, I knew it was bad news.
The homeowners had arrived.
I spun back to my partner in crime. “Okay, time to go. Time to go right now.”
7
FOSTER
“What kind of crazy person leaves their house unlocked like that so just anyone off the beach could wander in?” sputtered the redhead I’d spent the night unintentionally breaking and entering with.
“No idea,” I answered, hurrying toward the front door so I could throw it open and frantically wave her toward me. “You want to wait another thirty seconds and ask them? Or just go now and avoid the risk of jail time or getting shot?”
She blinked at me in surprise, then said, “I’m ready to go now.”
“Thank you.” I breathed in relief as she streaked toward me, barefoot.
From the back of the house, a door opened, and I heard, “Hey!” as I darted out the door behind her.
“Run!” I gasped, and she didn’t need to be told twice. She took off sprinting for all she was worth.
I dogged her heels, glancing back to see a figure appear in the entrance that I’d left hanging wide open. They didn’t continue after us, though, just stayed there.
“This way,” Raina called, steering us toward a patch of dune grass. The stalks were probably three or four feet tall, so we crouched as soon as we reached them to duck out of sight. But at least we didn’t have to outright sprint once the foliage concealed us.
“Keep going,” I encouraged as I glanced over my shoulder yet again. I still didn’t see anyone following us, but I didn’t want to linger to find out if they’d called the police or not, either.
In front of me, the girl steadily shimmied through some reeds. I batted them out of my face and kept bear-crawling after her until we reached a clearing that led to a white picket fence bordering another property.
“Come on,” I whispered, moving in front of her to take the lead. “Javonte Witt’s house is only a few minutes this way. I have my truck parked there.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” she panted, already holding onto her side and wheezing.
Still in a crouch, I zipped toward the fence, then hugged the beachside once I reached it. I glanced back once to make sure she was still with me, and when she nodded to let me know she was keeping up, I started to jog a lot more freely the rest of the way to Javonte’s.
The beach behind his fenced backyard was clear and undisturbed. Returning to the gate I had slipped out of last night to walk down to the water, I paused to check on my accomplice.
She was breathing hard, her face glistening with sweat, and she was still holding her side with one hand while reaching for the fence’s brick wall to brace herself with the other.
“Break,” she gasped unsteadily. “Can we take a break?”
“Of course. I don’t think anyone’s following us.” Letting go of the gate handle, I returned to the beach to peer down the sand and make sure we didn’t have any pursuers.
“Yeah, I think we’re good,” I assured, turning back to find her plopping down onto the ground and sitting with her back to the wall.
Bobbing her head, she sent me a thumbs-up to let me know she’d heard. Then, she drew her legs up toward her chest, clutched her middle, and bent forward to rest her brow on her knees.
“Oh my God,” she groaned in misery. “I’m never drinking again.”
“You okay?” I wondered, coming over to sit a few feet from her. Bracing my back against the bricks as well, I rested my forearms on my own knees and squinted at her in worry.
“Ask me again in two minutes,” she managed to answer as she remained just as she was.
“Gotcha.” Letting my head fall back, I closed my eyes and withdrew a long breath.
A minute passed before the girl beside me groaned. “So that happened.”
I chuckled and glanced over. “Yes, it did.”
“I’ve never broken into a complete stranger’s house before.”
“Trust me, me neither.”
She nodded. “It was…different than I’d imagined it would be.”
I blurted out a laugh over her blasé attitude. And then I couldn’t seem to stop.
At first, she blinked at me as if I were insane, but then she broke and smiled before she started to laugh with me.
“That had to be the strangest, most bizarre night of my life,” she confessed.
With a nod, I wiped tears of mirth from my eyes and finally started to settle down. “You could say that again.”
“And then we tied it up with trespassing.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” I glanced over to find her watching me with a thoughtful expression. When she said nothing else, I whispered, “What?”
She shook her head. “I just—I can’t believe how cool you’re being about all this. I mean, I heard you were super nice, but this…”
I furrowed my brow in confusion and shook my head. “What did I do that was so nice?”
“Are you serious?” she cried in dismay. “You nursed a strange and crazy drunk girl through the night without taking advantage of her, only to find out the next morning—” Her words stalled off before she tipped her head to the side. “You didn’t take advantage of me, did you?”
“What?” Eyes widening, I laughed and waved my hands. “No! Of course, not.”
With a dreamy sigh, she tipped her head toward me thoughtfully. “See. Some guys wouldn’t have seen a problem with swooping in for a little touchy-feely time in a situation like that.”
“I guess some guys are total asshats, then,” I assured, pushing my way back to my feet and dusting sand off my jeans. “Because no way would I do that. Are you rested enough to move again? My truck isn’t far away now.”
“Just…” She held up a finger and gulped as if trying to swallow down some nausea. “One more minute.”
Her cheeks looked unnaturally flushed. I lifted my eyebrows, stepping close. “Ready for the hospital yet?”
Scowling over the suggestion, she insisted, “I only need a minute.”
I chuckled and lifted my hands. “Okay. I’m going to check the beach one last time. Make sure we weren’t followed.”
“Good idea. Thank you.”
As I turned away, she groaned in agony, probably on the brink of vomiting.
“Foster?” she said in a small voice as if she might’ve changed her mind about the hospital after all.
“Yeah?” I answered, squinting to make sure the dot down the beach wasn’t a person. When it spread its wings and lifted into the air, reassuring me it wasn’t, I turned back toward the girl to see what she needed.
But she was no longer sitting against the fence.
She was gone.
I blinked and straightened in surprise because I hadn’t heard her stand up or walk away or anything.
“Hello?” I called, spinning in a circle to find her. “Diane?”
When no one answered, I glanced back at the spot where she’d been sitting, but the girl had freaking vanished as if she’d never been there.
The only place she possibly could have disappeared to this fast was into Javonte’s backyard, but I hadn’t heard the latch on the gate. And when I hurried forward to draw it open, the metal hinges squeaked loudly, telling me I definitely would’ve heard her enter.
Inside the backyard, the lawn and pool were littered with bottles, Solo cups, and articles of clothing, plus some shirtless dude was passed out in one of the deck chairs. But there were no redheaded girls anywhere.
“What the hell?” I demanded aloud.
Where had she gone?
I popped back outside the fence to walk the perimeter, but I still couldn’t find her.
It was the most bizarre end to a most bizarre night. And I hated that I had no idea how to check in and make sure she’d gotten home okay. Damn. Did she even know where her home was?
“I should’ve just taken her to the hospital,” I said as I glanced uneasily toward the water.
But I assured myself there was no way she was out there. She would’ve had to pass right by me to reach the Gulf. And besides, she wasn’t a seven-year-old boy. I’m sure she was perfectly adept at swimming and strong enough to fight any current that—
My phone rang from my pocket, making me jump out of my skin.
When I pulled it up and saw Parker’s name, I answered with a shake of my head, needing to tell someone about my freaky, peculiar night. “Dude—” I started.
Only for him to burst out, “Where the fuck are you?” He sounded strangely worried. Or maybe scared.
“I’m—” I glanced up at Javonte’s fence and winced.
“Doesn’t matter,” he growled. “You’re alive. Now get to Archer House. ASAP.”
Alarmed by the urgency in his tone, I straightened. “What’s wrong?”
“Just get your ass over here.”
8
FOSTER
When I pulled up to the curb in front of the red and white, bricked split-level, I found everyone else already there. Damien’s Ford was parked behind Keene’s silver Jeep Rubicon and next to Oaklynn’s Kia, which was in front of Hudson’s Challenger.
Finding a spot between Thane’s Equinox and Parker’s Lucid Air, I cut the engine on my Dodge and pushed my way into the bright morning.
I’d been coming to this house since I was eleven to hang out with Damien. It’d been his childhood home. And even though his parents had retired and moved to Arizona, leaving it for him to live here with Keene, Alec, Hudson, and Oaklynn, it would always be just Archer House to me.
After jogging up the front steps, I pulled open the door to the main living room and found pandemonium inside.
Damien was trying to contain a hysterical Oaklynn, who was shrieking, “I don’t understand. Why her? Why?”
Heart pounding hard, I demanded, “What happened?”
Oaklynn spun toward me, and her eyes narrowed. “You,” she charged savagely, pointing in angry blame. “Where were you? You should’ve been here. She’d still be alive right now if you’d just been here.”
I reared back, stunned by the accusation. “What?” I choked out in dread, and for some reason, my thoughts went to the nameless girl I’d spent the night with.
From the couch, Hudson lifted his hands and waved them. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t put this on Union.”
Grasping Oaklynn’s arm gently, Damien spun her back to him and pulled her against his chest so he could stroke her hair. Over her shoulder, he shook his head at me as if to apologize.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Oaklynn wept, burying her face in Damien’s shirt and gripping handfuls of the cloth. Then she lifted her face to wipe her eyes and say, “I’m sorry, Foster. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. It’s my fault.”
“No,” Damien crooned, kissing her temple and urging her back around to him. “It’s no one’s fault.”
Meanwhile, Alec was sympathetically patting Keene’s back, where he was slumped in a chair and gripping his head. “I was the last person to ever have sex with her,” he uttered in shocked horror. “I mean, she died within an hour of my penis being inside her.”
From the kitchen, I heard glass break. “Will you stop telling me to calm down?” Parker boomed, no doubt talking to Thane since he was the only other person not in the front room. “I’m the one who bought the fucking ride she died in.”
Clued into the fact that someone was dead, I turned my attention to the couch, where Hudson and Faith seemed to be the least traumatized people in residence.
All I had to do was meet his gaze with a questioning lift of my eyebrows, and he jerked his head, motioning me over to the couch. Faith was quietly running her hand down his arm as if she didn’t know what else to do, and he was wincing in pain as he rubbed the thigh of his leg that wasn’t wrapped in a cast.
I sank down on a cushion not far from them, and he licked his lips, glancing at Keene, then Oaklynn before returning his attention to me with weary eyes.
“You know that girl Oaklynn’s been hounding you to go on a blind date with?” he asked.
“Holy shit!” I exploded in surprise. “She died? How?”
“Just—” He lifted his hand to stop me. “Shut up and listen.”
I pulled back, closing my mouth.
And Hudson continued, “So she was here last night with her sister, hoping to finally meet you.”
This time, I did cringe. “Seriously?” How many times did I have to tell Damien’s girlfriend that I was not fond of setups?
“Hey, she wasn’t so bad,” Hudson told me. “Cute, sweet, bubbly; you probably would’ve liked her.”
I made a face, not so sure about that, but Hudson kept talking.
“Anyway, I plied her with one of my special brews while Keene hooked up with her sister. And then Parker sniffed her out and tried to hit on her until he learned she was reserved for you.”
“Whoa, hey.” I lifted my hands, taking no part in claiming this complete stranger. “She is not—”
But Hudson motioned me silent. “So Ohrley bought her and her sister a ride to take them to Witt’s so she could finally meet you.”
I drew in a deep breath, beginning to catch on. “Wait. That was the gift he said he was sending my way? A girl?” Jesus. Of course, it had been. My friends, I’m telling you. Lately, some of them had made it their life mission to get me laid. The crazy weirdos.
