Saving Sloan (Sloan Series Book 2) (17 page)

A boyish grin crossed his face. She hadn’t seen him look like that in ages. “Why? Want to take advantage of me in my current position?”

Sex. It had always been about sex to him. “No. Just wanted to talk to her.”

“She’s not here. She left about an hour ago. Don’t know where she went. Didn’t ask.”

What? Sloan pointed to the Explorer. “But the car…”

“She drives a Corvette when it’s just her. That monstrosity is for when I have to go to the doctor. Fits my wheels real nice.” He patted the gray wheels of his chair. “Now, do you need anything else, Miss Bridges, or are you just here to gawk?”

It was now or never. Might as well ask and get on her way. “Are you stalking me?”

He obviously wasn’t expecting that. He looked at her all confused at first, then tilted his head back and roared with laughter. When that was done, he looked at her again, the smile still plastered on his face. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

She shook her head, wanting to be anywhere but there.

“You think I’m stalking you? How? Am I rolling around in the middle of the night?”

It was good he sounded so amused. Not.

“I don’t know. Maybe you have someone helping you. I just want to know if it is you and tell you… if it is… to stop. Please.”

She couldn’t look at him, not directly. She could tell, though, from the corner of her eyes that his expression had changed. It had gone from jovial to concerned.

“You’re really worried about this, aren’t you?”

“Just tell me. Is it you?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Just tell me…”

He rolled his chair closer to her so he didn’t have to keep holding the door. “This stalker, what is he doing to you? Is he sending you things?”

He was toying with her. That’s what it was. He knew perfectly well what he was sending. She decided to play along just to see what he had to say. “Flowers.”

“Flowers?”

“Roses.”

“Roses.” He repeated again, like he was working on a puzzle in his head that wasn’t fitting together. “Anything else?”

She debated about telling him about the notes and the countdown, but decided against it. Maybe he’d slip up and say something about it. It would be her truth gauge.

“Nothing.”

“Hmm… wow. Are you sure it’s a stalker and not a suitor? The Hunter brothers aren’t wooing you?”

Oh, they were wooing. “I’m sure. I want to know if it’s you. I know you’ve talked to Ray about it, but…”

Boyd held his hands up innocently. “Whoa, Ray. When did I talk to Ray?”

What sort of question was that? “Yesterday. During first period, Ray came to talk to you and your mother. He was gone all day.”

Boyd’s eyebrows squished together. “I hate to tell you this, but I haven’t seen him. My mother was gone all day yesterday, too. It was just me, and Ray never came.”

It was her turn to look confused. That wasn’t right. Ray said he’d gone to see him. He wouldn’t lie, but Boyd would. “You’re lying. Ray said he came and talked to you. Said you weren’t lying about being in a wheelchair.”

“Well, I’m not lying about being in a wheelchair. I have medical papers and my therapist’s number if you need to call and confirm. If it’ll make you feel better.”

No, it probably wouldn’t. Boyd was her big suspect. If he wasn’t stalking her, then who was?

“And I’m not lying about Ray not coming out here yesterday,” Boyd continued. “If he said he did, he’s the liar.”

Sloan shook her head. He was lying. She knew it. Wasn’t he?

“Why would he lie about seeing you?”

“That’s a question you need to ask him. You’re being stalked, right? And this guy you trust is lying to you about me. Seems suspicious.”

“I was the one who thought it was you. He came here to make me feel better.”

“By saying I did it?” Boyd’s brow rose and so did the pitch of his voice. “I can’t even take a bath myself, Sloan. I can’t play football. I can’t run. I can’t even drive my car. I’m stuck here, which is better than where I’ll be stuck in a few months. I don’t need any more charges hanging over my head. It’s not me. I’m not lying, but your boyfriend is.”

“He’s not… my boyfriend,” Sloan said slowly, almost in a daze. She’d come for answers and had confronted her attacker to get them. Yay her, but the answers made no sense.

Boyd grinned just a little. “Aaron, then? I knew he protected you too well not to have feelings for you. No one jumps in and tries to kill someone like he did me if he didn’t care about the girl.”

His logic made a lot of sense. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about, though. Not at the moment. “So, you’re saying you can’t walk. You aren’t stalking me. And Ray never came to see you yesterday?”

“Yes. I’m saying all of that.” Boyd bent forward and linked his fingers together. “I am glad you came, though. I’m sorry. Truly sorry for what I did. I just… I lost my mind temporarily. I was hurt and angry, and I didn’t handle it well. It hurt you and ruined my life, and I am sorry. Truly. Truly sorry. Can you forgive me? Please.”

Sloan saw the boy she’d fallen in love with in those eyes. He was charming and loving, caring and protective. As much as she didn’t want too, as much as she hated him, she knew she had to forgive him. It was her duty not only as a Christian, but also for her to start healing.

“Okay,” Sloan said barely over a whisper.

“Okay?” Boyd asked, tears forming in his eyes.

“Okay. But I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for me. I can’t live with hating you. It’s ruining my life too.” And it was. She hated how she felt when she thought about him and all the hate and anger that made her into a person she didn’t like. It was time to let it all go and focus on the new stalker person in her life. Sigh.

“I can live with that.” He smiled a genuine smile, something she hadn’t seen since before they’d broken up. “Thank you.”

Sloan nodded, not sure of what else to say. He’d answered her questions, but not with the answers she’d wanted or expected.

“Here. Hold on.” He rolled away and let the door shut. A few seconds later, he returned and held out a piece of paper.

She hesitated before taking it, afraid he’d grab her and pull her into the house.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Sloan. I promise. I couldn’t if I wanted. Here, take this.” He held out the paper again, and she quickly grabbed it.

Sloan opened it and read it. “It’s my physical therapist’s number. His name is Eric. Call him if you don’t think I’m telling the truth about not being able to walk. He’ll confirm it. It’ll make you feel better… well, about that at least. I swear on my mother that I’m not the one harassing you. I’ve moved on,” he said with a slight smile on his face.

For some reason, nostalgia or how light she felt now, she believed him. “Thank you. Thanks for being honest.”

“Anytime,” he answered as she left. “I do have a question though.”

She turned when she got to the bottom step.

“Are you okay?”

She didn’t suppose she was, was she? “Fine. Why?”

“You don’t look good. I mean… Not like that. You look great. Just tired. And your eyes are all red and bloodshot. You haven’t been doing something you aren’t supposed to, right? Because of me.”

Why did everyone assume that? “No, I haven’t. But thanks for caring.” She snipped that last part, but didn’t care. She was away from the house and close to the car, home free. She got inside and slammed the door shut. Without hesitation, she started the car and put on her seatbelt. As she drove away, she saw Boyd following her with his eyes. It creeped her out a bit so she went faster.

When she got to the bottom of the driveway, she stopped. He hadn’t been very helpful except for two pieces of information. She now had his physical therapist’s number so they could call and confirm that he was indeed paralyzed. And she learned Ray hadn’t been to his house. If that was true, where had he gone for so long yesterday?

And why had he lied about it?

CHAPTER SEVEN

S
LOAN DROVE BACK HOME IN A DAZE
. It was so strange to see Boyd in that wheelchair and know she’d been the one who’d put him there. Sure, he’d attacked her and she’d been defending herself. And she could have killed him, but it didn’t take away the fact that his life had been changed forever because of something she’d done. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

He still looked like the same Boyd. Same good looks. Same beautiful blue eyes. Same glare that made her very nervous now. Chills ran up her legs as she thought about the horrible things he’d done to her and how he could have killed her. It could very easily have been her in that wheelchair and not him… or worse. Her face was forever changed because of him, her life… and her head, apparently, because she had the worst headaches now. Hopefully, it was stress. If it wasn’t, she was going to the doctor next week. She couldn’t keep living like this and popping pills, even if they were just the over-the-counter variety, except the two she’d gotten from Darcy on Monday.

Darcy.

She hadn’t seen her much today. It wasn’t a horrible thing actually. Even though they had made up — supposedly — she still didn’t like talking to her much. Sloan assumed the feeling was mutual since she’d accused her of being a stalker because she’d known her locker combination.

Still… it bothered her that she’d known it. Darcy had known her junior year combination. That was plausible since they had been inseparable last year. Not this year. So could she have known?

Strange. Very strange.

Sloan stopped at the four-way stop at the end of Brown Hollow Road. One way led to Harrisburg, where Aaron worked at the aluminum factory. One way led to Nashville, where her mother worked as the manager at a retail store in a mall. And the right led to Chapel Hill, exactly where Sloan wanted to go. The road wasn’t a very popular intersection so she had time to send a text to Mackenzie.

Can you meet me at my house after school?

The reply came quickly. Sloan checked the time on her phone. A little after two. She’d be in paper staff right now. Mr. Wallace didn’t care if they texted. Well, he might care, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.

Sure what’s up? Did you leave?

Something I had to do. Look, we r meeting to talk about the weird stuff going on. 3:30 at my house. Can you be there?

Ok. Talked to Sarah. Have some info myself.

Perfect.

A car beeped behind her, and she threw the phone down in the seat next to her. She hadn’t even noticed it pull up behind her.

Sloan made it home at about two-thirty. She hadn’t driven exceptionally fast, dreading how this meeting would go down. They’d either believe her or they wouldn’t. Not much she could do about it.

When she got home, her mom’s car wasn’t in the driveway. Her mom was never home that early, but she’d been at school for lunch. Sloan figured she’d be home already. She grabbed her phone and sent her mom a text, just to be sure.

So many strange things had gone on, plus the note yesterday said if she told anyone, her mother would pay. Others might not believe her, but she sure did. And she took it very seriously.

Sloan got out and cautiously walked to the front door. The sound of her name made her jump, and a scream caught in her throat.

“Oh goodness, sweetie. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Donna Livingston yelled from her front porch. She had on a teal-and-pink nightgown and matching housecoat. Her salt-and-pepper hair framed her face and she looked tired. “Aren’t you home from school early?”

A person couldn’t sneak around in a small town even if she wanted to. Everyone saw everything. “I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Stomach virus?”

Eww. “No ma’am. Just…” How in the world could she explain it? “It’s complicated.”

Donna smiled. “I’m a good listener. You know that.”

She knew that.

No one was there yet, so Sloan decided to take her up on her offer. Donna shut the door behind her and led her into the living room down the hall. Donna’s house looked like time had stopped inside it in the 1950s. The floors were linoleum with green-and-brown patterns on them. The woman even had a rotary-dial phone. Probably the only person left on the planet who did. It felt like walking through a time portal every time she went into Donna’s house. In a good way. Back to the good ole days when times were simpler, or that’s how they implied it on TV.

Donna had told her once that times hadn’t been any different back then. Sin was sin and evil was evil, even in those days, but then they hadn’t had the Internet to let them know all the bad things going on twenty-four-seven. She’d said it had been nice living in the dark.

Sloan went into the living room and sat on the couch with plastic on it. It squeaked when her bottom hit and Sloan smiled. Nothing like plastic to keep one’s couch looking awesome.

“Something to drink? Water perhaps?” Donna offered.

“No ma’am. Thank you.” Donna hadn’t been out of the nursing home long. She didn’t need to be entertaining her.

Donna nodded and sat in the matching brown chair across from the couch. It squeaked too when she sat down. “So. What’s troubling you?”

So many things, Sloan didn’t know where to start. She decided the beginning was the best part. She told Donna about the roses and notes, threats and headaches, Ray and Aaron.

Donna’s eyes got especially large during the Ray and Aaron part. “He kissed you!”

“You care about that more than the roses and notes?” Sloan teased, knowing it wasn’t true. Still, it was fun to kid with her.

Donna’s face reddened. “You know that’s not true. Your safety is my number one concern, but he kissed you!”

Sloan laughed. It felt good to laugh. “Yeah.” She melted like a fangirl.

“And?” Donna crossed her legs and propped her chin on her fist.

Sloan couldn’t stop the huge grin from spreading over her face. “It was awesome!” She sighed and giggled.

Donna laughed and slapped her knee. “Figured it would be. That boy has the hots for you.”

“You knew?”

Donna stared. “I’m old, not dead. Anyone with eyes can see how he looks at you when you aren’t looking. Ray knows too. He usually glares at Aaron when Aaron’s gawking at you.”