My chest swelled. As crazy as it sounded, nobody had ever said anything to me like that. Why did it feel like he was talking about my soul?
I stepped back, shaking my head. "No, no, it's not true," I said, trying to clear my thoughts. "You're...you're just messing with me. I don't believe you. I don't trust you. I barely know who you are. You have so many secrets." My words came fast, my chest tight. "If you love me, why did you break into my room?"
"What?"
"Don't play coy with me, Liam. I know you did it. There were claw marks all over the window sill."
A low rumble shook from his chest. "What are you talking about, Charlotte? Tell me you're joking."
He grabbed my shoulders and I jumped, as he began patting me down.
"Liam, what are you doing?"
His gaze trailed up and down my body as if looking for something, then pressed his nose into my hair. Moving around me, he sniffed up my back and around to the front of my shirt.
"Liam, stop. You're scaring me," I said, pushing him back.
He stopped and placed both hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Tell me you're okay."
"I'm okay," I said. "What's going on?"
Liam sighed, dropping his hold. "Oh, thank God," he said. "Have you seen anyone following you lately? Have you run into anyone new? Talked to any strangers?"
I wondered if I looked as guilty as I felt.
"Charlotte?" Liam asked. His face alone gave me my answer.
"At your house, when Ty and I snuck in. There was a guy about our age. Auburn hair. I thought he was one of your pack mates. I didn't know he wasn't until after he stopped me with the album."
"Aaron," Liam said with a snarl.
He slammed his hands up against the wall. Several chunks of plaster toppled down around me. "Does he know you are with me? Does he know what you are?"
Swallowing hard, I nodded my head. "It was an accident. Ty slipped and told him we were dating. He set us up. She thought that would explain to him why we were there in the house."
I could see Liam's skin quiver under his t-shirt as his lip rose over his sharp canines. "Does he know what you are?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Charlotte, this isn't funny."
"I think he believes what you believe," I said, my voice barely passing my lips. "He was sniffing me and giving me funny looks."
A low growl came from his chest and he began to pace the small square confines of the closet. "Get Ty and go to her house."
"But I have school."
"Just do it. Get her now and go. Don't stop for anything. Just go and stay there until I come back. I'd say to lock and barricade the door, but that won't be much help. Hopefully if you leave now, he won't suspect you'll be there since he probably thinks you're at school. In the meantime, I'll try to find him."
I wrapped my arms around me. I could feel myself shaking. "Is he the one who killed those people?" I asked. "Who is he?"
Liam looked at me with a hard, hollow expression. "Yes. His name is Aaron. He's my twin brother."
"I thought he was dead?"
"He is dead to me. Now, go."
Chapter 16
"Psst. Ty."
The tap on the classroom window caught the teacher's attention. I retracted my hand, ducking down against the cold cement wall. I prayed Mr. Stevens didn't decide to investigate. I needed to get Ty out of there.
No one came to the door, so I braved another try, this time, catching Ty's gaze.
'What are you doing?' she mouthed.
I waved my hand for her to join me. The teacher paced by and I ducked back down.
Come on Ty.
The lockers and windows bore down on me like eyes. Aaron could be anywhere. Cold hands of paranoia gripped me.
The classroom door cracked open and I jumped. "What is this about?" Ty whispered, stepping out, and closing it behind her.
"Shh. Not here," I said, motioning with my head, down the hall. I took her hand, tugging her along with me towards the exit.
"Charlotte," she said. "Where are we going?" She pulled back on my arm, stopping me. "I have class."
"Liam was here."
"What? Where is he?" Her whole body froze. "Is he going to kill us?"
I shook my head. "No. I don't think so. But his brother might. It's a long story. We have to get to your house. Liam's going to try to find him and then meet us there."
"Whoa, wait a minute. Find who? I didn't know Liam even had a brother. What's going on? I don't want Liam at my house, Charlotte."
Her fingers went for her charm, when I noticed it wasn't there. She fidgeted, dropping her hands.
"Where's your necklace?" I asked. I had never seen her without it.
"Fell off." She looked uncomfortable. "Not important. I want to know what's going on."
I groaned. "I'll explain in the car. Right now, we need to move. Just trust me."
The school disappeared behind us, and I filled Ty in on my encounter with Liam. The expression on her face told me she took all of this as well as I did. If I still had any working nerves after all of this, I'd be surprised. Even when pushing fifty on the small single lane road, the woods hovered too near. Anyone could be out there.
Ty seemed to be doing better than me, her heartbeat more slow and steady.
My fingers clenched the steering wheel so hard, white bloomed on my knuckles. Did I hear Ty's heartbeat?
Stress, it had to be. It finally got the better of me.
Still, I tried to listen again. The whoosh of the wind filled my ears, along with several crackles and groans from passing trees, and the car engine - but no heartbeat. I had to have imagined it. Of course I did, yet the nagging suspicion wouldn't let go.
Why couldn't I stay focused on one thing, like saving our lives?
Ty was being too quiet. It didn't help my nerves. Her attention had been fixated out the window since we left, as if waiting for something. The urge to break the silence nipped at me, but instead I tried to listen for her heart.
I became aware of the various hums of the engine as I forced myself to relax. Listening, I reached for more, when a low wet pulsing sound joined the chorus. Startled, yet in awe, I let the sound play in my ears. Thump, thump, it sounded its musical rhythm. Like a drum it beat, steady at first, and then quickened its pace. Faster and faster it pounded, louder and louder.
"Charlotte, the road!"
My trance dissipated at once. The putrid scent of burnt rubber flooded the car as I slammed on the brakes. The tires groaned in protest, screeching at the pavement, and then we stopped.
The stampede in my chest drowned out everything as I starred at the line of stopped traffic in front of us.
"Sorry," I said.
"It's okay," Ty said, removing her death grip she had on the seat. "What do you think is going on?"
"I don't know. It must be an accident."
Great. No one knew where we were, trapped, with nothing but woods around us. My arms felt cold.
"What should we do?" Ty asked.
"I guess we wait."
The traffic didn't hint at moving. Claustrophobia set in.
"Right, we wait." Ty said. Her hand went to her throat and then she dropped it, kneading her hands together instead.
"Maybe there's something on the radio about it," I said. At least that would be an excuse to break the silence. I thumbed through the dials until I found the local AM station. After a few excruciating minutes of advertisements and announcements, the voice of the local traffic reporter came on.
There is a pile up on Rte. 42 East before the Scanton Bridge Curve. The entire road has been closed off do to the accident. The accident happened when apparently a man driving a large truck was attacked by what authorities are assuming must have been his dog. The man skidded off the road, causing several other cars to crash as well. The accident was found fatal to the attacked driver. Others have injuries, but otherwise seem okay. The dog has not been found. I'd advise to stay clear of Rte. 42, for this mess is going to take a while to clear up.