“What exactly did you say to him?” Darcia asks her dad. “Did you threaten to arrest him or something?”
Her dad laughs. “No. I just warned him not to fuck up again.”
“Well he's fucked up many times before,” Darcia replies. “What makes you think he won't fuck up again?”
“Watch your language,” Detective Perkins says to his daughter. “And I get it, you don't trust him. But right now, we need all the help we can get. And I'm going against my job by keeping this secret just to protect your asses.”
Oakley nods. “You can trust me. I will help you find Avery.”
“And when this is all over with,” Darcia begins. “Are you gonna go back to your old ways where you make him feel like shit?” She looks at her dad. “Sorry.”
“No,” Oakley replies. “I promise I'll be a better person. For my own sake as well as everyone else's.”
Darcia scrapes her auburn hair behind her ear. “And just because you're helping us find Avery, doesn't mean we're on good terms. I still hate you.”
“I know.”
“Good.” She flips her hair and steps into the hallway.
Detective Perkins exhales a deep sigh. “She is so much like her mother, it's scary.”
Darcia pulls up her car in the dark woods.
Anna looks at her in the passenger seat. “You ready?”
She nods. She stares at her father on her iPhone screen. “Where are you guys?”
“We're heading North,” her dad replies. “Let us know if you find him or James.”
“We will do.” She presses end. “It's scary out here.”
“You're such a girl,” Anna laughs as she steps out into the cold night. “It's freezing.”
“You're such a girl,” Darcia smiles. “Oh, God. It really is creepy.” She locks her car and grips her phone tightly. “Where we going?”
“That way.” Anna heads into the darkness between the trees, holding a flash light in her hand.
Darcia follows her trail. “Wait up.”
The sound of crickets and tree branches swaying makes the atmosphere around them spooky.
“I knew we should have let Logan come with us,” Darcia says. “It would have made me feel a lot safer having a guy with us.”
“We're women,” Anna replies. “We don't need men to makes us feel safe.” She steps over the twigs and picks up her pace across the mud. “How do we even know if Avery's anywhere near here.”
“He said he was in the woods past the park, these are the only woods that are past the park,” Darcia tells her. “There's a long ass row of trees, that's why the guys have gone to the other end.” She stares around her. “He has to be here somewhere.”
“He said he crashed the car, right?” Anna asks.
Darcia nods. “If we can find the car, then we know we're close.” She pulls her cardigan tighter around her. “I hope we find him. The poor baby is probably scared to death.”
“Darcia,” Anna says. “He's the same age as you. He's not a baby.”
“He has a baby face,” Darcia smiles.
Anna smirks. “And you'd notice that.”
“No, he really does. Haven't you noticed?”
Anna shakes her head. “He looks grown up to me.”
Darcia follows her cousin through the darkness. She stops. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Anna asks as she looks at the terrified expression on Darcia's face.
“That whistling noise.”
“What whistling noise?” Anna tries to listen carefully, but all she can hear is the crickets. “It's probably just the wind. You're just being paranoid.”
“No, I'm not,” Darcia whispers. “Listen.”
Anna frowns and then freezes as she hears the sound of whistling. The sweet whistling that is coming from a human. She grips Darcia's arm and pulls her towards her. “Stay quiet.” She switches off the flash light.
They step back behind the tree next to them and observe around. They don't see anything unusual, but the whistling is getting louder, which means closer.
Darcia shudders. “Do you see anyone?”
Anna shakes her head as her green eyes are wide. They focus around her. “What if it's Avery.”
“Avery can't whistle,” Darcia whispers.
“How do you know that?”
Darcia frowns. “I really don't know. I think he told me in Science.”
Anna leans forward. “There's no one there.”
The whistling stops.
Darcia pulls Anna to her.
Their heartbeats begin to thump hard against their chests and their breaths get faster. They freeze as they see a shadow in front of them. It begins to get closer and closer.
Darcia closes her eyes but then opens them when Anna tightens her hand around her wrist.
They see the man a few feet away from them. They look at each other and scream.
“Darcia?”
“Anna?” Logan runs through the trees. “It's them, it has to be.”
Oakley and Detective Perkins follow him.
“I know Anna's scream.” He stops in the middle of the mud and frowns.
Detective Perkins pulls out his gun and steps in front of the boys. He stares at the range rover that's crashed into the tree. Both passenger seat doors at the front are wide open. He observes it and heads to the other side. The driver's seat is empty.
Oakley follows him and shines the flash light at it. “Is that blood?”
Detective Perkins nods. He looks at the floor and notices more blood. “And there's a trail.”
Oakley holds the flash light over the floor and they follow the trail of blood.
“It's James' blood, right?” Logan asks. “I mean he was driving. He must have injured himself.”
Detective Perkins nods. “It should be.”
“But what if it's Avery's?” Oakley asks. “Darcia said that he told them he had been stabbed.”
“We'll see when we reach the end of the trail,” Detective Perkins says as he aims his gun in front of him. They step over branches and pause when the blood disappears.
“What do we do now?” Oakley asks.
“Look at the trees,” Detective Perkins says. “See if you can see any bloody hand prints that we can follow.”
“You mean like this?” Logan says as he stands next to the slanted tree.
Detective Perkins steps closer. The hands print is big. “How big are Avery's hands?” he asks Logan.
“Pretty big,” he replies.
Detective Perkins frowns. “This is a left hand print.”
“And?” Oakley says. “We don't know which side he got stabbed. He could have used both hands to stop the bleeding.”
“This isn't Avery's print,” Detective Perkins says. “It's James', and he must be seriously hurt.”
“How'd you know?”
“Because he's been leaning on the trees for support,” he replies.
“But it might be Avery's,” Oakley says. “He's been stabbed.”
“Trust me,” Detective Perkins says. “Whatever has happened to James, it's worse.”
Logan frowns. “Great, we have a crazy ass man lost in the woods who's been hurt. He might be weak, but that won't stop him trying to find Avery and even killing him.”
“What if he's already found him?”
Logan stares at Oakley. “Why didn't you just stay in the car if all you're gonna do is doubt?”
“I'm just stating the obvious,” he says. “I mean, for all we know Avery could be dead.”
“And you're next if you don't shut up.”
“Guys,” Detective Perkins shouts. “Right now isn't the time for you to argue. We need to find Avery and James.”
Anna opens her eyes as the bright light gets brighter. She blinks a few times and slowly sits up. The sun shines through the tree branches and she frowns. “What the hell?”
“Finally, you're awake,” Darcia smiles. She leans closer to her cousin. “Before you ask, it's nearly seven.”
“What happened?” she stands and wipes the mud off her jeans.
“You passed out, probably through fear.”
“Why fear?”
Darcia helps her shake off the dirt. “Because we seen some guy and we screamed, the next thing I know, you're on the floor.”
“Where's Logan and your dad?” She widens her green eyes. “Did they find Avery?”
“My dad called me, they did find something but not Avery or James.”
“What did they find?”
“James' car.” Darcia pats her hands together. “We've been out here since four, I'm tired.”
Anna frowns. “You're telling me that I've been passed out for three hours.”
“No,” Darcia laughs. “You passed out about something past five. So about two hours.”
“And you didn't worry?”
Darcia shakes her head. “You were breathing perfectly. You were just unconscious.”
“Who was the man?” Anna asks.
“Probably just some strange dude who's runaway from home.”
“We need to go, like right now,” Anna says. “Come on.”
Darcia unlocks her car door and then jumps inside. “Are you okay?”
“No,” Anna retorts as she fastens the seatbelt over her. “I was supposed to help find Avery and all I did was sleep.”
Darcia giggles. “Now that you say it like that, it's kinda true.”
“Weren't you scared all on your own?”
“Nope.” She starts the engine. “I was fine.” She reverses out of the woods and heads onto road. “My dad and Logan are still searching. He sent Oakley home because him and Logan had a feud.”
Anna frowns. “Is Logan okay?”
“He's fine,” Darcia says as she drives down the road. “I told him about you and he was worried, and then he laughed.”
“He laughed?”
“Yep.” She turns the corner. “He said it was funny, after he realized you were fine.”
Anna rests her head against the car window and stares out into the early morning. “He is so dead when I get hold of him.”
Logan and Detective Perkins lean against the trees.
“We've been out here for three hours,” Logan says. “And they're nowhere to be found.”
“I was supposed to leave and go work an hour ago,” Detective Perkins replies. “But you need me more.”
“It's fine,” Logan tells him as he walks away. “I'll find him on my own. I can see better now. You have to go to work.”
“I am at work,” Detective Perkins smiles. “Actually, this is better.” He follows Logan through the trees. “We'll find them.”
Logan steps up the edge and widens his blue eyes. “Avery?” He runs down it. “Avery?”
Detective Perkins runs behind him.
“Oh, my God, Avery,” Logan says as he falls to the floor. He stares at his best friend, who is laying against a tree trunk, half asleep.
“Logan?” Avery asks as he slowly opens his dark eyes. His face is covered with dry blood from where Oakley had punched him. His white v-neck is dirty and red through the blood coming from the stabbed wound underneath it.
“We need to get him to a hospital right now,” Detective Perkins says as he kneels and slowly picks Avery up. “Grab my keys from my pocket and go start the engine.”
Logan does exactly that and heads to the car.
“They've found him,” Darcia squeals and quickly turns the steering wheel. “They're taking him to the hospital.” She slings her phone onto her knees.
“Oh, my God,” Anna says as she slumps into the passenger seat. “I just hope he's okay and the wound isn't infected.”
“Me too.” She turns left and drives down the road. Sunday morning traffic is peaceful.
When Darcia pulls up outside the hospital, Anna looks at her.
“What?”
“We need to call Avery's mom,” Anna says. “She probably has no idea where the hell he is and what's happened.”
“Doesn't she know what's been going on in her son's life?” Darcia frowns. “Wow. Mother of the year or what?”
“Your parents don't know what goes on in your life either,” Anna retorts. “Your dad still thinks you're a virgin.”
Darcia looks away and straightens up her hair. She stares into the rear view mirror. “I look like hell.”
“Changing the subject like always,” Anna says as she steps out of the car.
“And actually,” Darcia replies as she too steps out of the car. She looks at Anna. “I am a virgin.”
Anna laughs and then takes a breath. “So explain that time when I walked in on you and Oakley having sex in your bathroom?”
Darcia blushes. “We were not having sex. We were cuddling.”
“Naked?”
Darcia nods.
“You were riding him while he sat on the toilet. Literally riding his dick.”
Darcia steps onto the pavement and enters the hospital.
“Why are you ignoring me?” Anna laughs. “You know I'm right.”
“I don't wanna talk about my past sexual experiences,” Darcia tells her. “It's not as if you're so sweet an innocent, is it?” She arches her brows.
Anna takes a seat in the waiting room. “Mine and Logan's sex life has nothing to do with you.”
Darcia smirks as she sits next to her. “Remember that time you came to my house just to ask me how to give a blow job?”
Anna's cheeks burn with redness. “Keep your voice down.”
“No one can hear us, there's hardly anyone even here.”
A smile appears on Anna's face. “You're the only cousin I have, and I didn't know who else to ask.”
“Well, I'm glad I could help,” Darcia laughs. “How did it go? I forgot to ask.”
“It was last year,” Anna replies. “And it went okay. I've never done it since.”
Darcia bursts out laughing. “Oh, God. You are awful.”
“I am not,” Anna says. “Logan said it was nice.”
“Nice? Anna, when a guy tells you that, he's lying. If he had told you it was outstanding, then he's telling the truth.”
“Is that what Oakley said to you?” Anna smirks.
“No, actually,” Darcia says. “He said I was shit.”
Anna laughs. “I'm sorry. It's just you laughed at the fact that Logan told me it was nice, yet Oakley said you were shit.”
Darcia twitches her lips. “Oakley sucked in the bedroom, okay? Sometimes he was okay, but sometimes is not good enough.”
“Is that why you dumped him, truthfully?”
She shakes her head. “He entered his dick into another slot.”
Anna faces the pale wall and rests her head against the wall behind her. “Has your dad text back?”
“Nope,” Darcia yawns.
“I'm frustrated,” Anna says as she stretches her legs.
“Sexually?” Darcia asks.
Anna smirks. “Yep.” She cracks her neck. “I finished my period yesterday morning, and I want sex. But I'm not gonna ask Logan, especially while he's got so much on his mind right now.”
Darcia frowns. “Whoa. You're doing it all wrong.”
Anna stares at her.
“When you're stressed, you have sex, okay? You fuck him until he begs you to stop. Stress sex is great. Any sex is great.” She smiles at her cousin. “Get him alone tonight, and tease him. Don't ask him, just kiss him and make him want you. It'll relieve the stress and make you both feel better.”
“How can he possibly think about having sex with me when his best friend has just been attacked?”
“He's a guy.”
Anna sits forward. “You have a point.”
Darcia winks at her.
“Where is he? What happened?”
Logan tries to calm Avery's mom down as she heads down the hospital corridor. “Listen, Jo, he's doing okay. Calm down.”
“Okay?” She frowns at him. “Logan, my little boy is in the hospital and I don't know why. How can I possibly calm down?”
“Joanna Harper?” Detective Perkins asks.
Joanna nods. “What's happened to him?”
“He's doing great,” the Detective smiles. “There was just an incident. Some guys got angry at the club last night and took it out on him. He's fine though, okay? I'm looking for the guy who did this to him, don't worry. I will find him.”
Joanna takes a seat next to Anna and Darcia. “Will someone tell me what happened to him? What happened last night?”
Logan kneels in front of her. “I'll tell you.”
Joanna tries to smile.
“Avery and some guy from school got into a fight,” he says, trying to tell her as much as he can but also as little. “They punched each other, and then some guy came along and thought it was cool to join in.” He takes a deep breath. “He stabbed Avery.”
Joanna stands up. “What?” She looks around her. “Where is my baby?”
“He's right this way,” Detective Perkins says. “Come with me.”
Joanna follows the Detective into a small pale room and runs to the bed. “Avery?”
Avery smiles as he lies on the bed. “Hey mom.” He winks at her. “Do I look bad-ass?”
She frowns. “You look awful. Look at your face. It's worse than what it was when you just had that one black eye.”
“I'm alive,” he laughs.
“I can see that,” she smiles as she grips his hand. “Please tell me you're okay.”
Avery frowns. “Mom, look at me. I'm perfect.”
Joanna observes her son. His shirtless body is bruised and the left side of his stomach has a white bandage on it, covering his stitches. She looks back up at his face. His eyes are bruised and tired looking. His lip is swollen and his nose is cut. “Are you in pain?”
He shakes his head. “I think the nurse drugged me a little too much though, because I feel funny.”
She laughs. “What did she give you?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Something to take away the pain.”
“Joanna,” Detective Perkins says as he stands in the doorway. “The nurse wants to see you.”
Joanna nods. “I'll be right back,” she smiles at Avery.
“Good.”
Avery frowns as Darcia finishes telling him what happened while she was searching for him this morning. “Did your dad find James?”
Darcia shakes her head. “Nope, not yet.”
“He won't get far,” he mumbles.
“Why?”
“I stabbed him in the neck,” Avery laughs. “He deserved it.”
Darcia frowns at him. “And he survived?”
“He must have if he wasn't in the car.”
“Do you think he's still alive?”
“I hope not,” he replies. “I hope he bled to death in the woods and his body was eaten by wolves.”
“Wolves? Really?” Darcia asks.
Avery nods. “How are you doing? Is your wound healing good?”
Darcia stands up and lets her cardigan fall to the chair. She lifts up her t-shirt and Avery tries to stay calm. “It looks like it has,” she tells him as they both stare at the scar on the right side of her waist.
“Mine wasn't deep, so it should heal within a week, well that's what the nurse said.”
“Mine healed within three days.” She pulls her t-shirt back over her stomach. “I guess I'm lucky.”
“You got stabbed,” he reminds her. “You're not lucky.”
Darcia places her cardigan on her shoulders. “I'm gonna go home, get showered, and get dressed.”
“I wish I could.”
“Oh,” she says as she steps closer to Avery. “I brought you this for good luck.” She hands him the small plastic blue bird. “He's called little bird. I've had him since I was young, so take extra care of him, okay?”
Avery nods with a smile. “Thanks. And I will do, I promise.” He holds the bird tightly in the palm of his hand.
Darcia smiles and arches over him. She quickly pecks a kiss on his cheek. “See you soon.” She heads to the door and leaves Avery with a smile on his face.
Can't Hide
Sunday goes by fast. Logan throws another sweet at Avery's face. “You're supposed to catch it in your mouth, dumb-ass.”
Avery shifts on the hospital bed and picks up the sweet. He places it on the table beside him. “Again.”
Logan throws the red sweet in his hand at Avery and he catches it in his mouth. “Yes.”
“Hell yeah,” Avery laughs as he begins to chew.
“Are you boys behaving?” Joanna asks as she steps into the room.
“No mom,” Avery says. “I've been running around the corridors causing havoc with the patients.”
She rolls her eyes at him. “Logan, your mom's here.”
Logan stretches his arms. “I will come see you tomorrow,” he tells Avery as he hugs him, and tries not to hurt him. “I'll ask my mom if I can have a new phone, as you broke mine.”
Avery smirks. “I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm actually not.”
Logan playfully slaps his arm. “If I don't get one, I'll call you from the house phone. Make sure you charge your cell.”
“Will do,” Avery shouts as Logan leaves. “Mom, I'm starving.”
Joanna frowns. “Even after you've been beaten up, all you can think about is food.”
He frowns back at her. “Mom, I've lost loads of blood, okay? I'm surprised I can sit up with how weak I am. I need food in my system to keep me strong. If I wasn't asking you for food, you'd need to be worried.”
“You and your sarcastic answers,” Joanna says. “I'll get you some food. Don't go anywhere.”
He makes a weird expression. “Yeah, because I'm gonna get up and leave, aren't I?”
She smiles. “Stay here.”
“Again,” he says. “I can't go anywhere.”
She ignores him and leaves the room.
“Your dad's back from Atlanta,” Logan's mom tells him as they're in the car.
“I don't care about him,” he replies.
“Are you okay? I know you're upset about Avery, and I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you wanna talk.”
He faces his mom. “I know, thanks.” He stares out the window into the sunset. “Mom, is there any chance you could drop me off at Anna's? I need to talk to her about something. I promise I won't be there late, I'll be home before ten.”
She smiles. “Of course. And you better be home before ten, you have school in the morning.”
He frowns. “Do I have to go?”
“Yes,” she tells him. “You can see Avery after school.”
“Okay.”
His mom pulls up twenty minutes later outside Anna's house. “Let me know when you're on your way home.”
“I will do,” he tells her as he kisses her cheek and then gets out the car. He waves her goodbye and then steps into Anna's hallway.
“Logan,” Anna's mom says as she smiles. “How are you? I heard about Avery. It's awful. I do hope he's okay.”
He nods. “It's Avery we're talking about, he's good.”
“Anna's upstairs.”
Logan heads upstairs towards Anna's room. The door is open a little and he pushes it. He sees Anna sitting at her desk. “Hey,” he smiles as he steps inside and closes the door behind him.
“You scared me,” she laughs as she turns and faces him.
“Sorry.” He takes a seat on her bed. “I just needed to see you.”
“Really?” she smiles.
“Yeah,” he replies. “I need to talk to you as well.”
She stands and then sits next to him. “About everything that's been happening?”
He nods. “Now that Avery's in hospital because of what James did to him, I keep thinking if my life will ever be the same. It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from. I know Avery feels the same way too, and it's pissing us off.”
Anna places her hands over his. “It's gonna get better, Logan. Trust me. My uncle has James' name now, he can look for him and find out his details. I know he's still out there and you're scared, but there's nothing to worry about. Everyone you love is safe.”
“Avery's in the hospital,” he reminds her. “That's a public place. He isn't safe there. If James finds out where he is, he won't think for a second not to go looking for him.”
“Avery will be fine, okay? There's hundreds of people in that hospital to protect him.” She leans her forehead against his. “Stop worrying, will you? Just relax. You're seventeen years old. You don't need to worry.”
Logan takes a deep breath. “It's hard not to worry.”
“I know.” She places her lips onto his. “I know,” she mutters against him. She places her hands onto his neck and pulls him down onto her. The kiss begins to deepen between them and Anna thinks about what Darcia had told her earlier.
Logan smiles. He hovers over Anna as she falls backwards. He runs his hands up across jeans and then up her t-shirt.
Anna smirks. She lets her hands fall to the bottom of Logan's shirt and then tugs at it. She slowly pulls it up and then off over his head.
Logan stares at her and then grips her waist. He shuffles her t-shirt upwards and then places his face to her navel, where he kisses softly.
Anna bites her lip and closes her eyes. She grabs his hair and leans her head back.
Logan kisses from her navel to just below her breasts. He pulls the t-shirt from her body and chucks it on the floor. He runs his hands up her back and unclips her bra. He removes it from her body and then begins to kiss her breasts. He kisses from her chest to her neck.
“Logan,” Anna moans.
Logan caresses her breasts with his lips. He makes his way back down to her navel. He unfastens the button to her jeans and then slowly removes them from her waist. He trails them down her thighs, and then pulls them off her ankles.
Anna watches Logan drop his pants and briefs and then she wraps her arms around his warm back as she pulls him back down to her. She kisses his neck, making him moan.
Logan places his hands around Anna's waist and he pulls at her underwear. He manages to remove them from her waist and Anna quickly rolls them down her legs.
She kicks them off with her feet and then grabs the duvet by her side. She throws it over her and Logan.
Logan places a kiss onto her lips and then moves his body slowly.
Anna bends her knees and then wraps her legs around Logan's waist as he enters inside of her.
Avery tosses and turns in the hospital bed. He faces the window that's closed with blinds. He stares back up at the white ceiling and sighs. The only thing he is looking forward to tomorrow is that he doesn't have to go to school.
His phone buzzes on the table beside him. He slowly sits up and reaches it. He pulls it from the adapter and then slides his finger across the screen. He swallows hard as he's had one missed call from an unknown caller I.D. He quickly switches on the lamp beside him and looks around the room. Every thing's normal. The door is locked and so is the window.
He takes a deep breath. “Stop it, Avery.” He holds his phone in his hands and stares at it. He clicks onto his phone book and calls Logan's house phone.
After a few minutes, there's life on the other line. “Hello?”
“Kay,” Avery says. “Is Logan there?”
“Who's this?”
“It's Avery.”
“Oh,” Kay says. “Are you okay darling? I heard about what happened?”
“I'm good,” he lies. “Can I speak to Logan?”
“Have you seen the time?”
“Yes.”
Kay laughs. “I'll see if he's awake.”
After waiting, Avery hears Logan's sleepy voice on the other end of the phone. “Yo.”
“Avery, it's nearly four in the morning, why are you calling me this late?”
“I'm calling you this early because I need to ask you something,” Avery replies.
“And it couldn't wait another four hours?”
“Have you spoken to Marco since yesterday?”
“No,” Logan yawns. “Why?”
“I wanted information on James, that's all.”
“Why? What is it?”
“I just had a missed call off an unknown I.D.” He scratches his head. “It's probably just me being paranoid. It could have been anyone calling me.”
“If they call again or even text,” Logan says. “You let me know right away.”
“I will do.” Avery lies down on the bed and pulls the blanket over him. “I'm gonna try and sleep.”
“Me too. Night bro.”
“Night.”
Avery frowns at the nurse standing in front of him. Monday mornings are never his best time.
“Your