I nod, then close the door.
That was strange. Trystan was being nice, and it didn’t seem like an act. I can’t figure him out. He’s nice and then mean and then nice again. I wish he’d just be nice all the time.
Picking up my phone, I text Jackson. I need to tell him what I saw. Even if I don’t have proof, I still need to tell him. He needs to know Kristen is lying to him.
When are you done with practice?I text.
Just got home.
Can I come over?
How? Isn’t everyone there?
Don’t worry about that. Can I come over or not?
Of course.
I change out of my uniform, then quickly flip through the remaining photos. None of the ones I took today are in there. Jackson will just have to believe me.
Before I go, I text Trystan.
Can you come to my room?
If they’re all having dinner, I don’t want to go out there and be questioned by Braden and Brock. Trystan feels sorry for me right now so there’s a chance he might cover for me.
He knocks on my door, and I go over and open it.
“Hey, I need a favor,” I say.
“What is it?”
“I need to get out of here. The photos made me sad, and I need to get out of my room. I want to take a walk on the beach, but your dad won’t let me. Can you cover for me?”
“Yeah, I guess. Where are you going?”
“I’ll just walk up and down the beach. It clears my head. Makes me feel better.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know. Maybe an hour?”
“Text me when you’re back. We just started dinner and Dad has some big announcement to make. If you’re not there he’ll probably come to your room later to tell you.”
“Tell him I’m sleeping and not to wake me up.”
“Okay, but don’t be gone more than an hour. I’m not covering for you any longer than that.”
“What’s your dad’s big announcement? Do you know?”
“Probably just something about a job. I have to get back there before Dad starts yelling at me.”
He leaves and shuts the door.
Racing out the sliding door to the patio, I quickly walk around the pool and down the steps. When I get to the beach, I take off in a sprint, hurrying to get to Jackson’s house so I’ll have more time to talk to him.
When I get to his house, I’m struggling to breathe. I’m not a runner and going that fast left me completely breathless. His back door is locked. Peeking inside, I see him walking toward the hall that goes to the bedrooms. I knock on the glass door.
It startles him, and he stops. He sees me at the door and hurries over.
