“What...” I gulp. “What do you want?” I can hear the shake in my voice, and I try my damndest to lock it down. Show no weakness.
I can’t show weakness. Not if Lennox is in trouble.
“I think it’s time we end this little charade. I thought I would get your attention a lot sooner than I have, and it’s become rather … tiresome.”
“Why did you need to get my attention?” I ask, trying to bide time. I can feel my breathing growing faster, though, and I know I have limited time before a full-on panic attack hits me square in the chest.
“Oh, my dear Oakley, don’t you get it? You’re the closest thing to my equal. You’ve always been the only one who gets close to me; you just were never quite there. And then you left. The fun lessened substantially, and I wasn’t prepared for that.” He sounds genuinely confused, and I almost laugh. How anyone could consider what he doesfunis mind-boggling.
“How can I get him back?” I ask as Arlo tries to pull my phone from my ear. He already pulled his out and frantically texted what I assumed was the whole team.
“You know me better than that. You’ll get him back when I deem it so. Until then… Come and find me.” His manic laughter cuts off as he hangs up, and I fall to my knees as I hyperventilate.
“Fuck. Fuck, are you okay? That was him, wasn’t it? Shit, where is he? The team is on the way. What the fuck?” Arlo talks aimlessly as he kneels next to me.
“I—” My voice croaks as I attempt to clear it and breathe through the shortness of beath. “We need to go to the cabin. He won’t give up Lennox, but maybe” — I gasp, hunching over — “I can trade for him.”
“No.No! That’s not what we’re fucking doing. Just wait for backup, and we’ll figure it out.”
“No time.” I take one last deep breath, pushing everything down before standing up and walking down the path that will lead to the cabin.
“Oakley!” I hear Arlo yell behind me, but I ignore him.
Tennison is right. It’s time we finish this.
No matter what it costs me.
“Oakley, Jesus! Just wait.” Arlo’s voice is getting closer, but I don’t stop.
His hand on my shoulder finally stops me, but I’m pissed.
“Just let me fucking go. This is on me; no one else needs to get involved. If I can trade myself for Lennox, then I’ll do it, and I’ll take this poison from Bluebell Falls so no one else gets hurt.”
“Do you fucking hear yourself? How fucking selfish of you. Do you not think you’re a part of this town and maybe that’s why I give a shit? Do you not think that maybe I’ve been trying to be a friend to you this whole time?” He shoves me in anger.
We’re two angry bulls going head to head, and I know deep down that he’s right, but I can’t see past the haze, past Tennison and finally ending this once and for all.
“And what about Willow?” he asks softly.
It’s the one thing he could say that gets through.
Willow.
“Fuck, man. She’ll never forgive me if something happens to Lennox. Hell, I won’t forgive myself.”
“I know. But I needed two minutes to kill before you went charging in there so backup was a little closer. We’ll figure this out together. And whatever comes, we’ll handle it. You’re a Bluebell Falls resident now, and that means something, okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Let’s go catch this fucker,” Arlo says with force as we both start walking at a clipped pace.
Arlo double-checks the directions Willow gave us, then heads down an open spot in the trees.
About twenty feet in, we can finally see the outline of a building, and we both start sprinting. It takes us less than two minutes to reach the front door, and I’m trying so hard to keep my shit together.
It’s like this immense sense of doom has fallen over me, and I’m fucking scared.
Scared for me. Scared for Lennox. Scared about what’s to come.
