Chapter Forty

Skylar's POV:

When I woke up, Caden wasn't there.

Everything was right where I had left it last night, even Chicken was still asleep. The only change around me was his ab sense –which for some reason was quite obvious– and for a second, it felt like he wasn't even here last night.

As I gazed around the empty house, trying to rub off the sleep from my face, I saw that the wooden box was right where I had left it yesterday; in front of me at the table.

I slumped back against the couch and rubbed my eyes this time.

Well, there's that; trust. Caden couldn't take that box with him, but he hadn't.

The bright sunlight coming through the glass windows made me break out of my thoughts. I was a bit glad that it wasn't nighttime anymore. I was glad that the power was back.

When I looked up at the wall clock, I realized how this was actually the first time I woke up this early, by my own self. I used that time to get everything together. When it came to the wooden box, I didn't keep it back in the storeroom. I wasn't exactly planning on stepping anywhere near that door, even if that was technically within this house.

Instead, I stuffed it inside my closet; somewhere deep behind my messed-up pile of clothes. I knew it wasn't the best place to keep something hidden, but I couldn't have thought of any other place at that moment, and my closet was way too messed up for anyone to come near it.

Later when I reached school, I was secretly hoping that I'd see Caden there, especially since things between us were a little fine now— or at least, that's what I wanted to believe. But he wasn't there again.

For some reason, I took the bus to school today. I was still left a bit unsettled from yesterday and I didn't want Alex to drive me to school. I still had that weird feeling that something was wrong, and the thing that confused me the most was what—what could be wrong?

"Hey, what happened?" I heard Alex's voice not long after I opened my locker, stuffing my books inside.

When I glanced over at him, I tried not thinking about those metal disks that I found in his drawer. "What do you mean?" I was surprised to hear myself sound so smothered, even if I really wasn't.

He frowned at me before leaning sideways against the locker beside mine. I noticed that he hadn't even cared to tame his bed head; his blond hair were sticking almost in every direction.

"Why did you ditch the ride?" He asked.

I just shrugged in response.

"Is everything all right?" He sounded concerned and that made me doubt my own thoughts.

Once I had closed my locker, I turned towards him and eyed his hair. "You need to take care of this." Leaning closer, I ruffled his stringy hair. "You won't be making any move on Hanna if you keep it this way."

He scrunched up his nose and leaned away from my touch. I wasn't surprised, though. He hated when I touched his hair.

"I woke up late actually." I added, answering his question. "And mom offered to drive me here herself."

The frown faded away then. "Your parents are back?" I was grateful that I hadn't told him about dad being in the hospital, but at the same time I felt like a terrible person, making up lies just because of my messed-up thoughts.

What if I was just thinking too much? I knew Alex, he would never do any such thing to hurt me.

"Yeah. But they're going back so...that was the first and last ride from my mother." I added in a short laugh which came out a bit more nervous, something Alex thankfully didn't notice.

He smiled in response before readjusting his backpack. I gripped my book and we both started making our way across the hallway then.

"Hey, Sky?" He asked.

I raised my eyebrows in response.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, why?"

"I just thought so."

I forced a smile on my face. "Nothing's wrong, Alex. You know how cheerful I am in the mornings." I added, which wasn't exactly a lie. "Anyway, did you talk to Hanna?"

We were walking side by side and the hallways were almost filling up with students. Alex was quiet at first, but he spoke up eventually, "I asked her out."

I looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Kinda, yeah." He looked nervous and I had to refrain myself from laughing out loud. Watching Alex get nervous over a girl was truly one of the rarest sights.

"That's so cool, Alex."

He smiled once again. "It won't be once I tell you all of it."

"What do you mean?" I gave him a funny look as we both exited the hallway. "I'm happy that you're finally over those temporary hookups. It's time you get out of that douche phase."

"A double date. It's a double date."

I stopped right in my tracks before looking at him. "What the fuck?"

This time his smile was more sheepish. At that moment, I completely forgot about yesterday and what I had seen in his drawer. This was the same guy who loved making my life an absolute hell.

"Are you serious?" I asked and it was more of a shout. Alex, on the other hand, just shrugged casually. "I am not going on any date, Alex!"

"Come on, Sky. Hanna felt more at ease when I mentioned you were coming."

"I could go with you guys without a date." I objected.

"And be the third wheel?"

I frowned in response. What was wrong in being the third wheel?

"Do you even remember the last time you went on an actual date? I'm just helping you out with your social life." He added, nudging onto my shoulder.

I didn't even keep myself from cringing at that horrifying thought. "Who's the guy?"

"Totally up to you."

"Are you serious? I don't like any guy." I whisper-hissed this time when I realized that we had come closer to the classroom now.

"Well, I can ask Ben?" He suggested.

I cringed again at the thought of going out with a total stranger. I didn't even know who Ben was.

"Do that for me at least?" He asked, and I truly hated him for looking so hopeful at that moment.

Sighing, I opened the class door. "You're the worst, Alex."

••••••

For the next few days, I didn't see Caden at all, not even in school. I even tried contacting him once again, but he didn't respond this time.

However to my surprise, when I coincidentally came across Adrian at the bus station to Philadelphia, he told me that they all were still as clueless as me about Aden's whereabouts.

A part inside me hoped that Caden would call me back.

When I visited dad despite mom's refusal, I felt much better about all of this. I got to see him and I got to talk to him. He was getting better. Mom, on the other hand, seemed nowhere near angry with me. Instead, she was kind of glad that I visited, and that made things a whole lot better.

None of us talked about the locker, or even the wooden box that I found inside it. I didn't get the time to corner her with those questions. When I did, the doctor called her up to sign up some paperwork, and then I had to leave.

"I'll be picking you up at seven." Alex announced over the phone.

"That's so early!" I whined in response. Every limb of mine was screaming at me to not go to this specific date. I hated the thought of going on dates with strangers—not like I could actually remember the last date I went to, like Alex had said.

"And Sky?" He totally ignored my whining. "Wear something less casual."

"What do you mean less casual?" I asked defensively. Was he saying that I had no fashion sense?

"A dress, perhaps?"

"Be serious, perhaps?"

"I am serious, Sky. It's supposed to be a dinner-date, not a sleepover." He replied.

I frowned in response. "My wardrobe is filled with cookies and sweatshirts only."

"Really?" He asked sarcastically. "What about the dress you were forced to wear on that charity event with your parents."

This was the only reason I despised being childhood-friends with him. He knew every embarrassing moment of mine, even those that happened years ago. "But that was pure torture." I whined once again. This was exactly why I hated socializing.

"Wear that one, Sky." He said. "See you at seven."

And I had to control this overwhelming urge to punch him.

••••••

"Noah, don't you look beautiful?" Alex passed me a cheeky grin with obvious tease in his voice. "I almost failed to recognize you for a second there."

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics before glaring at him. It was entirely his fault that I had to wear a freaking dress right now, a dress when I could’ve been chilling inside my home, in my extra-soft pajamas. "I'll take that as a compliment."

He just kept on grinning while I turned around and locked the front door behind me. "You do look different, though. I would say you look beautiful but I'm not your date."

"I'll just wait for Ben to say that." I muttered with another eye roll before following him towards his car, the cool air hitting my bare legs. I was secretly grossed out by that thought, though. Even wearing this royal blue off-shoulder dress –which mind you, barely reached past my knees– was gross.

"Come on. We're already a bit too late." He said the moment I slipped inside the car, closing the door.

Straightening the soft blue fabric over my knees, I gave out a tired sigh. "I'm tired, Alex." And I wasn't even lying. I didn't know how normal girls, unlike me, did this all the time.

He just muttered something inaudible under his breath which I clearly didn't wish to hear.

"Where's Hanna?" I asked him, turning my head to look over at the backseats.

"We're picking her up next."

The next few minutes went by in complete silence as Alex drove into the busy streets. I tried my best not to get too nervous over this date. Like I said, I couldn't even remember my last date, and I was never the one to go along well with the rest of Alex's friends. This was surely going to get a bit too awkward since I knew absolutely nothing about Ben.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Alex stopped the car near the corner of one familiar street.

"Stay here. I'll be back in a minute." He told me before opening his door.

"Where are you going?"

He looked back at me. "Roses or chocolates?"

I felt my tensed posture relaxing at that. I knew that I shouldn't just doubt him on everything, but I couldn't have helped it. The littlest actions were unnerving to me. "Roses. Go ahead, I'll be waiting." I replied with a small smile, leaning back on my seat as I watched him leave.

I kept on watching him until his silhouette got mixed up under the dark sky. And since there were a lot of people on the street besides us, including cars, it was a bit hard to keep track of him.

Inhaling deeply, I told myself to calm down. Things were fee, at least for now. I wanted to believe that everything will go fine this night. It wasn't really necessary for things to fuck up every single time for me.

I'll try to enjoy this date. I'll try to do my best.

I looked up at my reflection in the rear-view mirror. Just like Alex had mentioned earlier, I did look different. After all, I never really wore any makeup. I never let out my hair out of a ponytail either.

This was one of those rare occasions.

Scrutinizing at my reflection, I realized how a fleck of mascara was messed up on one of my eyelids—it showed how much of a professional I really was. Looking around for a tissue, I opened up the glove compartment only to recoil back in surprise. Way beyond surprise.

Right in front of me was a gun. A real pistol.

I had to blink more than twice to get my thoughts straight. All I could think at first was that it was fake. It had to be. Why else would Alex have it? I realized then that I was completely pressed up against my seat, cowering away from that thing.

Alex had a gun.

Very cautiously, I forced myself to inch closer and pick it up. My eyes kept darting out of the window just to make sure Alex wasn't coming back, or anyone at all. I didn't know what to think, not when I had a heavy metallic gun in my hand.

It was a normal pistol, just like the one I had seen with Caden. However, the only difference was its back. I traced my fingertips over its back, over the dried up remains of something—a substance. And when I looked closer, I noticed that it was dark red, coating the back of the gun.

Blood.

I felt bile rising up my throat then. As if on cue, I saw Alex coming back towards the car. My heart started pounding within my chest the exact instant. I could feel the adrenaline rush in my ears as I placed the gun back inside the glove compartment, closing it shut. I gripped the edges of my seat just as he opened the door.

And it felt like I might throw up any second.

"There were no roses, so I bought tulips. I think—" He stopped abruptly as his gaze flew over to my face, probably registering my freaked-out state. I mustn't gone pale; my heart was beating way too wildly.

"What happened?" He asked, a small crease forming in between his brows. He looked concerned for a second there, and I still couldn't think straight. I was scared.

I was scared and confused and so much terrified.

I noticed how he wasn't starting the car. "Just...start the car." I tried speaking loudly but my voice fell to a whisper.

"What?"

"We're getting late, Alex. We need to pick up Hanna." I panicked then. "Drive, please."

My knuckles had turned pale as well by the way I was gripping onto my seat, and I noticed it when Alex's gaze trailed down on them. Instead of starting the car, he faced me with a frown. "What's going on with you?" He asked. "Did something happen?"

"N-No."

"You look like you just saw a ghost."

I gulped and looked away from him. What would he say if I asked him about that gun? Would he lie? But why would he lie? Why was this happening?

"The...glove compartment." I murmured slowly, my heart still hammering inside my chest. My eyes were fixated on his face, my body pressed back against the seat.

He raised his brow in question.

"There's a gun in there." I added.

He won't lie. Please.

It was just a single second that the confusion on his face morphed into a completely blank expression.

"And there's blood." I heard my voice quivering with nerves. I think I was more scared as to what he'd say. Was I wrong about him all this time? Had he been lying to me?

Why would he do that? Alex would never do that.

"Alex?"

"Were you the one who rummaged through my drawer too?" He asked and the frown came back, however this time, I saw the look in his eyes turning into a cold one.

I felt my heartbeat speeding up.

"Was that the reason why you ran away?"

I backed away against the door, my hand fumbling against the handle. "I-I think I don't want to go to that date any—"

"Of course." He cut me off as he closed all the locks, trapping me inside the car. My eyes widened at his action before I turned around, trying to open the door. It didn't budge at all.

"Alex," I hated the way my voice trembled. "Alex please, please let me go."

He frowned at me before dragging a hand through his perfectly combed hair in clear frustration. "Why are you getting scared?"

I wanted to leave. I didn't want to stay here, at least not now. I was freaking out and he wasn't helping. I was confused and my thoughts were messed up. It felt like I didn't know who he was, and that hurt—not too much, though. I still didn't know what to make out of this all.

"You're the one scaring me." I told him. "Please don't do this."

"Don't do what?" He asked, his voice raising an octave higher. "I'm not even doing anything!"

I tried calming down. Panicking didn't do much good in such situations. I just needed to talk to him, maybe he would understand then. "Why aren't you letting me go?"

"You make trash decisions when you're panicking, Skylar. Just stop freaking out and I'll tell you everything." He gritted out the words, his gaze still fixated on me.

"I can't." I shook my head, again and again. I was still trying to open the door somehow, even when I knew it wouldn't be possible—unless I screamed for help and banged on the car window, and that wasn't really possible when he started the car despite my complaining.

"We'll talk. That's the only way for you to get out."