Chapter 30

A/N Hey guys I would really appreciate it if you could vote on my chapters (the little star) once you are done reading it- or even before (and if you haven't if you could go back and do so). I do this for free and getting votes (and comments) is how we get any recognition. Thank you! Hope you enjoy! 

After Noah dropped me off, I spent the rest of the day nursing a hangover in my room. I had homework I needed to catch up on, but the thought of doing any thinking made me want to barf the little food I was able to eat.

Don't ever drink again—duly noted.

Aside from feeling as if my body hated me, I felt awful. I felt a horrible sense of shame when I thought about everything that happened the night before. At least what I could remember. Which, while not much, were, of course, the most mortifying parts.

They kept playing in my head on a loop I was forced to watch. I felt like the main character in a Clockwork Orange when they strap him to a chair and force his eyes open in front of the movie screen. I could see myself throwing myself on Robbie. Forcing him to kiss me. Geez. I threw my pillow over my face and wished that smothering myself was an actual possibility.

I could hear his—whatever the fuck she was— disgusted that I was on the bathroom floor losing my dinner in his toilet.

When Noah dropped me off, he looked at me as if I were a monster. A liar. A heartless bitch. I couldn't even look at him because I didn't want him to ask me what happened last night. I didn't even know what I would tell him. Everything was a weird blur, and it was hard to focus on anything specific.

I pushed the pillow harder into my face.

I was a liar. I lied to everyone, including myself. If I didn't lie, I would have to face everything I was trying to avoid. I was struggling in school, that I use Noah to get over Robbie, and that it doesn't work.

Maybe I should stop. Maybe Lana was right.

This obsession wasn't healthy. I sat up, suddenly remembering what I heard yesterday in the cooler. I reached across my bed to grab my purse lying on my desk and took out the envelope with the receipt inside. It was a wrinkled mess from both being in Robbie's pocket and then the humid bathroom floor.

I flattened out the wrinkled receipt and stared at the address. This was possibly the answer we had been looking for. I didn't want to get ahead of myself, but this address could potentially be the first step to finding a solution for Robbie's family.

The first house was four hours away. I remember he said Wednesday.

I called Maria and waited impatiently as the phone rang. I would have to go after school. I was already on a tightrope with my scholarship, and I couldn't miss class. If I were sent back to Miami, I really wouldn't be able to do anything.

"Hey," she said when she picked up.

"I found the hummer," I blurted out.

"You what?!"

"At your house during the party."

"Are you sure? Why didn't you tell me? Where?"

"It was in a garage," I said.

"A garage? Like where my car is? You were really fucked up. You still haven't told me why I have a bloodstain courtesy of Noah on my grandmother's throw pillow."

"Yes, I am sure, and no another garage; it was huge. Bigger than where you and Robbie keep your cars. There's a hallway that leads to it; it's somewhere around the pool house; I can't remember well."

"I mean, the only other garage in my house is not really accessible. My dad was renovating the house to create a separate portion of it for my grandmother. Robbie uses it to work on his boat, and it doesn't really connect to the house."

"Well, this one did."

"Lia," she said softly.

"Maria, I promise I am not imagining it. The driver said he was meeting someone on Wednesday. I have the address."

"Okay... I mean, you did have that brownie..."

"I looked up the address I wrote down. It belongs to a house. Aren't you curious to see who it is? See if it's someone you know."

"Yes. But I'm also terrified. These men can be thugs; they could have guns. They probably do have guns."

"They won't see us. We'll stay far away. It's just to take pictures."

"Lia, let me think about it. I'm going to look for the floor plans my father left me. Maybe he had ones with the renovations planned out. I can't meet this Wednesday though I have a presentation for my economics class."

I sighed; I had a feeling she wouldn't want to go.

"Lia, promise me you won't go by yourself," she said after a moment of silence.

"I'll be careful."

"Lia!" She yelled in warning.

"Bye," I said, hanging up.

At school, Robbie was gone on his trip. I felt anxious and unsure of what he would say or how he would act when he returned. I avoided Noah. An easy task to do since he was out on Monday, and I was called out for most of the day on Tuesday to meet with a college advisor.

On Wednesday morning, I packed up everything I thought I would need into my backpack. My plan was to take a cab out to new jersey and then use the bus system to New York State.

The day was going by fast, thanks to my anxiety, that is, until lunch. I grabbed my lunch bag from my locker and went to meet Lana at our table when I noticed an extra person in my usual spot. I recognized her dark glossy hair before I could see her face.

"Look who came to eat lunch with her lowly high school friends today," Lana joked.

"Hi," I said, sitting down next to Maria.

"Geez, I thought you would be more excited. Did you have a test and score an A-minus or something?" Lana asked.

"Why are you here?" I asked Maria, ignoring Lana.

"I wanted to eat lunch with my friends. I missed you guys. I like to know that your year is going well and that you are safe," She said, giving me a knowing look towards the end.

"You saw us three days ago," Lana said, confused.

"Lia, do you want some sushi?" Maria asked, placing a roll on my bowl of rice and beans.

"Sure," I said shortly.

"I thought that you and I can go and say hi to Coach before lunch was over," She said.

"Okay."

"I have some of the paperwork we talked about on the phone, you know, with the plans for the renovations—for the sports field. I wanted to show coach," She added.

"They're renovating the sports fields? Why didn't I hear about this?" Lana asked, "It's about time. Our tennis court needs some serious work done."

"Maybe," Maria said, smiling at her, "Lia will tell you what the final verdict is when she comes back."

"You're leaving already? You didn't even finish your sushi, and Antoine is running late; he's excited to see you," Lana whined.

"I have to hurry back to uni. I have a presentation in a few hours. It was just really important that coach gets the paperwork turned in by today," Maira said, picking up her purse.

"Let's go, Lia time is of the essence," she added in a snappy tone.

We walked through the lunch courtyard, and she stopped me when we reached an empty hallway lined with lockers.

"What?" I asked, looking at her pointedly and crossing my arms in front of me.

She gave me an apologetic look, "you were right. There is access to the garage through the house. It's a servant's hallway. I'm never in that part of the house, so I had no idea it was there."

"I told you," I said, annoyed that she didn't really believe me in the first place.

"I believe you that you saw the hummer. I do. I also don't want you going tonight by yourself."

"What? What if we never get another opportunity? If the guy there is your grandmother's chauffeur, that would be the end of all of this. Don't you want all of this to be over?"

"Of course I do, but it's not worth something happening to you. It's really stupid to go by yourself. You're smart, Lia. You have to realize this."

"I understand your concern, but I don't plan on getting close enough that they can see me. If I have to get close, then I'll just leave. I understand there are variables to the situation, and I promise I will respond with my safety in mind."

She bit her lip, unsatisfied with what I was saying.

"I don't want to die, Maria. I'm not suicidal," I said, annoyed.

Her gaze shifted to something behind me. I turned around to see Noah there.

"What?" I asked, frustrated with the conversation.

"That's my locker," he said and smiled tightly at us.

"Sorry," Maria scoffed and pulled me down the hallway.

"Please don't go," she said, holding my hand to her chest. "I promise we will figure this out. I'm sorry about what I said that day you came over. I do want to make more of an effort, and I will, I promise."

I bit the inside of my cheek. She was not going to back off. "Fine," I conceded.

"Thank you!" She said, throwing her arms around me and giving me a hug that made it difficult to breathe. "We can meet up this weekend and go over everything," She said, "I have to go; I really do have a presentation," she said and kissed my cheek before walking away.

When I turned around to go back to lunch, I noticed Noah looking at me. He quickly looked away and pretended to look for something in his locker.

Noah didn't really say much during art class. The cut on his lip had scabbed over, and the bruise on his face seemed more yellow than purple. At one point, he caught me staring, and I swore he would say something, but he just raised his eyebrow and continued to focus on what he was doing.

I was worried he might have heard something, but in the little time I knew him, he wasn't one to stay quiet about anything.

When school finished, I called a cab to pick me up.

Okay, yes, I lied to Maria. But it would be stupid to not go. This could be the only chance to find out who the hell smashed into us and get evidence against his grandmother.

School let out early on Wednesdays, and I waited after school for the cab to pick me up.

"I was looking for you at your bus stop," I heard Noah say as he sat next to me.

"I'm taking a cab today."

"Where?" He asked, crossing his ankles casually.

"A friend's house."

"Maria's?"

"No."

"Lana, Abigail, Antoine?" he held up his fingers and listed off the friends he knew I had. "I can give you a ride, save you the money."

"It's far, Noah, but thanks."

"How far?"

"Four hours."

"Geez, princess, on a school night?"

I did a double-take. This is the guy who once came to school hungover after partying till two in the morning.

"I mean, I don't care that it's a school night," he said, holding his hands up, "it just seems strange for you to do this today. You seem like the type who's in bed at a reasonable hour."

"Well, I have to go today," I snapped.

"Hey, hey, I fully support you not having a stick up your ass for once. Is your friend okay?" He asked.

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"I assume a crazy trip like that warrants extraneous circumstances."

"When did you turn into Nancy Drew?" I asked, frowning at him.

"Nancy Drew? I would think my drinking habits were more Sherlock Holmes."

I stared at him, "You don't have the charisma."

He let out a laugh, "Well, let my dull ass take you anyway. It will take way longer on the bus; you're looking at 5 hours, maybe even more. I have a cousin who went to Cornell; I know how to get there. I bet you on my bike we can cut through the traffic and make it in even less time."

"It's not a good idea," I said, "but thanks."

"Why?"

Geez, he was so persistent.

"Because it's private. I need to do something private."

His eyes squinted at me, "Lia, are you in trouble?"

"No."

"So if I texted, let's say Lana or Maria and told them where you were going?"

"You don't have their numbers."

"I have Robbie's. We use to have a lab together."

He caught me off guard, and my head snapped in his direction, "why would you do that? He's working."

"Blackmail you into taking me with you to whatever bad idea you're set on doing. Duh."

I met his eyes, "You heard us." How long had he been behind us when Maria and I were talking?

"Guilty," he said, shrugging.

"What if I'm about to walk into a serial killer's den? That sounds like fun to you?"

"Yes, as opposed to doing homework? Absolutely."

I looked at him for a moment. He didn't seem to want to let this go, and as much as I hated riding on it, his bike could be convenient.

"You're crazy," I said, looking up at him.

"I've been called worse."

"Fine," I said, walking past him towards the parking lot.