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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Harper and I go out for breakfast and then she insists I go shopping with her which takes forever because she has to try on a million things. In the afternoon we go to a movie and then eat dinner in the dining hall. We normally don’t spend that much time together but she’s trying to keep me busy so I don’t sit in my room thinking about Garret.

I feel like the talk Harper and I had this morning has brought us closer. It’s funny how just a short conversation can change things between people. I’m finally realizing that Harper is a good friend, and she would be an even better friend if I let her. But it’s hard for me to do that. Opening up to her about Garret was a huge step for me.

When we get back to campus, I notice that Garret’s car isn’t in the parking lot. It wasn’t there when we left either. He must be back home, which is probably where he’ll be living from now on.

“Do you want to watch TV?” Harper is being so sweet. She has been all day, even though I know that she, too, is feeling depressed after being dumped last night. But instead of talking about that, she’s been trying to make me feel better. Doing all she can to get my mind off Garret.

“I think I’ll pass on TV tonight. It’s getting late. I should catch up on some reading.” We’re in the hall now in front of her door.

“Are you sure? We could go rent a movie.”

“I know you’re trying to help, Harper, and I appreciate it. This day has been great. Really. It was good to get out. But I have a ton of stuff to catch up on.”

“Okay. Well, goodnight.” She gives me a hug. “Call me if you want to talk. Or just come down to my room.”

“I will.” I start to leave, then stop. “Hey, Harper?”

“Yeah?”

“That guy, Cole, didn’t deserve you. You deserve someone way better.”

She smiles. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I go back to my room and get out the book I’m supposed to read for English. Sitting next to it is my English notebook, which I haven’t written in for weeks. And Garret and I haven’t been exchanging them like we’re supposed to. I wonder if he’ll still be my partner in English or if his dad will make him find someone new.

An hour goes by and I’ve read the same paragraph in my book at least 20 times. I can’t concentrate. Between the phone and that letter, there are too many distractions in my room that keep me from focusing on homework.

After another hour of attempted reading, I give up and go to bed. I look up at the sparkly blue lights that Garret gave me, noticing the soft glow they add to the room. They only make me miss him more.

I hate that I miss him this much. I promised myself I would never get this attached to someone. And I kept that promise until I met Garret. Now I know why I made the promise in the first place. Getting that attached to people only makes it hurt that much more when they leave. And they always leave.

I lie there unable to sleep, gazing up at my lights. After a while, I glance at the clock. 2 a.m. Great. I have class in 6 hours. I need at least 7 hours of sleep just to function. I toss and turn, trying to find a more comfortable position. If Garret were here in bed with me I’d be able to sleep. That’s another thing we’d never do again. Sleepovers in his room. We just had one last night. And now he’s gone. How can everything change so much in just 24 hours?

As I’m thinking about that, the phone rings. The sound of it makes me practically jump out of my skin. It’s so loud in the silent room. It rings again. I get out of bed and stare at it as if doing so will make it stop. It doesn’t.

Who the hell calls at 2 a.m.? The phone keeps ringing. I swear it sounds ten times louder at night than during the day. Maybe 100 times louder. It’s so damn loud. I’m surprised people aren’t pounding on my door telling me to make it stop.

It continues to ring but there’s no way I’m answering it after what happened earlier. What if it’s that creepy guy again? Maybe he’s calling to scare the shit out of me because I didn’t burn that letter. If so, it’s working. I’m practically shaking. The phone keeps ringing. How many freaking times is it going to ring? It has to stop eventually. It finally does.

Panic hits me as I consider the fact that it could have been Ryan calling. Frank could be sick. He could be in the hospital again. Or worse. Shit! I should’ve answered it. I consider calling Ryan but if it wasn’t him calling, then overprotective Ryan would worry to death about whoever actually was calling me at such a late hour and I’d never hear the end of it.

I wait for the phone to ring again because if it was Ryan, he’d call back. But the phone remains quiet so I get back in bed, pulling the covers over my head. I finally fall asleep a couple hours later.

The next few days I feel as dark and gray as the weather outside. It’s early November, but it feels more like winter than fall. At least in Connecticut it does.

I’ve been trying to move on and pretend that last Sunday morning never happened, but it’s all I can think about. Garret doesn’t show up to English class on Tuesday, which makes me wonder if his dad will make him go to a different school just to get away from me. Or like I told Harper, maybe his dad will take my scholarship away and I’ll have to go back to Iowa. That’s actually the more likely scenario.

Every night I continue to get the calls. It’s always after midnight and it always freaks me out. I called Ryan on Monday and he said Frank was doing great, so I know it’s not him calling. That means it has to be that guy who threatened me. The guy is probably watching me. It scares me to think that I’m being watched but I don’t know what to do about it.

It’s Thursday night and I’m exhausted. I’ve barely slept all week because of those stupid phone calls. My lack of sleep is starting to affect my school work. Earlier today I almost completely forgot about my English quiz. Luckily Harper reminded me about it at breakfast, giving me a little time to study.

Like clockwork, around 2 a.m. the phone rings. I suddenly realize I could just unplug it from the wall. I’m such an idiot sometimes. Why didn’t I think of that earlier? I get out of bed and go over to the ringing phone. Just as I’m ready to pull the cord from the wall, I get this sudden urge to answer it. I have no idea why. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s due to my lack of sleep the past few days. I’m delirious now.

I drop the cord and stand there, staring at the ringing phone. Then I answer it, my heart beating like crazy.

“I know it’s you! What the hell do you want? Yeah, I still have the letter. So what are you gonna do about it? Kill me? Is that what you’re gonna do? Over some stupid letter?”

The words spill from my mouth. I’ve somehow lost all fear and am now confronting this person, who most likely will kill me.

“Jade?”

I almost drop the phone. I fumble with it, then manage to get a grip on it and put it back to my ear.

“Jade, is that you?”

“Garret?”

“What the hell is going on there?”

“What are you doing calling me?”

“I wanted to talk to you. I needed to talk to you.”

“So you decided to call me at 2 in the morning?”

“I’m sorry about the time but my dad’s been with me constantly so I had to call when he was asleep. And he only sleeps about three hours a night.”

“What do you mean your dad’s been with you? He doesn’t leave your side now?”

“He hasn’t since he showed up at my room Sunday. He made me go to this big conference the company has every year down in Houston. We left Sunday night. We fly back tomorrow. But I swear, it’s been nonstop meetings and golf outings and client dinners. He never gives me a break. It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m so sorry about all of this, Jade. He made me leave with him after you left my room. And then he took my phone.”

“So have you been calling me every night?”

“Yes. I’ve been using the phone in the hotel lobby. I had to go to the gas station next to the hotel and buy one of those prepaid calling cards. It’s so ridiculous. Anyway you didn’t answer until tonight and I was totally freaking out. Are you okay? Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”

“Because you called in the middle of the night, that’s why. I thought it was a prank call.”

“You answered the phone just now like you knew who it was. And you sounded really pissed off.”

“I was yelling because I thought it was some kid playing a joke. That’s all.”

“You asked if the person was going to kill you. Why would you say that?”

“I’m really tired. I don’t even know what I was saying. Just forget it.”

“Stop trying to hide shit from me, Jade. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing’s going on.”

“Is someone threatening you?”

I don’t answer. I want to tell him, but I don’t want him involved in this, especially if the mystery caller is serious about his threats.

“Jade. Answer me. Is someone threatening you?”

“Um, no. I mean, this guy called and it kind of freaked me out but—”

“Shit! He threatened you, didn’t he? Tell me what he said.”

“It doesn’t matter what he said. There’s nothing you can do.”

“What does he want from you, Jade?”

I hesitate, but I can hear the worry in Garret’s voice and I know he’s not going to let this go until I tell him. “He wants me to get rid of that letter from my mom. And not to tell anyone what was in it.”

“And if you don’t, then what?”

“He made it sound like something bad might happen to Frank and Ryan.” My voice is shaking just saying it.

“And what about you? Did he say he’d hurt you?”

“Not specifically. He just said—” Now my hands are shaking, too. “He said they’re watching.”

“When did this happen?”

“Sunday. Right after your dad showed up. I went down to my room and the phone rang. I thought it was Frank, but it was this weird guy with a really deep voice.”

“So what did you do?”

“Nothing. I didn’t know what to do.”

“What happened to the letter?”

“I still have it.”

“Why didn’t you get rid of it?”

“I don’t know. I guess because it’s the only thing I have from my mom. And she said stuff in it, besides the stuff about what happened to her. She said she—” I almost cry saying it. I clear my throat. “She said she loved me. She actually wrote that in the letter. She never said that to me. Ever.”

“Jade, I understand why you want to keep it, but I’m telling you to just get rid of it.”

“But I shouldn’t have to. I don’t even know who this person is. Maybe it’s some kind of joke.”

“Did he sound like he was joking?”

“No. He sounded creepy. It scared the crap out of me.”

“Shit! I’m so sorry I left you like that. And now I’m stuck in Houston. I’ll come over as soon as I get back tomorrow.”

“Yeah, right. Like your dad’s gonna let you come see me.”

“I don’t care what he does to me. He can take my trust fund and everything else I have. I can’t let him run my life anymore. I was going to refuse to go on this trip, but when we got to the house on Sunday, my grandfather was there. My dad had already told him I was going and my grandfather was so happy I was going with them that I backed down and went. But the trip is over now. And from now on, I’m not letting my dad tell me what to do.”

“Your dad will just keep showing up here.”

“I’ll talk to him. I’ll get him to stop.”

“And how do you think you’re gonna do that?”

“He has secrets he doesn’t want getting out. And normally I don’t like to use that shit against people, but if he wants to play it this way, then I guess that’s how it’ll be.”

“You’re going to blackmail your own father?”

“We don’t call it that. My dad calls it persuasion. Or negotiation. He does it all the time. I’m just doing what he taught me.”

“I don’t know, Garret. You might just piss him off more.”

“Don’t worry about him.”

I hear loud voices on Garret’s end of the phone, followed by even louder laughter.

“I should you let you go. It sounds like there’s a bunch of people around you.”

“They just came in from outside. They’re on the elevator now.” He waits for it to get quiet again. “Jade, I want you to be careful. Don’t go running on the trails by yourself. Or even on the track. And don’t go out at night, especially alone. Stay in groups. Don’t go anywhere by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine. Now that I know it’s you who’s been calling, maybe I don’t need to worry. Maybe it was nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. I told you before. People who have secrets that can’t get out will do anything to hide those secrets.”

“Okay, you’re freaking me out again. Don’t talk about it. I’d like to at least get a few hours sleep tonight. I haven’t slept all week.”

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have been calling so late. And now I feel even worse knowing you’ve been thinking it’s some guy calling to threaten you again.”

“It’s okay. I should’ve just answered the phone.” I pause, not wanting to say goodbye. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”

“I’m not ready to hang up. I miss you, Jade.”

I smile. “Yeah. I miss you, too. But you can’t sit in the lobby all night.”

“Why not? It’s a nice lobby.”

“Oh, yeah? Tell me about it.”

“Well, it’s got this huge chandelier in the center . . .”

We continue to talk. I don’t even care what he says. I just want to hear his voice. It’s the first time in days I’ve been able to relax. When we hang up, I’m finally able to fall asleep.