Guilt ate at me the more I listened to her because I knew of Keiran and Dash’s plan and in a way I took part in it by saying nothing. At the time I thought it was the right thing to do but now…

I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what I had to do. “Willow, Keiran set Dash up with you so that he could use you to blackmail me. I knew about it but I couldn’t tell you because if I did he would tell Dash to break your heart.” The words rushed out of my mouth before I could think it over.

She shook her head and released a humorless laugh. “He succeeded. My heart is broken.”

“I am so sorry, Willow. I should have told you sooner. Please forgive me.”

“Yes, you should have,” she affirmed. “But I don’t blame you.” I hugged her to me and surprisingly she hugged me back.

“So why get involved with him?”

“I actually didn’t find out until I got back. He came over to my house the second day back. He said he missed me and it was weird not seeing me so I let him in. I introduced him to my mom and she just grew so cold towards him. It was awkward so I apologized and asked him to leave. My mom and I had a huge fight when she forbid me to see him. I demanded to know why and that’s when she told me about my father. I felt so bad for her and it seemed really important to her so I gave in. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Just when I was becoming something with Dash, I had to let go and it hurt. After a while Dash began to remind me of who he really was. He was the popular playboy. He’s different now– not my Dash. But then…he never was mine. He refuses to understand why I have to let him go and why he has to let me go.” Her voice broke at the last.

“So what are you going to do now?” I asked with a heavy heart. It seemed they were doomed to fail from the very start.

“I’m going to stay away. Even if it kills me.”

Seeing her so broken and lost filled me with a burning anger and I finally felt what Keiran must have felt these past few weeks. “Willow?”

“Yes?” she sniffled and looked up at me with fresh tears in her eyes, reinforcing my decision.

“I want to make them pay.”

Chapter Eighteen

I walked Willow to her first class with enough time to make it to English. I was expecting to see Keiran in class but he wasn’t there. I assumed he was running late but he never showed up. He wasn’t at lunch or fifth period either. I was tempted to ask Dash or Keenan where Keiran was but we weren’t exactly friends. I wasn’t supposed to care anyway.

The tables have now turned and it was me who was out for revenge. It was insulting for him to think that after everything he’d done and tried to take away that we could just start over and be friends. Fuck that. I was out for blood. I was surprised at how fast Willow agreed. I didn’t have a plan yet but it was all that was on my mind. He had a lesson to learn and I was going to teach it to him.

I went straight home after school with Willow tagging along. By the time I made it home I knew exactly what I needed to do when I remembered the girl in the photo. But in order for my plan to work, I had to tell Willow everything. Starting with the day at the pharmacy. By the time I finished, Willow had just wished every sort of harm there was on Keiran. Needless to say, our friendship was completely restored after that. She started to blame herself for not seeing it sooner but I told her that was a load of crap. Keiran was a master at manipulation. No one was to blame but him.

“So, what do we do?”

I pulled out the photo and handed it to her. “We find out who she is and how Keiran knows her.”

“Ok, but why?”

I hesitated before answering. “I think he killed this girl.”

“What!” she shrieked.

“Willow, calm down.”

“I can’t calm down. Why do you think he murdered that little girl?”

“I found the locket the girl is wearing in his closet with a gun.”

“Oh my God.”

“We just have to –”

“Lake, are you seriously thinking about crossing him again knowing that he murdered someone?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “I don’t have a choice. He threatened my aunt and tried to ruin our friendship. He can’t get away with this.”

“Lake…”

“Dash hurt you too. Don’t you want closure?”

“How does Dash fit into all this?”

“He’s his best friend. For all we know he may have something to do with it too or at least know about it. You know what they say; birds of a feather and all that. If not, then we find another way. Either way, they are going to pay for what they did.”

She put her head in her hands and muttered, “This is crazy.”

“We aren’t doing anything wrong or illegal. If Keiran did not kill this girl then we have nothing to worry about.”

“Lake, I really think this is your anger speaking. This isn’t you. When you said make them pay I thought you meant flatten their tires or something.”

“Willow, I would never make you do something you don’t want to do. Friends don’t do that.”

“Friends also don’t allow other friends to put themselves in danger. What if he did kill her? He found out about your so-called involvement before. What makes you think he won’t again? This time it’d be for real.”

“I’m aware of that. Look, he told me he wants to be friends. I figure if I play along and be his friend I can find out about her. An innocent girl died and it could have easily been my aunt next. She’s all I have besides you.”

“And you’re all I have Lake. I have my family but you are my only friend. What if he hurts you?”

“He’s hurt me for ten years, Willow. I think I can handle it.”

“Don’t do this,” she pleaded.

I shook my head and felt a feeling of desperation wash over me. “I have to.”

* * *

I was beyond nervous when I entered school the next morning. I hadn’t heard from Keiran since the library yesterday and although it was my plan to befriend him like he wanted I didn’t know how to go about it after I’d basically told him to get fucked. I figured I would let him get the ball rolling.

My opportunity came in English when Mrs. Connors asked me to read a passage in the text. Fortunately for me the seat Keiran designated for us in English the first day became my permanent seat so I was able to sit next to him. He never said a word to me though. He didn’t even look at me.

I was texting Willow who had been begging me non-stop to drop it when I heard the teacher call my name. I looked up to find Mrs. Connors glaring at me and I knew I was caught texting. She was saying something that I didn’t catch.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I would like you to read the passage in the text.” Shit. I had no clue where we were.

I was also apprehensive about reading in class because of my dyslexia. I usually received reading assignments ahead of time to read them before hand and memorized the passages. Because of this I was able to remain in normal classes. I had a good handle on it but I still felt self-conscious. I was held back a year in the first grade because they misdiagnosed my trouble to read and thought it best to make me repeat the grade. I called it fate. I couldn’t imagine having classes with Keiran for the past ten years.

My hesitation was becoming painfully apparent to the rest of the class. I took this risk so I could have normalcy. I also didn’t want to give Keiran more ammunition.

“Pick someone else.”

My head was down but I knew who said the words. I looked up to find him watching me before he turned cold eyes on the teacher.

“Mr. Masters, I will not have you disrespecting me in my classroom.”

“Tough. She isn’t reading. Pick…someone…else.”

“She will read or she will leave my class.”

She was kicking me out? Before I could protest, Keiran grabbed my hand and led me out the classroom before returning back inside. I stood, confused in the empty hallway before he returned with our backpacks.