Ghosted (completed)

The Night Of

Axel didn't say a word the entire drive to Kingston's house. Though I'd tried reluctantly explained to him what Oliver had told me before he disappeared, I was sure the only part he truly took any credence in was the fact that I was the reason his brother was dead. I couldn't blame him. The newfound realization had my entire body frozen, dread building in my chest by the second. The fact I couldn't remember anything from the night only made it a hundred times worse.

Finally, slowing the car along the curb of King's house, he tore his eyes from the road ahead and stared at me with a guarded expression. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"King didn't do it." I reminded quietly. "But he was there. He knows what happened."

"Okay." he unlocked the doors and leaned back in his seat, and though I didn't want to accept it, there was a part of me that wanted to him stop me. But he only sat there, entire body tense, eyes trained out the windshield again.

I unbuckled my seatbelt slowly, but just as I retrieved my phone from the cup holder I touched the top of Axel's hand. "I may not remember what happened, but I didn't mean for him to get hurt, Axel. I didn't mean for him to die."

He averted his gaze and shook my hand off. I took it as my cue to get out. I thought he'd leave without as much as a glance out the window, but he rolled it down once I'd shut his door and whispered, "Be careful."

Then sped down the street, leaving me in the cloud of dirt his tires had kicked up.

I swallowed, trying to keep my composure and walked up the driveway to the front door. I spotted King in his living room-with Serena through the blinds and moved to hide behind the wall, squeezing my eyes shut.

What the hell was she doing here?

"Fai?" King's voice filled the quiet space, a second later he was in front of me, shaking his head. "Are you okay? What are you doing back here?"

I eyed Serena as she approached, arms crossed over her chest, teary eyes shooting frantically over my head.

"We need to talk." I breathed, catching his arm before he could retract it. "About Oliver. About what happened."

Serena's eyes widened, "You told her, King? You said—"

"I didn't say anything!" he snapped, shutting the girl up before she could get another word out. "What the hell are you talking about, Ophelia?"

I touched my palm flat against my chest. "Did I do it? Did I shoot him?"

"Get inside." King's eyes scanned our surroundings, one of his hands falling against the small of my back. "Go!"

Once the three of us were back in the safety of his living room, he fell on to the edge of the beige couch and rubbed his face. "No, Fai, you didn't shoot him."

"Was I the reason he got shot?"

"You got into an argument with Mark." Serena started to explain, perching herself on the arm of the same couch King occupied. "He was wasted and wouldn't let up. He grabbed your hand a little too hard and Oliver shoved him and told him to back off. They started shouting and arguing, and King kept trying to break them up."

King's eyes closed at the memory. I leaned into the back of the black leather recliner for support.

"Then Mark pulled a gun and everyone started screaming." Serena's voice caught and she took a few minutes to recollect herself before she continued. "Oliver and King kept telling him to put it down, but Macy and I, we didn't think it was really loaded. Because where the hell would Marcus have gotten a loaded gun from?"