Trust

Part 26

“Why are you here?” You hate how small and scared you sound. You clear your throat and stand up straighter, trying to project an air of confidence. “You need to leave.”

“Audrey, you look fantastic,” he says to you, smiling. It both scares and hurts you to see that smile. It reminds you of before, when you were happy to be with him. Before you realized what he was.

“Get out of my house,” you tell him, sounding less and less afraid with each word. “You shouldn’t be here. Leave before I call the police.”

“And tell them what?” he asks, laughing in a mocking way. “That an old family friend was invited to stay here and you don’t want them to? It’s not your house Auds, you don’t get a say.”

You feel your heart rate pick up in fear. Invited? He was invited to stay? Would anyone really be that cruel to you?

You know the answer, but really don’t want to think about it.

“Audrey—“ he cuts himself off and focuses on something behind you. “Who is that?”

Oh no, you’ve forgotten about Luke. You spin around to see him climbing out of his car, still on the phone. He motions that he’s almost done. You try to smile but it feels more like a grimace.

You turn back around to face the boy that haunts your nightmares. “Listen when he comes up those steps, you are going to stand there and keep your mouth shut. You don’t say a word do you understand me?” The last thing you need right now is for Luke to get arrested for murder. And you have no doubt that he’ll kill Kyle when he finds out who he is.

“Since when do you talk to me like that?” the smile is gone and the thunderclouds you know better come over his face. The real Kyle has decided to come out and play now. “You need to show me some respect.”

“I don’t need to do anything you tell me,” you sound a lot braver than you feel. It must be the nerves making you sound so sure of yourself. “And I have no respect for people like you.”

“What did you just say to me?” He starts towards you menacingly and you prepare to run. Your fake bravery does not extend to a physical fight.

“Kyle who are you talking to?” Your mother calls from the top of the stairs. “Is someone at the door?”

You watch the change come over him. You can see his transformation from evil bastard to kind young man before your very eyes. It takes you back to that scared girl you were. You can feel her coming back, taking over. You can feel yourself changing with him.

It’s making you sick.

“Yes Mrs. Chambers,” he calls back to her. His dead eyes never leave yours. “Audrey is home.”

“Audrey?” Suddenly your mother is rushing down the stairs to meet you. “Well it’s about time you got home!”

Most parents would be saying this because they were worried, or because they were excited to see their child. Your mother is just miffed at you.