Delicate ✔

Chapter Thirty

  I remember Ryan's dark, beady eyes. I shiver at the last line on the letter.

You deserve murder.

Lee killed Justin's mother. Justin did kill Lee's brother in self-defense, but it was an accident. Lee had the intentions to murder Justin's mom for revenge. Now, Ryan wants to kill Justin for killing Lee. Can't people learn to forgive? My heart beat increases. This is not good. How could Justin be stupid enough to go out alone?

Justin went out to give Nathan his jacket back. He had left is here last week. He took the truck. I have to think fast. I skip my shower, grabbing my clean clothes off the bathroom counter. I slide into them quickly. I rush to the living room, grabbing my black pea coat. I tuck the letter inside the pocket of the coat. I quickly find my cell phone on the coffee table. I hastily dial Nathan's number. He had given it to me during the many weeks of school. We actually get along pretty well. He's the only friend of Justin's that I really like.

"Hey, Aubrey. What's up?," Nathan greets me warmly from the phone.

My voice sounds breathy. "Nathan, is Justin there?"

"No," Nathan becomes alarmed. "Why? What's wrong?"

"He is on his way to give you your jacket."

"Why are you so worried?"

Nathan doesn't know about Lee. At least, I don't think he does. I don't know if Justin told him anything, or not.

"What is your address?," I change the subject.

He tells me his address, and I make a mental note. "I'm coming over."

I hang up before he can protest. I enter the address into my phone. I don't want to forget it. I know that Nathan doesn't really have many neighbors. He lives on a farm. That's probably really farm from here. I dial Ella's number on my way out of our apartment. She answers on the second ring.

"Aubrey, darling, I'm so glad-"

"Ella," I cut her off. "I need your help."

I wait in front of the apartment building for what seems like hours, but it is only five minutes. Ella pulls up, and I have to be careful not to slip on the ice on the ground. A light snow is falling from the sky. It is adding to the heavy amount of snow already on the ground. I make my way over to her car. I open the passenger side door, slipping in.

"Do you know where to go?"

"Yes," she tells me, driving quickly.

I buckle my seat belt. The roads are dangerous.

"You never told me why you are so worried about Justin."

I pull Ryan's letter from my pocket. I can barely read it out loud without panicking. She exceeds the speed limit.

"I know it's stupid," I frown. "But he was hiding this from me. And I have a bad feeling. I just want to make sure he is safe. I-I should call him."

"Good idea," Ella's voice shakes.

As we drive out of the city, I feel a familiar foreboding feeling. I should have got up earlier and went with him. I want to keep him safe. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him, and I wasn't there to stop it.

"Hello?," he answers finally.

"Justin, are you at Nathan's?," I ask in a worried tone

I can hear the confusion in his voice. "I thought I could make it there without running our of gas. I should have filled up the tank before I went. I'm down the street from Nathan's house. I'm having to walk, but I'm almost there," he assures me. "He should have some gas."