Underlying Truths

Underlying Truths - Chapter Six - "The Invitation"

I was ready to shut my laptop down when a new chat window popped up.

"Received my message this morning?" it asked. Once again, like all the times before, the screen name of the sender was just a jumble of random numbers and letters.

"Will, knock it off. I'm done playing your game," I replied, my anger spiking once again.

"Read my words carefully, Carina. Meet me tonight at 11pm. Bungalow #13 by the lake. I'm sure you know exactly what place I'm talking about. I'm going to be nice to you. If you show up, you get an explanation for all of this and maybe, just maybe, this will all come to a smooth, perfect end. If you don't make your pretty face present, well, let's just say that you won't be the only player in our little game anymore. Soon, you'll have your parents to share your fears and paranoia with. Maybe I'll even throw in a couple of your friends and co-workers?" it read.

I gritted my teeth, shocked and angered by the invitation. I grabbed my phone off the desk and pressed the one button needed to call Will on speed dial. Almost instantly, he picked up.

"Stop playing your stupid game, Will," I snarled before he could even get a single word out. Despite the fact that he couldn't see me, my eyes were narrowed at the computer screen in front of me and I was sure they were burning with hatred.

"Carina," he hissed. "I don't know what you're talking about. You are an absolute lunatic if you think that I'm the one doing this to you. I don't care how much Spencer's father's death affected you, but this is just completely unacceptable and irrational. Knock it off."

I scoffed at his words, feeling that I should be the one speaking those same words to him.

"Will, you're the one who needs to grow up here," I snapped at him. "You need to get over whatever you're planning on getting out of this whole ordeal and move onto something a little more...I don't know...NORMAL."

Just then, another chat message popped up.

"Made up your mind yet, Cari?" it asked. "No rush. Just show up or not. It's that simple. Goodbye, Carina."

"Stop sending me chat messages, Will!" I yelled furiously into the phone.

"Carina," he said, his voice clearly restrained. "Look out your window and into my driveway."

I did just that as I stomped to my window and pulled aside the curtains. In Will's driveway, Will was staring up to me, shirtless and completely soaking as he washed his parents' car. One of his hands held a large sponge and his other held his phone to his ear.

"Does it look like I'm in any position to be sending you chat messages right now?" he snarled at me.

"For all I know, you could be paying someone to do it for you!" I shot back.

"Whatever, Carina," he scoffed. "Do you want to believe that I'm the one out to get you? Go ahead."

He hung up on me and, from the view out my window, I saw him go back to cleaning his parents' car.

"Arghhhhh!" I yelled out in frustration.

I returned to my desk and stared at the chat window for a few minutes. I shook my head every now and then as I debated what to do next.

As much as I wanted to believe Will, he was the only person that seemed to fit all of the circumstances perfectly. He was a convenient suspect regardless of how much I hated to think of him in that way. My fingers drummed on the wood on which my laptop sat. I folded my laptop to a close and made my decision. I quickly climbed down the stairs and to the front door. Picking up car keys, which I dropped along with my purse on our hardwood floors as I collapsed against our front door earlier, I unlocked the front door and made my way to my car.

Will leaned over the hedges separating our driveways and asked, "Where are you going?"

I glared at him and hissed, "You should know."

He rolled his eyes before disappearing behind the hedges once again.

I got in my car and asked myself once again if I was sure this was what I wanted to do. I took a deep breath as I made up my mind: this was the best choice for everyone. I pulled out of my driveway, ready to drive around for a few hours and get something to eat before heading to the lake.

As I neared the corner of the street I was meant to turn at, I pulled to the curb and sent my mom a text message. I bit my lip before deciding to tell her that I was going to spend some time with a co-worker at her apartment, saying that I wasn't sure if I was going to stay the night or merely come home late.

"Okay, honey. Just make sure you'll be home before lunch tomorrow," she replied almost instantly.

"Okay, mom, I'll be home by then," I messaged. Or, at least, I'm going to try.

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A/N:

Just a couple more chapters. Short story, huh?