A/N: Dedicated to Hello213

Just a quick note: I still hesitate between The Return of the Brothers Grimm, The Drama Class and Hunt Me Down as my next story to be posted on wattpad. That means you still have time to see their summaries in Upcoming Projects and vote for/comment on whichever you like best :)

*****

Caden’s POV

“Hey.”

It was early afternoon and his voice already sounded hoarse and tired. Placing my mobile on the table in our living room, I turned on the speaker so that Alice could also hear the conversation.

“Hey, dad,” I greeted back. “It’s been a while.”

“It’s been about a week, Caden, and I am…”

“Let me guess: working on it?”

Yeah, that had been all I’ve heard of him lately. All I’ve read to be more precise, because this was the first time after our talk about Marc that my father had answered my calls. And trust me there had been many of those. But no, he had not called back. He’d simply texted me some version of ‘Can’t talk now. Working on it. Stop worrying.’

That had been all I’d gotten from him.

Just a few short texts.

I’d been worried sick about me and Alice, about how Marc could lose his patience and come for a visit; I’d been terrified about not knowing what Gavin was getting into on my behalf and what di he do?

He texted me as if they tax him by the word.

That had made me furious. But the feeling was soon replaced by fear once more. I’d carry my phone with me everywhere I’d go, I’d keep checking every half hour or so whether there were any missed calls although I had not heard it ring; I’d even told my friends not to call me unless it was absolutely urgent just because my heart jumped in anticipation each time my phone emitted even the quietest of sounds.

Even Alice seemed to be handling this better than me. To my greatest relief, she had not had any panic attacks. She was a bit on edge, I could see that, but it was nothing compared to her breakdowns. She’d been especially nervous when we were with our friends; we hadn’t told them about Marc so we had to pretend everything was all fine and dandy.

Only now had I realized what it must’ve cost her to act in front of us before and only now did I understand why she’d decided it was the right thing to do.

“Caden?” Gavin’s exhausted voice summoned.

“Sorry, I was thinking,” I replied. “So how is whatever you are doing going?”

“More difficult than I hoped, better than expected,” he was brief just as in his texts.

“Care to elaborate for us?” I encouraged.

“Us?”

“Alice is here; you are on speaker.”

“Hey,” my girlfriend greeted shyly. It was the first time she spoke to my father.

“Hello,” he said with a gentle tone.

“So? Elaborate?” I urged again.

“Maybe when I see you?” Gavin suggested.

“And when would that be?”

“Could be tomorrow, if all goes as planned. It depends on tonight.”

“What happens tonight?” Alice inquired troubled.

My father was silent and I was sure he contemplated on how much to tell us if he were to tell us anything at all.

“Nothing to worry about,” he finally commented and went on before I could interrupt: “I won’t even be there, kids; I’ll just be indirectly involved in what is to take place.”

“Can you stop speaking in riddles?” I groaned, leaning my back on the couch and covering my face with my hands. I felt Alice’s light touch on my knee and looked towards her. She gave me a hesitant yet encouraging smile and with a sigh I bent towards the phone again.

“And stop telling me not to worry; I can’t.”

I heard him groan in the same fashion I had and I couldn’t help but smirk. As a child, I’d often been told that I’d taken after my mother where looks were involved but after my father when it came to personality and behavior.

“I already told you, kids: I. Won’t. Be. There. I can’t tell you where there is, what’s going to happen or who will be involved – trust me, you better not know – but I will be safe. I can’t let anything happen to me before I meet Alice can I?” The last part was said to lighten the mood and even though it did nothing to appease me, it made the girl who sat next to me blush.

“I have to hang up now but I promise I’ll call you tonight. And I do mean at night, Caden, so don’t freak out just because it’s ten o’clock or eleven o’clock and you haven’t heard from me, okay?”

“Okay,” I agreed reluctantly and he ended the call.

I let out another deep sigh.

“At least this time he picked up,” I muttered.

“Yeah.”

“And we spoke,” I went on.

“Yep.”

“It wasn’t enough though,” I admitted.

“I know it wasn’t.” She wrapped her hands around me and I kissed her. We stayed in this comforting embrace until she announced:

“I have to check on Beth. She invited me over and sounded pretty upset although she did not tell me why.”

“More trouble, huh?” I asked tiredly. “Okay, go,” I removed my hands from her waist. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

Alice had made only a couple of steps before she turned towards me.

“I could stay if you need me,” she suggested.

“No, no,” I waved my hand. “Go see what Beth wants. I’ll be fine.”

She hesitantly nodded and headed for the door.

*****

Skyler’s POV

I could hear the two of them talking in the living room. The subject: me. They were trying to be quiet but the moment the front door to Beth’s living room had been closed shut, I’d glued myself to that of her bedroom. I’d been dreading and hoping that my sister’s guest would be Keegan but instead Alice had shown up.

“It’s Skyler,” my twin was just saying. “He came here in the wee hours of the morning, really upset, and asking if he could stay over. I questioned him about what happened and why couldn’t he sleep in his own apartment but he didn’t want to tell me. I left him alone with Ash, hoping it was a guys’ thing and they’d speak but nothing came out of that either.”

“And you have no idea what could be wrong with him?” My childhood friend semi-whispered and in my attempts to hear them, I pressed my ear to the cool door so hard it hurt.

“He doesn’t even want to give me a clue,” Beth sighed.

“Sky? But he tells you everything,” the other girl wondered.

“Not this time.”

My heart clenched as I heard sister whimper. I felt awful putting her through this but I just could not tell her… No, I could not tell anyone about what had happened between Keegan and me.

“Go talk to him, Alice, he might confide in you,” she pleaded and hearing steps getting closer to the door that separated the living room and bedroom, I assumed the brunette must’ve approached. I darted back and jumped onto my twin’s the double bed. I’d barely managed to cover myself with the sheet when I heard a knock.

“Sky? It’s Alice. Can I come in?”

I wanted to say no but that would’ve made things even worse for the girls and Ash so I replied in the affirmative.

“Hey,” she greeted aiming for a neutral tone. Her voice betrayed her though and my guilt deepened as I could hear just how perturbed she was.

“Hey,” I croaked back then cleared my throat. “Sit down,” I invited in a clearer tone.

She walked in and closed the door. I felt the soft mattress dip as my childhood friend found a spot on the bed next to my right knee.

“So…” It was obvious she didn’t know how to start. “You’ve been here a while.”

It had been a statement and not a question but I still nodded in reply.

“And you don’t want to get back to your apartment?”

This time I shook my head.

“How come?”

I opened my mouth but without uttering a reply, I shook my head again. I was not sure what to say but even if I knew, I was less than certain I’d be able to speak of it, to pick the right words, to voice them clearly or to convey everything I felt or thought I did. Because right now I was not even sure what all the emotions I went through were. They were mixed together in some inconceivable cocktail, one that tasted bitter, sweat and sour all at the same time.

“Did you get into some sort of fight with Keegan?” She tried again.

The name made my heart jump and my breath quicken. I clenched the sheet tighter and had to summon every ounce of restraint I had not to cover myself with it in some ridiculous, futile attempt to hide myself from her and the rest of the world.

I was not going to tell her about the kiss. No way. It had been wonderful, it had been frightening and it had been devastating.

“Alice,” I swallowed the lump that had formed in my dry throat. “Can we talk some other time? Please?”

She tried to smile encouragingly as she nodded and headed for the door. When she closed it from the other side, I did not get up to eavesdrop on her and my sister even though I knew they’d be talking about me again. I was too tired suddenly. Too drained. All I wanted to do was to curl into a ball and fall into a dreamless sleep. Instead, I ended up staring at the ceiling and thinking about how little it took for a friendship to turn into something else.

The Hell with it, I’ll risk it.

Back then it seemed like a good idea. But the look he’d given me once I’d stopped kissing him and moved back… I could’ve dealt with the shock as it was expected; I’d surprised even myself by placing my lips over his.

But the repulsion?

How his wonderful green eyes were huge then narrowed in discuss?

How he’d jumped up from the couch only to run into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him after shouting those condemning words:

“Get out! I don’t want to ever see you again!” He hadn’t even looked at me when he’d screamed that.

I couldn’t breathe and I’d ran straight to my twin’s door. I pounded on it until she opened but once I saw her, I just couldn’t tell her why I was there. I was afraid and I was ashamed.

So I did not answer any of her questions nor those that Asher had posed later when it was just the two of us.

I’d spend the rest of the night on their couch, crying. I only did so when I was sure they were back in their room as I did not want them to see me in tears. Even so, I had to cover my face with the blanket they’d given me each time their door would open. I’d hear quiet steps and someone sneaking from the bedroom to where I lay. I didn’t have to look up to figure out it was Beth; the soft sighs she let out in defeat as she left gave her away.

Now, laying in her bed, the tears were rolling down my cheeks once more. I could not remember ever having cried so heavily before. It was silent this time so at least I did not have to worry the girls would hear my sobs.

I’d messed up big time.

I hadn’t committed a crime; I hadn’t robbed a bank or killed anyone… Yet the consequences felt just as severe as if I’d done so.

I had not killed a person but my friendship with my closest friend.

And now he’d hate me forever, I thought as I wiped yet another tear.

*****

A/N: A rather depressing chapter, huh?

Caden and Alice are worried about Gavin, Alice and Beth are worried about Sky and there’s no telling how their problems could be solved. Any ideas?

What do you think Gavin is planning?

And will Kee be able to eventually forgive Sky so they could be friends again?

He was kind of an ass so maybe it is him who ought to be seeking forgiveness from Sky...

Anyway, don’t forget to vote and I promise you won’t have to wait for the next update as much as you had to wait for this one. Have an amazing day/night and a great time wattpading!