Conspicuous Secrets

Chapter Forty-Eight

I posted chapters 48-49! Make sure you are reading them in order!

Being home alone was something that I used to enjoy, but not so much anymore considering the circumstances. There were too many risks now. So the constant uneasiness going through me right now was the fear that Charles would decide that right now is the best time to show up. But there's no way he knew I was home alone...right?

Despite my fear of leaving the safety of my bedroom, I needed a couple of pain killers. There was a killer headache inching its way through my skull and it hadn't been easing up. So very slowly, I tiptoed into the kitchen, fearing that if I made the slightest noise then somehow Charles would know that I was alone and vulnerable. It's a ridiculous thought, I know, and to be honest, I had placed myself in this situation, so I should've predicted this feeling.

Gavin was out with Daniel at the police station, filling out a bunch of paperwork and finalizing our plans for getting out of here. I would've went but with this headache, facing the bright, reflective snow outside on a sunny day like today wasn't something that sounded very pleasing to me. So, here I was, home alone, and scared out of my mind. Gavin had suggested calling Marla and Aria to come sit with me, but admitting that I was scared to be left by myself wasn't something that I wanted to announce. I had too much pride for that.

Although, this experience was so far so good. My brother had been gone for hours now and I hadn't heard a single suspicious noise or seen any other sign of life. I just hoped that I hadn't jinxed it.

Just as I grabbed the bottle of painkillers from the cabinet, a loud banging sounded on the front door. Great. I had jinxed it. Without making a sound, I gently placed the container on the counter and pulled a knife out of the drawer in front of me. I crept toward the front door, knife in hand, as the pounding continued. After unlocking the door, I grasped the doorknob with my empty hand and quickly pulled open the door, pointing the sharp weapon at the male standing in front of me.

It was Kason. The teenager held his hands up in surrender immediately. "It's just me." Flashes of different emotions crossed over his eyes that I couldn't quite pin together. It was like the sight of me thinking that I had to defend myself with a knife was a sight that he didn't want to see.

Sighing in relief that it wasn't Charles, I lowered the weapon in my hand and stepped out of the doorway so he could walk in. I closed and locked the door behind him. He just stood there awkwardly in the middle of the floor while I walked back into the kitchen and returned the knife back into the drawer. Then I faced him and realized that he had followed me in the kitchen. I had no idea why he was here and was getting déjà vu from the evening that I had received the first box of pictures from Charles, and he had come to check on me per Gavin's request.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking instead of pounding your fist against the door?" I asked him, hinting at the fact that he had nearly scared me to death.

A look of realized flashed across his deep-blue eyes and he scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, ...it's cold outside."

I had to fight back a grin at his words. That was definitely something he'd say. For a long moment, I just stared at him and let myself miss him. His nose was pink and he looked awfully tired. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Just a little sick," I recalled Lucy feeling sick the night before. He must've gotten whatever she has, too.

I watched Kason pull his phone out of his back pocket before walking closer to me. He held up his phone and showed me a picture he had taken. "This is Charles, right?"