“Aaron’s girlfriend,” Mason snickered again, but thankfully his reply caused Aaron to lift his face in shock.
“No, she’s not,” he denied quickly, looking so cute that I had the sudden urge to pinch his cheeks, but I didn’t.
I turned to the table where the girl sat with her friends and caught her staring at Aaron, but she quickly averted her eyes when she saw me looking. “I think she likes you,” I said, turning back to Aaron. “You should ask her out.”
“Yeah, buddy, you should. Maybe that will get you to stop coveting my girlfriend,” Mason said, clapping him on the back.
“Mason,” I said with a gasp, but I was the only one overreacting, it seemed. Aaron slapped the back of Mason’s head in return, calling him a fool. I rolled my eyes again, thinking about how easy it was for boys to make up. “Ask her out, Aaron,” I insisted before pointing to a silent Jake. “And you! Talk to her,” I ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” they both chorused, and I let out a satisfying smirk.
Seconds later, my eyes met Mason’s, and I knew what he was going to say even before he opened his mouth. I was already shaking my head in disagreement.
“Come on, please,” he pleaded, knowing full well how difficult it was for me to resist his soulful eyes.
“What’s going on?” Aaron asked, looking between us, as well as a curious Jake.
Stabbing at my plate, I mumbled, “Mason wants to throw me a party at his parents’ mansion for my birthday.”
Jake nodded in approval, causing me to glare playfully at him. “When is it?”
“In two weeks,” Mason piped in, ignoring the stink eye directed at him from me.
“Aaron?” I turned pleadingly to the only friend I knew would take my side, but to my surprise, even he nodded in agreement. “Oh, come on. Even you too?”
“A lot has happened these past few months, Kat. You deserve some celebration,” he said, and I couldn’t help but agree with him.
Despite my reluctance due to how introverted I was, I couldn’t deny that we all needed a reason to celebrate. It could be a way of putting everything behind us and looking forward to a new beginning.
“Fine,” I declared, rolling my eyes with a smile when Mason let out a loud whoop.
Back at home, I retired to bed with a smile just minutes after Jake had climbed up my window to inform me that he and Noelle were back together. His face had brightened with a grin – a stark contrast from the saddened expression he wore earlier at school – and I was genuinely happy for him. Noelle and I may not see eye to eye, but as long as she made Jake happy, I was willing to try to be civil with her.
*****
“Kat! Oh, Kat, I’ve missed you,” someone said as they wrapped their arms around me. I looked up and stared into the eyes of Liam Eddison.
“What… What are you doing here?” I asked with shock written all over my face as I struggled to breathe. “You should be here, you shouldn’t…” I began to step back in fear even as he approached me.
“Kat,” he stretched out a hand toward me, causing me to flinch. “Forgive me.”
Suddenly, the images swirled, and I was back in my bed, jolting up from the weird dream drenched in sweat before coming to a conclusion.
I needed to see Liam Eddison again.
CHAPTER FIVE
Taking a deep breath, I walked into the building with as much strength and confidence I could muster. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone.
To visit Liam in jail, I needed an adult with me, so my mom came along even though she still struggled to understand my reason for doing this. When the boys heard what I was about to do, they had insisted on coming with me so I wouldn’t face the boy in my nightmares alone.
“You have just ten minutes, Miss Dawson,” the cop standing guard said as he led me toward the room that held Liam.
Mason pulled me to a stop, worry in his eyes.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said, but I only smiled, telling him I’ll be fine.
I stepped in, knowing they all stood outside, ready to come for me if something went wrong. Then I came face to face with Liam, the boy who murdered my father.
