The Outliers (The Outliers, #1)(48)

When I get over to him, I can see what he means. There’s a bucket on the floor of the closet with a roll of toilet paper next to it. There’s even some hand sanitizer. A makeshift bathroom.

“They knew we were coming,” I say.

“Or they knew somebody was,” Jasper says, walking back to the front window. I stare at him, but he doesn’t look back at me.

“Who are these people?” I ask, though I already know Jasper doesn’t have a clue.

“Probably not the same ones who stab each other in the eye over marshmallow Peeps.” He turns to look at me when I come to join him at the window. “Right?”

Of course he’s right. It’s way too organized and well thought out.

“Wait, is that a person over there?” Jasper points to the cabin across the way, but all I can make out are shadows. “I just saw something move.”

I lean in and squint but still can’t see anything. Instead, something in the opposite direction catches my eye.

“Look,” I say, feeling a tiny surge of hope. “The police car is still here.”

“Yeah, but someone turned the headlights off,” Jasper says, and from his voice I can tell he doesn’t think there’s anything good about that. We both stare at it for a moment in silence. “Do you really think that Cassie might be doing meth?” he asks, eyes still on Officer Kendall’s car. “That meth is what all of this is about?”

“I have no idea.” I turn around and slide down the wall until I have taken Jasper’s spot on the cold and dirty floor. “Cassie’s done a lot of things lately that I never thought she would.” I feel annoyed at Jasper all over again. Because the Rainbow Coalition might have been the reason Cassie got started partying. But Jasper was why she kept at it. “I mean, all those parties she went to—maybe she did try meth. Well, you would know. You were with her.”

“Wait, you think there was meth at a party I was at?” he asks, then shakes his head, disgusted. “You seriously think I was the reason Cassie was doing drugs, don’t you?”

“I didn’t say it was your fault.” I roll my eyes. It is more than a little ridiculous how innocent he’s acting. “I’m saying maybe you could handle it better than she could, that’s all.”

“And by ‘it’ you mean drugs?” Jasper doesn’t wait for me to answer. “Listen, I know you think you know everything about me. That you know everything about everything. But I don’t even drink. I never have. No drugs either. And I mean never tried them,” he snaps. “My dad was high as shit when he beat the crap out of that guy. Almost killed him. And yeah, he did it. Wasn’t the first time, either. Just the first time he hurt someone so bad he ended up in jail because of it. And yeah, I lied about it to Lexi and Doug, because sometimes people don’t think the apple falls far from the tree.” He eyes me then like he knows I’m one of those apple people. “And sometimes I even worry they’re right. So I’m careful. Like staying away from drugs, for one. I’ve never gotten high and I never will get high. And I never personally saw Cassie get high. She knew how I felt and so she didn’t do it around me. But yeah, I knew she smoked pot and I hated it.”

“Okay,” I say, holding up my hands. “Fine, sorry.”

I do feel like a jerk. Because maybe I am one of those apple people. And Jasper’s right, it is a terrible way to think.

“But she was acting weird recently.” Jasper crosses his arms, eyes still on the window. “Like I said before, I thought she was cheating on me. But maybe she was hiding some kind of drug thing. Meth even. Shit, I don’t know. She definitely wouldn’t have told me. She would have known I wouldn’t be okay with it. But whatever, if you think I’m lying, there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“I don’t,” I say. “I didn’t mean to—”

“And by the way, while we’re on the subject of your shitty opinion of me,” Jasper goes on, angry all over again, “Cassie told me you think I did something to Tasha. Not that it’s any of your business, but Tasha and I were friends. Sometimes, she liked to pretend we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and I thought fine, what do I care?” He shakes his head. “But I was too much of an ass to think about how she’d feel when I actually got a girlfriend. And it was bad.”

“Did you tell Cassie that?” I ask. Surely she would have thrown that right in my face.

“No. She asked about Tasha, but I didn’t think it was anybody’s business. Listen, I’m not pretending I’m perfect. And in case you’re wondering, yeah, I broke that kid’s nose. Knocked him flat out. Did I mean to hit him that hard? I don’t know, maybe. He said some crap about my dad and I just lost it. I’m not proud of that. It was a mistake. People make them, you know?” Jasper turns back to the window, crosses his arms. “Maybe if you realized that, you’d be a happier person.”

My cheeks feel hot as I stare at the side of his handsome-boy face. I hate how right he is.

“Look there!” Jasper points again toward the window.

I jump to my feet quick enough to see—something or someone in the shadows of the large cabin across the way. Then a flashlight goes on and starts bouncing across the dark grass toward us. Officer Kendall. At least, I think—same light, same height. On his way back to us maybe? It’s possible he rushed out to investigate and the door slammed shut behind him. It could even be stuck, not locked. Our situation could be bad still—because we haven’t found Cassie—but maybe not as bad.