Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1)(18)

“Jay?” He looked up at me with the eyes of a wild man I didn’t know. His cheeks were flaming red. He bared his teeth and panted through them. Two guys held his arms, and one guy stood behind him, grasping him around the chest. Jay stared at me until his breathing calmed and his fierce look softened into a pitiful sob.

“He drudge you. Anna. Druvved you.”

I knew what he meant. I nodded to the football players. “It’s okay, guys, thank you. I’m going to take him home now.” When they let go of him, he stumbled three steps backward and fell into a bush. That was going to hurt in the morning. I rushed to him.

“Here, I’ll help you to the car,” said the biggest guy. I think his name was Frederick, a new graduate. The other two walked back into the house. Frederick got under one of Jay’s arms and lifted him, while I got under his other arm. Frederick had been a big defensive linebacker, so I didn’t feel any of Jay’s weight. We made our way into the darkness as music resumed inside the party.

I glanced back at the house and turned on my extra sight, looking for any sign of Kaidan Rowe. Nothing. There was so much more I wanted to ask him. Most important, why were we like this? What were we? We. Oh, my gosh. Just the thought of someone else being like me sent a crazed bolt of energy through my body. I had to see him again. As soon as possible.

When we got to the car, I fished Jay’s keys and cell phone from his pocket, leaned the passenger seat all the way back, and stepped aside while Frederick put him in. I thanked Frederick and he went back to the party. Jay was completely passed out. It crossed my mind that I could go back in and find Kaidan again, but what if Jay woke up? Plus, I didn’t want to deal with all the drama flying around.

Instead, I pushed my hearing out to the dock and listened. It was silent. I focused my hearing around the house, scrunching up my face with the loud onslaught, and I said into the air, “I’m not finished with you, Kaidan Rowe.”

From somewhere in the kitchen a solitary accented voice replied, “Likewise.”

Despite the night’s warmth, I got a chill.

After climbing in the car and adjusting the driver’s seat, I called Jana from Jay’s phone. She answered from a party of her own. She’d graduated the year before, but still lived with her family, commuting to college. When she learned of her little brother’s current inability to walk himself into their home, she cursed and said she would meet us there. Maybe we could get him in without waking their parents.

What a mess.

I was nervous driving on the winding road through the pitch-dark woods, even with my night vision. I kept seeing the eyes of little animals reflected in the headlights, sometimes darting across the road and making me slam on the brakes.

It wasn’t until we were out of the forest and on a main road that I finally allowed myself to think about all that happened tonight. The more I thought about what Scott had done, the more upset I got. And I was disgusted at myself for enjoying it. I would have to deal with Scott eventually. I hated confrontation, but he couldn’t be allowed to get away with it. At least the school year was over and I wouldn’t have to face any of those people for a couple of months.

But all of my anger toward Scott and embarrassment at my own behavior were overshadowed by the conversation with Kaidan. Just thinking about it made my heart race all over again. I couldn’t believe it. He was really like me. Which was what, exactly? He knew, of course. I wished I could have talked with him longer. I wondered how I could get hold of him.

I supposed I could attach my phone number to a pair of my undies and throw them onstage at his next show. The thought actually made me laugh out loud. He’d probably take one look at the white cotton panties and chuck them in the trash.

Jay stirred. He tried to say something, but it came out in one big slur.

“What, Jay?” I used my soothing voice.

“Gonna be sick!”

Oh! I pulled the car over and leaned over Jay to fling open his door, which stuck, as always. I got it open just in time.

We had to stop once more after that. Poor Jay. I rubbed his back as he closed the door and leaned against it. There wasn’t much else I could do. He began whimpering as we pulled into his neighborhood.

“It’s okay,” I said.

“No, it’s not. I don’t wanna be like Grampa Len.” His whimper turned to a pained moan.

“Who? What do you mean?”

He didn’t say anything else coherent after that. Jana stood by the curb with her arms crossed, ticked. I’d hate to be Jay tomorrow, for more reasons than one. Jana was hard-core goth and didn’t take any crap.

She and I got him flopped onto his bed without waking his parents, and then Jana drove me home.

“What in the world possessed him to get so hammered?” she asked me.

“The party was a little overwhelming.”

“Wait, was this the one out at the lake? Even I heard about that party tonight. Must have been insane.”

“It was crazy.”

We were quiet for a few minutes.

“Who’s Grandpa Len?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, he mentioned him? Yeah, that’s our mom’s dad. He was this raging alcoholic. To hear Mom tell it, though, he was the nicest guy sober. She was crazy about him. Everyone was. Then he would drink and it was like he had this evil twin. He hurt a lot of people. He battled his share of demons and eventually lost.”