Bitten (Once Bitten, Twice Shy #1)(13)

What she saw made her temporarily lose her ability to breath. She felt the blood drain from her face as she recognized the neat cursive. This time, the message was actually addressed to her.

Katherine,

We need to talk. You know where. Sneak away as soon as you can. Please.

Like the first note, it was not signed. Before Katherine could react – though she had no idea how she was supposed to react – she felt a hand on her shoulder, jolting her out of her distressing thoughts.

“Are you alright?” Elaine asked.

Katherine glanced up at her parents, both of whom looked concerned. Her reaction to the note must have startled them.

“I’m fine,” she choked out. But she wasn’t fine. Not even close. “Just tired.”

“It better not be because you’ve been sneaking out to see this boy,” Benjamin pointed out, and in her numb state, she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

Katherine immediately shook her head. “Of course not,” she managed, barely hearing herself above the sound of her heart palpitating in her chest. She quickly shoved the note into a pocket of her pajamas. “I’m going to bed,” she informed her parents. “I need to catch up on some sleep.”

“You have been looking awfully tired lately,” her mother agreed, seemingly willing to let the subject of the love letter go for now. Katherine allowed herself to be pulled into a brief hug. “Sleep well.”

When her father had also bid her good night, she quickly left the dining room, barely able to stop herself from rushing up the stairs.

Once in her room, Katherine immediately took out the piece of paper and began to study it. The handwriting was definitely the same as the one on the note that had been planted in her locker. But just like the locker, she had no idea how the note had gotten into one of her pockets. She felt like she should know – like all the clues were there – but she was coming up empty.

Perhaps because she didn’t truly want to examine her thoughts too closely. She was almost afraid to. Like if she found the answer to all the questions that had been plaguing her, she wouldn’t like what that answer would mean for her. That she wouldn’t like it at all.





CHAPTER FOUR


Katherine couldn’t believe that she was actually going to go through with this.

Staring at the boy in front of her, however, she didn’t really see what choice she had.

Her parents were completely convinced that the note they had found last night had been a love letter and despite her insistence that it had not been and no real evidence pointing to the contrary, they had been adamant that she bring her “boyfriend” to supper that evening.

Her first instinct had been to refuse, but she didn’t particularly want to deal with the consequences of that. Her dad, in fact, had threatened to investigate the situation for himself if she didn’t bring the boy over.

The problem with this? There was no boy. Only some whackjob leaving her weird messages in which he insisted she meet him.

And her parents definitely didn’t need to know that.

So here she was, about to do something that she knew would have some very unpleasant consequences. All because of that stupid note.

“Hello Brad.”

A small bang and muffled curse greeted her. The blond boy looked irritated as he pulled himself out of the confines of his locker, a rapidly growing red mark on the center of his forehead where he had banged it on the metal. The annoyed expression was quickly wiped from his face, however, when he saw her. He offered her a flustered smile. “Hey Katherine.”

She took a deep breath. It was now or never.

Oh how she wished she could pick never.

“Are you busy tonight?”

Brad looked surprised by the inquiry and Katherine didn’t blame him. It was only last week that she had turned down his offer to sit with him at lunch. He quickly recovered, however, and asked her a question of his own. “Why do you ask?”

Reminding herself that it had to be done, Katherine plastered on the friendliest grin she could manage. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come over later.”

Brad’s earlier surprise was nothing compared to the astonishment he showed now. His eyes were the widest she had ever seen them.

“You know, to my house?” she clarified, hoping to jolt him out of his shocked stupor.

It seemed to work and he let loose a bit of an embarrassed laugh. “I figured that.” To her frustration, however, he still didn’t answer her question.

“Well?” she persisted, trying not to let her exasperation show through.

“I would like to go,” he admitted, but the hesitancy in his voice didn’t encourage her. “But I can’t help but wonder why you’re inviting me. You didn’t really seem interested in hanging out the last time we talked.”

“Only because of Mallory,” Katherine immediately objected, though it wasn’t exactly true.

Brad must have known because he didn’t look convinced. “Well, nothing’s changed on that front,” he pointed out. “Mallory would still probably freak if she knew we were spending time together.”

Katherine sighed, resigning herself to telling Brad the truth. She supposed it was better this way anyhow. After all, it wasn’t her intention to lead the boy on. Not that she actually thought he was interested in her, but she’d still feel better about the whole thing if she was honest with him.