SWNOVELS Bad Intentions: Chapter 34
Saturday afternoon, I caught the bus to Midnight Falls after my shift at the clinic. I might have no idea where I stood with Cayden, but I still wanted to prove that I hadn’t leaked his secrets. It was a warm late afternoon, and the sunlight slanting through the bus window was comforting. I needed all the comfort I could get, going to Midnight Falls. It hadn’t been the best experience last time; in fact, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to forget the things I’d learned in Black Lake trailer park or the smell of Cayden’s childhood home.
I got off the bus at the Main Street stop and headed toward the address I had written down. The library with the newspaper archive was located just off Main Street. I found it easily, relieved to see it was still open.
Inside smelled like old papers, coffee, and breath mints. I waited at the reception desk for an older lady to shuffle into her seat.
“Can I help you, dear?” She gave me a kind smile.
“I hope so! I’m here to look up some old issues of the Midnight Falls Chronicle.” I crossed my fingers under the desk that she wouldn’t ask for press credentials.
She peered at me over half-moon spectacles. “Oh, is that right? Let’s see here…I have a log for you to sign. If you just put your name, and then you can go on through.”
Relief flooded me. “Great!”
I tried to dial my enthusiasm down a notch as she blinked at me. I needed to ask this lady some questions, after all. I wasn’t really here to see the archive.
“Do you get a lot of visitors?” I aimed to sound nonchalant.
“Some. Sometimes there’s a project at school and students need to do some research. These papers aren’t on the internet, you know.”
“Ah, I see. Have there been any projects like that recently?” I asked.
She reached over for the visitor’s log with glacial slowness, giving me plenty of time to dig for information.
“Oh, I’m sure. I was off last month, though. We work in rotation around here,” she continued.
Damn. That was probably the exact time I was looking for.
“Oh, really? Who else works here, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Oh, you can ask, but I don’t know who was on. I could check, I suppose,” she said faintly, glancing back at the open door to the office behind her. She put the visitor log down before me and turned that way. “Wait here, I’ll go and see.”
“Thank you so much!” I called after her departing back. I pulled the visitor log to me and scribbled in the corner with the ballpoint pen attached to the book, until ink came out.
I headed down the list, about to put my name, when I saw it.
Of course. The visitor’s log. Damn, I wasn’t very good at this research spy stuff.
The archive really didn’t get many visitors, and that’s why the name stood out so clearly.
Last month’s date was printed in small capitals, very neat and clearly, as was the name beside it.
Josh Samuels.
Josh? Josh had been here, just before the article had been leaked on the student community boards. Of course. If I had to make a list of the people at HHH who had it out for Cayden, except myself, Josh had to be right at the top of the list.
I suddenly remembered seeing him outside the cafeteria with his bruised nose and Ellen on his arm. Ellen, the former resident of Midnight Falls, the one who had tried to warn me about Cayden. The one who knew all about his past and could have pointed Josh in the right direction.
It was so obvious, it was a slap on the face, and yet it hadn’t occurred to me until this moment.
The receptionist was just on her way back as I took a picture of the visitor’s log and backed toward the door. I didn’t know what to do with this information. Should I tell Cayden? What would he do to Josh? I didn’t want to be responsible for actual murder. On the other hand, if I didn’t tell Cayden, he’d keep thinking it was me.
“Thanks so much for your help! I have everything I need,” I called to the kind receptionist.
She raised an eyebrow as I stepped out of the door and waved quickly. Now that I had the information, I wanted to get the hell out of Midnight Falls as fast as I could.
I walked back to Main Street just as a shiny black car pulled up at the curb. A girl got out, and I recognized her immediately.
Ellen. The girl who had warned me about Cayden in the first place. The one who used to live here.
Dread pooled in my gut as the driver got out the other side and rounded the front of the car, immediately moving toward me.
“Bug? What are you doing in Midnight Falls?” Josh wondered, looking around. His eyes narrowed as he took in the small side street I’d just come from. Realization dawned in his eyes.
“I was just visiting a friend,” I hedged and made to go around them. I jumped when Ellen’s hand landed on my arm.
“You went to the archive, didn’t you? It’s okay. I know you have to hate Cayden just as much as us. Everything he put you through this month alone is enough to hate him, even without knowing what else he’s capable of.”
“I…” I trailed off, not knowing what the hell to say.
“Come for coffee with us, and let’s talk about it. We should stick together. We’re all victims of his. It might make you feel better to know more about what he’s capable of,” Ellen said.
Josh watched me with an unreadable expression. He didn’t seem as sold on the fact that I’d be happy to expose more about Cayden than had already come out.
“More? What more is there?” I wondered.
Ellen nodded. “A whole lot more. We’re just getting started. Are you coming?” She gave me a hopeful smile. “Come on, Josh, let’s take her to the nice place with the cold-brew stuff.” Ellen launched into a spiel about different coffees as she headed back to the car.
Josh stared at me, and I met his gaze unflinchingly. They were planning on exposing more about Cayden? I had to stay and find out what.
“Are you with us, Lily?” Josh asked quietly.
“Looks like it, doesn’t it?” I asked, avoiding answering. I was a terrible liar. It was best not to risk it.
He nodded and jerked his head toward the back seat. “Get in then, let’s go.”
The coffee place was nowhere near as nice as Ellen had hyped it up to be. As soon as we were sitting, it became awkward as hell. I didn’t really know either of them, so suddenly having coffee together was uncomfortable. Not only that, but I wanted to get home and think about how to tell Cayden about Josh. Well, that had been the plan. Now, I had no idea. Clearly, I couldn’t trust Josh not to make things worse, and I couldn’t trust Cayden not to kill him when he found out.
“How come you guys are here? Do you still have family in town?” I asked Ellen. She had been living in Hade Harbor a while now.
She flushed as she nodded. “My mom lives here. I live with my uncle in Hade Harbor.”
“Oh, ok.” When she didn’t say anything more, I changed the subject. “So, you knew Cayden well when you lived here?” I asked, sipping on black coffee that tasted like tar.
“Not really, but my dad did. He was one of Uncle Jack’s best customers.” Ellen let out a bitter laugh. “Uncle Jack was Cayden’s foster father and a well-known guy around these parts. He and my dad were pretty close. My dad passed away last year.”
“I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”
She shrugged, her eyes glittering for a moment. “He wasn’t a bad person, he was just sick. If it hadn’t been for his addiction and Midnight Falls, he’d still be here. If it wasn’t for Cayden West, he’d still be here.”
“How was Cayden involved?”
“Because he came calling when my dad was late on payments. He didn’t just ask for the money.” Ellen let out a humorless laugh. “He was violent. He withheld more product until the account was settled. You know it’s dangerous to come off the hard stuff abruptly. The withdrawal can kill you. It killed him.”
Horror slid through me. It was a truly horrible story. The pain in Ellen’s voice made it clear that she was a long way from having dealt with the trauma of it all. It was also clear that she blamed Cayden for all of it, even if it sounded like he merely worked for his foster father.
“I’m so sorry to hear that. Cayden’s former foster father, Jack, was the supplier?” I asked carefully.
It seemed obvious to me that Cayden had just been doing his uncle’s bidding, but Ellen didn’t look like she agreed.
She nodded and wet her lips. “He’s not so bad, he pays my mom compensation and helps her with her habits. He’d never cut her off, he knows it’s dangerous.”
My heart broke for her, even as angry as I was. She was torn and twisted by the terrible things that had happened to her family, and put all the blame on the wrong person. Well, maybe Cayden was to blame as well, but the truth remained that he was just young then and acting on his foster dad’s orders. Ellen seemed determined not to acknowledge that, and I got it. It was easier to turn a blind eye to Jack himself, since he was supplying her mom.
Josh interrupted, growing impatient with any discussion that wasn’t about vilifying Cayden. “Cayden is a dangerous person to have in Hade Harbor. He’s a dangerous guy to have on the Hellions. We’re only doing the responsible thing by bringing his past to everyone’s attention. People should know who they have to go to school with – who they live with,” Josh added. “Doesn’t it scare you?” he wondered.
I shrugged, numb. It did scare me, but not entirely for the reasons they meant.
“So, we’re going to make sure everyone knows. That way, he’ll get kicked off the team and can slither back here. You won’t have to see him in your house anymore, either.”
“But if you have real concerns, wouldn’t it be best to go straight to the police, or at least Principal Smith, instead of just dragging his name through the mud? They’ll investigate it properly.”
As soon as I’d spoken, Josh exchanged a glance with Ellen.
“What?” I wondered.
He was still looking at Ellen. “I told you she was on his side. I told you there’s something between them.”
“I had to know for sure,” Ellen said grimly.
I squirmed on my seat, feeling exposed. “I’m not protecting him – I just think there are right and wrong ways to do things.”
“Yeah, and you think that whatever we do, Cayden shouldn’t suffer for it, right? It wasn’t his fault, not his choices…so predictable. I really thought you were better than the other puck whores who hang on the Ice Gods’ every word, but I guess you’re the same after all. Even after he treated you like shit, you defend him.”
His words struck against the barriers around my heart, piercing just hard enough to hurt.
“I’m not hanging on his words, or defending him – I just think it’s weird that if he’s to blame for so many things, how come he’s not in trouble with the police?”
Josh sighed and sank back in the booth. “I don’t know why this guy gets a pass, but I think in time, you’ll see what we see if you knew more about him.” Josh had been fiddling with his phone, and now, the furtive way he kept glancing over my shoulder was making me nervous. I had to get out of here. My instincts screamed at me to get going, and I pasted an understanding smile on my face.
“Let me think about all of this. I really need to get going,” I started.
Josh silenced me by slamming his hand on the table. “This is all Cayden’s fault,” Josh burst out. “If he hadn’t been such a superstar and stolen the team, and all the attention… and then broken my fucking nose, none of this would have happened. Don’t look at me like I’m the bad guy.”
I stared at Josh. Cayden’s actions had ignited a chain reaction that had fucked up both our lives, it was true, but Josh’s jealousy and resentments were festering sores that might have led us to the same place, anyway.
“He didn’t make you come here to dig dirt up on him. You should have just gone to my dad about the attack. That’s the way it should have been handled.”
Josh scoffed. “And your dad wouldn’t have done a thing. He’d have protected his golden boy, his one shot at moving up in the coaching world, and we both know it.”
“Well, maybe you should just focus on yourself and stop sucking up to my father. Your skills can speak for themselves and get you noticed.”
Josh stared between me and Ellen, a muscle working in his jaw. “Whatever. You guys don’t understand the pressure of making it in the Hellions. We have a ton of talented players, and getting noticed was already next to impossible before West showed up. Now – forget it.” He let out a bitter laugh and waved his arm. “Especially now.”
“It’s not Cayden’s fault that he’s better than you.”
A red flush worked up Josh’s neck at my flat statement.
He shook his head and checked his phone before nodding to himself. Apprehension rippled up my spine at his solemn look.
“Whatever, keep being delusional. He doesn’t care about you, Lillian, he only cares about himself. It’s a shame you can’t see that. I have someone for you to meet who might be able to change your mind. He’s been waiting for you to come back to Midnight. He’s happy you’re here.”
“Who? I can’t wait around to meet anyone, I have to get home,” I started and shuffled toward the end of the bench.
A body blocked my exit, sliding into the booth and trapping me.
“Ouch, that hurts my feelings,” Uncle Jack said.
So, that was who Josh had been texting.
I stared at him, suddenly afraid. “I have to get home, my parents are waiting for me; they’ll come here to get me if I’m not back in time.”
Jack tutted. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to tell lies, girl? I’m betting that you didn’t tell anyone where you were going today, a shameful little trip to Midnight Falls. I’m sure your parents wouldn’t even agree to let you come here at all, never mind alone.”
I had no comeback for that. He was right, after all.
“What do you want with me?” I asked quietly.
Jack sighed and cracked his knuckles. “Nothing, I’m serious, I want nothing from you. I just miss my foster son, and he isn’t answering my messages or taking my calls. No one just weasels away from Uncle Jack like that…so I have a way to make him answer my calls.” He grinned at me, exposing brown teeth. He tapped my phone sitting on the table in front of us. “You call him and ask nicely. I bet he’ll come running for his pretty little foster sister.”
I wet my lips, my mouth as dry as hell. “He won’t come. We don’t talk to each other anymore. He doesn’t care about me.”
Jack raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. “Let’s see, shall we?”