Chapter 57
I crawl over to the corner of the cage near Jonathan’s desk, and stare at that glass. I must be wrong. It can’t be lipstick. It’s fine, Aubrey, you’ll just talk to Jonathan when he comes back in here . . . it’ll be fine.
He can’t just leave me in here forever, he wouldn’t do that. When he comes back in, I’ll explain, and he’ll let me out of here . . . He will, he will, he will . . . I repeat this over to myself, like if I say it enough times, it’ll be true.
But now I’m thinking about Baxter, downstairs, watching a movie.
Surely he knew Jonathan was building this cage in here. He must have heard him drilling, moving his furniture around . . . Hooking up the grow lights. Baxter must know about this. About me.
I bet they built this cage together.
I bet this was all Baxter’s idea.
My stomach knots and I swallow hard as I move over to the bars and shake them. But this is not some flimsy cage they bought on a whim. They must have really planned this.
And then, before I can think anything else, the bedroom door flings open.
And it’s not just Jonathan standing there now, and not just Baxter either. There are four of them.
I squint against the bright light, scanning from face to face: Jonathan, then Baxter, then Olivia and then—oh my god. Riley. The walls pulse in towards me, pushing all the air from my lungs. He’s wearing a black hoodie with red text that reads Vampires are real! Join the fight!
What the hell is going on?
How would Riley know Jonathan or any of the others? And why . . . why is Olivia here?
I struggle to piece any of it together, my mind fuzzy under the grow lights. So I decide to just ask. Seems like a fair question. I look straight at Jonathan and say: ‘What’s he doing here? He’s some crazy guy with a crush on me.’
But nobody replies.
It’s like I don’t exist, like I’m some exhibit in a zoo. They just stand there, sipping their drinks and crowding around the cage and peering in.
It feels like I’m standing on quicksand.
My mouth is so dry and I’m so hungry. I’d love to bite Olivia or Riley right now, but I’m so tired and drained, there’s no way I could take down anyone, even if I wasn’t in this stupid cage.
Besides, if I did that, if I even tried, they’d know for sure they were right about me.
The only way I’m getting out of here is if I make them think they’re wrong.
That I’m not a vampire at all. That I’m normal.
‘I can’t believe we did it,’ Baxter says, gulping down the rest of whatever was in his glass.
Riley starts to laugh and says, ‘I told you so! Man, I knew she wasn’t in Australia! Can’t outsmart me, bitch.’
I’m waiting for Jonathan to do something, say something, but he just stands there, watching me, like he’s never met me. Like he’s never loved me.
How can this be happening?
So what would a human girl do right now? She’d probably cry, clear, human tears, but that’s not an option for me.
‘Jonathan?’ I ask, my voice shaking as I try to meet his gaze. Because of all of them, he’s the one most likely to help me. He knows me. He’s my soulmate.
But he ignores me.
They all ignore me.
‘Well, happy new year to us,’ Olivia says. And then she grabs the glass of champagne behind her on the desk and takes a sip. I look from face to face, scanning for answers.
Why am I here? What do they want with me?
My gaze lands on Riley, and I’m thinking of that meet-up where we first met.
Then Es’s message about a creepy guy asking about me.
This must have something to do with the VHC website .
. . Something to do with that meet-up and Kenny. They must think I did it.
What are they going to do to me?
But surely Jonathan can stop them, whatever they’re planning, if I can just get through to him. Remind him of what we have. His hand is right there, not far from the cage, just dangling by his side. So with the little energy I have, I slowly reach through the bars . . .
‘Jonathan, what’s going on?’ I ask. Our fingertips almost meet. But he recoils and pulls away, and as he looks over at me, there’s something in his gaze, but it’s definitely not love.
Then Baxter says, ‘Well, I for one need another drink before we get this show on the road.’
And then they all go downstairs, leaving me alone.