Chapter 43
Ryan
O h fuck! I repeated over and over in my head. The neighbor went on talking like a scratched record and my eyes dashed between Ethan, Eric and Matt. Apparently, it hadn't been released to the public yet, but someone went fishing on the lake and their hook got caught in something heavy. They knew it couldn't have been a big fish, like a shark or whale or something. But they figured it might have been an alligator or croc and they were freaking out.
When the thing didn't start fighting back, they got excited. They knew it wasn't food but it was like a game of mystery, reeling their catch up to shore. It had been a struggle, the neighbor said, but when this unlucky 'fisherman' pulled the body up to the surface, he knew he would lose sleep for the rest of his life. Further investigation revealed more unidentifiable bodies, but among them was another fresh body. Carter's. Both of Lily's kidnappers had been found dead.
Damn it! Tyler said he had this under control. They're going to start looking for suspects soon. It hasn't been long enough for all the evidence to be washed away, has it? What am I going to do? What's Lily going to do? What's the plan? Guys?!
Matt froze for about a second before slipping his hands in his pockets and carrying on with his charade of being 'unbothered'. When his eyes met mine, there was a warning in them. Play it cool.
I was the opposite of cool. The shaking from earlier had returned and I didn't know how to stop it. But I was trying my damndest to hold my arms at my side as if that would lock it all in. Sweat gathered on my forehead and trickled down the side of my face.
"What?! He's dead?" Ethan exclaimed. Even I was like, 'dude, reel it in.'
Lily jumped at Ethan's exaggerated shock, her real experience of it pulling her mouth open. She struggled to breathe, gasping for air. I rushed forward, my problems temporarily put aside. A cry burst out of her so loud and uncontrolled, she lost her balance. Both Eric and I were right there to catch her.
This was the moment the neighbor got the hint to shut the fuck up. I couldn't hear what she was saying anymore, all I could do was rock with Lily's crumbling body. The neighbor hurried back inside. Lily coughed and choked on her tears. Matt stepped forward to brush the hair that was stuck to her cheek out of the way.
"He's gone." She finally gasped. "They're gone. I'm—I'm free."
She looked up at us, needing confirmation, and at least in this moment, I could say it was worth it. That I was glad I didn't go through with the decision I made weeks ago by the lake. Because I would've missed this. I closed my arms around her, squeezing her rattling body against mine. I held on to the relief that was breaking her apart and putting her back together again. She believed she was safe, but us—we weren't so sure.
Lily
I can't be trusted to drive right now, my body is not mine. I'm becoming reacquainted with being inside my skin again. The burden that I've been carrying around for four weeks has been taken away from me, because fate decided to intervene. I don't know how they ended up at the bottom of the lake, and I don't care. I could kiss the people who put them there. And I know that sounds horrible. You shouldn't speak ill of the dead and all that. But get the fuck out of here with that, can you blame me?
Eric is driving me, my mom and the nurse back to the island; he said the guys have something final to deal with and they'll meet us there, but I can't wait to solidify our new beginning. Because that's what it is now. For me, for my mom, for us. No more looking over our shoulders for that monster of a man, and the continuous satisfaction that he met his fate. Every time I wake up from a nightmare now, my breath will move through my body easier at the reminder that they're dead. The air will be smoother going in and out my lungs. I'm a new woman.
All I want to do right now is have each of my men in every single room of the house in celebration of this news. No longer will there be the looming presence of Terry and Carter, suffocating me and polluting my air.
"Mom, this is the beginning of our new lives!" I hold her stiff body close to mine on the drive over. So help me, I'm going to melt her with the warmth of my joy if I have anything to say about it. "We're going to be happy now, starting today." I kiss her soft, yet bony cheek. "I promise you that, mom. We're going to be happy."
Eric looks back at me through the rearview mirror with a smile. My heart could burst right now and there would be red glitter confetti pouring out all over the car.
Ethan
"What's he said, damn it?" I yell at Ryan. He texted Tyler moments after we left Lily's house and with every second that passes, I'm convinced the police are going to show up at the back of this random restaurant and haul us in by our necks.
Nausea spiked my blood at the memory of that stupid cop who couldn't wait to slap the cuffs on us first for running a red light, and when he thought we had something to do with Lily's kidnapping. Oh, he'd get a hard-on from being able to arrest us now.
We'd caught a cab from Lily's mother's house because we had to get away once we received that whopping news.
Eric had to drive Lily back, but he was also waiting on the update. We couldn't all just go back to the island and pretend everything was normal now. Not until we knew what the police knew, and what Tyler's reaction would be. He couldn't just pop up and make any more demands of us. I wouldn't stand for it.
"It's him." Ryan's phone chimed and slipped from his hands in his attempt to open the message.
Matt grabbed it.
"Well, what does it say?!" I shrieked.
'That's unfortunate.' Matt read. 'But there's nothing I can do about it. We're just going to have to lay low, and you're just going to have to trust me.'
"What the fuck does that mean?" I shouted.
Matt threw the phone back at Ryan who was trembling like a fucking leaf.
"Fuck!" I growled. "Trusting him is what got us in this fucking mess in the first place."
After throwing a sufficient tantrum in this conveniently empty lot, I let out a breath and grabbed Ryan in a hug, because hell, he needed it and I needed it. I also grabbed his phone and called Tyler's number. No answer. Well, good fucking great. I guessed we were still left with having to look over our shoulders.
"We should turn ourselves in," Ryan muttered.
"Yeah, while we're at it, why don't we just hand Tyler our bodies on a silver platter too." Matt responded without thinking. I shot him a glare and he hissed. "Sorry." He shut his eyes and fucking counted sheep, I didn't fucking know. "Look, we can't hand ourselves in, okay? We have no other choice at the moment but to play by Tyler's rules."
"This will never be over, will it?" Ryan shuddered.