I spent the week with Trey and Amelia watching me. I didn't know if Nick was oblivious to it or if he chose to ignore it. It was beginning to get uncomfortable. Other than them, dating Nick brought me happiness. Whereas before, I couldn't wait to escape this town, now I didn't mind staying a little longer. 

Nick and I were getting ready to walk home after school when Amelia and Trey walked over. This can't be good.

Amelia crossed her arms in front of her chest. "We've--"

Trey let out a cough.

"Fine, I've come to a decision to accept you two dating," Amelia said, not sounding sincere whatsoever.

"Okay, thanks," I furrowed my brows. Like I've been waiting for her approval.

Trey elbowed Amelia. 

"I'm getting to it," she sent him a glare. She turned her attention to us once more. "We should double date."

My brows flew up. I did not see that coming.

This time, Trey spoke. "I think it's time we remove any bad blood between us. It's long overdue."

That was more believable.

I looked at Nick who seemed relieved, almost excited to fix things. I wanted him to be happy.

He looked down at me with a hopeful gleam.

"Sure," I caved. What's the worse that can happen? I've handled Trey and Amelia for years, this time Nick had my back.

Trey gave a wide grin, whereas Amelia didn't look as pleased. 

"Great! I'll text you the details," he told Nick.

Nick and I began our walk home. I could tell he wanted to talk about what just happened, but he wasn't.

"You can say something," I reminded him.

He gave me a bashful look. "Is it bad that I want my best friend back?"

I shook my head. "You have history, a lot of bad history, but you have good history too. He's your oldest friend."

This time Nick did smile openly. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Die and reformed into a better human?"

Nick gave me a pointed look. "Your sense of humor never ceases to amaze me."

I gave a wide grin. "Isn't that why you fell for me?"

Nick rolled his eyes.

"Where do you think we'll go?" I asked him.

Nick pondered for a moment. "Maybe the movies, or a resto, Trey's pool house, or possibly his dad's secret cabin."

I stopped walking. "What?"

Nick opened his mouth to respond before his eyes widened. "Holy shit."

"What do you mean by secret cabin?"

Nick looked around as if nervous someone would overhear us. "His father takes women there when he doesn't want his wife to know of his infidelities. It's off the books so his wife couldn't even hire someone to look into it. Sometimes Trey takes us there to raid his father's liquor collection."

That's why Nick got an odd feeling when he saw Trey's dad calling him.

"Who knows about it?" I asked.

"Just me and Amelia," he whispered.

"Shit Nick, where is it located?" I asked, afraid of his answer.

"It's a lake house... near where I went missing."

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Do you think Trey--"

Tried to kill you?

Nick's jaw clenched. He stood there breathing heavily, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Nick..." I touched his shoulder.

He finally looked down at me. 

"Let's go there," I said firmly.

His eyes widened.

"What?"

"Let's go there," I repeated. "There's no use in overthinking it. Let's go, see if you remember what happened there. If something did happen there."

I expected Nick to say no, but he nodded. We went home and Nick took the car from his dad. I grabbed a baseball bat from home. My dad tried to get me into baseball when I was 12, it didn't work out.

Nick eyes my bat with amusement. "Really?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "We need to be safe."

Nick shook his head. "Oh sure, now you want to be safe."

I gave him a guilty grin. "Sorry?"

He did not look convinced. We drove down to the lake, Nick looking around as if trying to remember something. He parked the car on the side of the dirt road and I followed him out. He walked down a dirt path reaching a cabin. He pointed at the mailbox.

There it was. A metallic mailbox with three black numbers. 731.

What on earth happened here?

I followed Nick to the back of the cabin where the lake was. He was looking around for something. I wanted to call out to him, but I didn't want to distract him. Was he remembering? Did he find a clue? What was going on?

"Something happened here, I feel it. I feel uneasy," Nick said.

"I think we should call the cops," I said, pulling out my phone. I frowned when I realized there was no reception here.

"And say what?" he asked. "Hey I think someone tried to kill me here since my stomach hurts, but I can't remember?"

I pouted my lip. "Maybe they can find clues we can't."

"No offense to our officers, but you have found more clues by yourself then the whole sheriff's department," Nick pointed.

I bit my lip. "Well I had your help."

"My mind was like only 10% functional, you kept pushing and pointing things out," he stated.

"Let's start from the beginning," I told him. "The day you went missing, it was raining. I saw you, Trey and Amelia leaving together from the movies after you sprayed me from top to bottom. Do you remember where you guys were heading? What you talked about?"

He closed his eyes as if trying to visualize it.

***

Nick

Trey drove by Eva standing outside the movie theatres, spraying her water from the puddle gathered over the week of rain. 

Seeing her rage made us all laugh as Trey sped away with me and Amelia in the car.

"That will never get old," Trey laughed.

"I wish I recorded that! It was insta story worthy! You should have waited until I was ready!" Amelia complained. 

Trey's phone buzzed, making him pull it out and take a quick look. 

"Eyes on the road," Amelia groaned.

He put his phone back in his pocket. "I need to pick something up, you wanna come with me to the cottage?"

The cottage.

Trey's father's secret hook up spot. Trey often bragged how off the books it was, that no one can link it back to his father unless they had access to the papers in his safe.

Trey always brought out his father's good liquor when we went so I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

He drove down the highway, winding up the dirt road parking in front of the lake house. 

"It's raining again," Amelia pouted.

I looked out the window. "I don't see anything."

"You always try to prove me wrong!" she whined.

I held back from rolling my eyes.

"Let's make a run for it?" Trey mediated.

"Fine," I caved in, not ready for another headache from Amelia. It was going to be a long night, I might as well get on her good side.

We ran to the door. I pulled Amelia in and kissed her as little apology. Trey dropped the keys making me look at him. He looked annoyed. He's been looking annoyed any time I showed Amelia any attention.

"Hurry up Trey!" Amelia complained. "You're taking forever!"

Trey grumbled before unlocking the door and letting us in. Amelia walked in and went straight to the console.

"Oh my god, that's where my other earring went. I must have dropped here on Thursday," she said.

I froze. Last time we were here was last month. Everything began clicking together. The days both Trey and Amelia couldn't hang out with me. The looks and words they've shared. How angry Trey would get whenever I was good with Amelia. The marks on Amelia I didn't remember leaving. 

"What the actual fuck?" I barked.

Both their eyes widened. They knew they were caught.

"Nick, I need you to stay calm," Trey put his hands out knowing I was about to hit him.

"Calm down? You've been screwing my girlfriend behind my back! You're supposed to be my fucking brother!" I yelled, shoving him. Amelia screamed when he hit the wall, knocking the mirror down and having it shatter.

"You don't even deserve her!" Trey pushed me back. "You don't deserve half the shit in your life!"

I punch Trey, causing him to fall over. Amelia quickly crouched to see if he was okay.

What a scene!

"Fuck you Trey! And you too Amelia, I should have dumped you a long time ago," I said storming out.

I took my phone out ready to call someone to come pick me up when I came face to face with a man in a hood. He looked familiar. My eyes widened when I realized who it was.

I caught Trey buying steroids from him once. I remember making him promise he wouldn't buy drugs again, but it seems like it was something else he went behind my back in.

Trey stormed out looking between me, his dealer and the phone in my hand. His widened as if he came to the worst conclusion. 

"Fuck," Trey swore. "Grab his phone, Mike."

Shit.

My instincts kicked in and I ran as the two men ran after me. I ran down the lake, but I had turn dark outside. I barely saw what was in front of me. I tripped on a log hitting my head hard. The world around me spun. I forced myself to stand up. I almost fell back down from how dizzy. I felt like I needed to vomit. 

"I got him T," said a deep voice. 

My vision was blurring, but I could still make out Mike picking up a log and hitting me on the side of my head.

I fell down again. This time, I couldn't get up. I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn't. 

"What are you doing?!" Trey's worried voice echoed, despite the ringing in my ear.

"You want him to snitch us out?" asked Mike.

"No, but I don't want him to die!" cried Trey.

"What the hell you want me to do then?" he asked.

I felt someone digging through my pocket. "Here, I removed his real ID. Drop him off at a hospital out of town. His fake ID should keep them distracted for now."

"Wait!" This time I heard Amelia's voice. "Take off his shoe, make it seem like his body was thrown in the lake."

"Or we could actually throw him in a lake," Mike said, his words hanging in the air.

I waited for Trey and Amelia to say something, but they didn't.

"No. No, wait," Trey sighed. "Hit him again and drop him off at the hospital. If he recovers, he'll be smart enough to keep his mouth shut."

Someone hit me again, and again, and again until I completely blacked out.

I finished telling Eva what I remembered. She looked sick to the stomach, much like how I felt. I couldn't believe it. My ex-best friend and my ex-girlfriend both conspired to get rid of me. They could have killed me, even contemplated it. All for what? A high school romance and football position?

Eva hugged me, being the only rock in my life. 

"You kids shouldn't have come here," said a deep voice that I will now never forget. 

Mike stood there pointing a knife at us, I could see a piece of rope wrapped around his right shoulder.

I pulled Eva behind me.

"You just wouldn't give up would you?" Mike took a step closer. "Kept looking around even after the cops stopped. Had me believing you were seeing ghosts."

It was him that kept watching us, following us.

"You can't hurt us," Eva spoke, her voice shaking. "My dad knows were here."

Mike tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Every word that comes out your mouth is a lie, girl."

He pointed to a tree. "Go sit there and drop that bat. I swear if one of you makes a move, I won't think twice before gutting you."

Eva squeezed my arm. I wasn't going to let him hurt her. I wouldn't even risk it. 

We walked to the tree and let him tie us up.

Mike took out his phone and made a call. 

"You wouldn't guess who I just caught?"

---------------------

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