Listen for the Lie (28 page)

“What the hell?” Savvy asked, squinting in the darkness.

I leaned forward. A truck was parked in the middle of the road. A tall figure stood in front of it. Savvy's headlights caught his face.

Emmett.

She slowed to a stop, rolling down her window. She put a hand out like,
What the hell?

Emmett walked over to my side of the car. I rolled down my window.

“Can I talk to you?” The words were breathless, a plea. I was having a hard time reconciling the Emmett I'd known since I was a kid with the version Savvy told me about. This Emmett had his fists clenched at his sides, his eyes wild and desperate as he looked down at me.

“Dude, now?” Savvy said, exasperated. “Can't it wait until tomorrow?”

Emmett ignored her. “Please?”

I sighed, reaching for the door handle. “Sure. Savvy, it's fine, Emmett can drive me home.” I looked at him for confirmation, and his face brightened. He nodded.

“No, it's cool,” she said. “I can wait.”

She said it like there wasn't room for argument, and I caught
Emmett's annoyed eye roll. I climbed out of the car and shut the door behind me. It smelled like rain, and it was actually a little cool for May.

Emmett walked away from the car, a few steps into the thick trees around the road. I glanced back. I could still see Savvy sitting in the driver's seat, peering at us.

“I'm sorry, I know this is weird, but I had to talk to you.” He squinted, putting a hand up over his eyes. “She's really not going to turn those off?” He stepped further into the trees, away from Savvy's headlights.

“I probably shouldn't have run away like that,” I said, following him into the trees. The moon was full, and Savvy's headlights were still providing some light. I could see his face clearly. His eyes were wide, a little desperate.

“No, I shouldn't have…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I shouldn't have kissed you. I got carried away. You just have to understand, Lucy, I'm crazy about you.”

I swallowed. Even if Savvy hadn't just told me what she did, I didn't think I would have reacted to this revelation with excitement. It was too hard to imagine anything after Matt.

I was a mess, and I didn't need Emmett's feelings on top of everything.

“I've been crazy about you, for years,” Emmett continued, oblivious. “I know that Matt is an asshole to you, and he's cheating on you. You know that, right? That he's cheating on you?”

“I know,” I said.

He took a step closer to me. “Leave him. Be with me. I love you. I've loved you since we were kids.”

He grabbed me around the waist and kissed me. It was sloppy, like he was trying to devour my face. I pushed him away.

“I can't, I'm sorry.” I took a step back.

He immediately grabbed me again. “Yes, you can. I know you
think that you have the perfect life in that house, but I know how unhappy you are. I know that you don't actually love him. That you never have. I know you feel like you have to stay and project this image of the perfect wife, but you don't. Let me help you.”

It was strange how he seemed to have taken a sliver of truth and crafted a whole narrative for me. A narrative where he could rescue me. I certainly was unhappy, but I
had
loved Matt. It was why I hated him so much. Because I'd been madly in love with him at one point, and he hadn't beaten it all out of me yet.

And I didn't think I'd ever been trying to project the image of a perfect wife. I was doing a piss-poor job of it, honestly.

“I can't,” I said again. “I'm sorry. You're right that Matt and I aren't happy, but I can't jump into something else right now.”

“I'll wait for you,” he said in a rush. “If you need time. Please, Lucy, just—” He didn't finish. He cut himself off by kissing me again. I wasn't sure what he meant by “I'll wait” if he was going to immediately kiss me again.

“Emmett, stop.” I pushed him away again. “This isn't going to happen, okay? I'm sorry.”

All the hope drained from his face. “What?”

“I'm not, I don't … I don't feel that way about you. We've been friends forever, we shouldn't—”

“You don't feel that way about me? Why do you keep kissing me then?”

“I'm sorry, I—”

“You wouldn't keep kissing me if you didn't feel something!” His voice had an angry edge to it now.

“Okay, time to go!” Savvy yelled. I heard her car door slam, and she appeared through the trees a moment later.

I felt a rush of gratitude that she'd ignored me when I said Emmett could drive me home.

“For fuck's sake, Savvy, would you stop sticking your nose in
our business?” Emmett snapped. “We're having a conversation here.”

“It sounded more like you were yelling at her.”

“I wasn't yelling at her, I'm just trying—”

“It's fine,” I interrupted. “Can we just continue this tomorrow, Emmett? It's late, and I've had a lot to drink.”

“You don't need to continue anything,” Savvy said. “She said no, dude. Accept it.”

Emmett's nostrils flared. “No one was talking to you. Just let Lucy and me—”

“Get it through your thick skull, asshole. No. Complete sentence.” She looped her arm through mine, tugging gently.

“No. We're not done.” Emmett grabbed my other hand, roughly pulling me away from Savvy. He had a vise grip on my arm, and I winced.

“You did not just do that!” Savvy planted her hands on Emmett's chest and shoved, hard. He stumbled back but didn't let go of me.

“Don't touch me,” he growled.

“Let her go.”

“No.”

“Emmett, please let me go,” I said, trying desperately to stay calm. My brain was flashing
Danger, danger
at me.

My fists curled, almost against my will. I was ready to fight. I'd been here so many times with Matt.

“My god, you are such a dick,” Savvy yelled. “Just let her go!”

“Just fucking mind your own business for once, you stupid little—”

I punched him. My fist connected with his jaw. I'd had some practice with Matt, but it still wasn't the best punch. I lost my balance, and it didn't land as hard as I'd intended.

Still, he stumbled back, sputtering, and released my arm. Wasn't used to taking a hit like Matt was.

“I said no!” I was screaming. I hadn't meant to, but it felt like my
brain had short-circuited. I wasn't fully in control. “I don't want your fucking help! I don't care about your stupid childhood crush!”

Emmett gaped at me. I was shaking as I turned away. Savvy gave me a thoroughly impressed look.

“Time to go,” she said, and then laughed.

I glanced back at Emmett in time to see him lunge at me.

“Hey,” Emmett says, his voice muffled through the car window, bringing me back to the present. He opens the door. I wish I'd locked it. He kneels down so we're at eye level. “Don't leave. Come inside for a minute.”

“
Lucy?”
Ben's voice is small, coming from the phone I have lowered onto my thigh. Emmett glances down at it.

“Who is that?” Emmett asks.

“Ben,” I say faintly. I'm frozen. All I can see is Emmett's angry face as he lunges for me.

“Hi, Ben!” Emmett says loudly, cheerfully. He smiles at me.

I don't know whether my face shows how baffled I am. I'm too numb to feel anything.

“Are you going to hang up with him or…?” Emmett laughs a little.

And then he swallows, and I see it. He's nervous.

My mouth is dry. I grip the phone too tightly, until my hand hurts.

Emmett reaches over and takes it from me. He presses it to his ear. “Hey, Ben. I think Lucy needs a minute. She'll call you back, okay?”

I don't know whether Ben protests. Emmett ends the call and slides the phone—
my
phone—into his pocket. He puts a gentle hand on my arm.

“Why don't you come inside? You want a glass of water or something?”

I shake my head.

“Well, I can't let you drive like this. You're white as a sheet.” He reaches over and takes my keys from where I'd dropped them on the passenger's seat. I realize suddenly that I'm sweating. I've been sitting in this hot car for several minutes.

“
Run, Lucy
,” Savvy screams in my head. “
Run!
”

“Come inside,” Emmett says again. He puts a hand on my cheek. “Let me take care of you.”

Emmett unbuckles my seat belt. I didn't know I had it on.

“Come on.” Emmett puts both hands on my arms. “Let's just get out of this car, okay, Lucy?”

His voice is gentle.

It's confusing, because in my head he's screaming.

Emmett lunged, knocking me into Savvy. We both tumbled to the ground.

“Oh god.” Savvy was on her feet first, reaching for me. I gripped her arm.

Emmett punched her. My fingernails scraped her skin as she stumbled away from me.

“You fucking bitch! I've spent my whole life waiting for you, being the nice guy, being the friend, and this is how you repay me?” He grabbed me by the shirt, hauling me to my feet.

Savvy flew at Emmett, locking her arms around his neck. He twisted and squirmed, letting go of my shirt.

He yanked one of Savvy's hands free, and she tumbled off his back.

Emmett whirled around, desperately grabbing for me. I darted around him, reaching for Savvy's hand. She grabbed my hand again and took off, pulling me with her.

We ran, ducking through the trees. I dared a glance over my shoulder. I didn't see Emmett.

“Oh shit,” Savvy gasped suddenly. “I went the wrong way.”

I stopped, looking over my shoulder. It was dark, and quiet. We'd run away from the road, and Emmett was nowhere to be seen.

My breath was coming in short gasps. I tried to reach for my purse. My phone. It was in the car.

“Do you have your phone?” I asked.

“Yes!” She slid her hands into the pockets of her dress and took it out. Her face fell as she looked at the screen. “Shit. It's dead.”

Tears streamed down my face, and I wiped them away with a shaky hand. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten out of the car. I didn't know that he…” I sniffled.

She shook her head. “It's not your fault. But later, after we call the cops, I want you to remember that I probably saved you from being raped and murdered. I expect eternal gratitude.”

I laughed through my tears. “Eternal gratitude. Got it.”

Savvy took my hand. “Let's go back to the venue,” she said, pointing to the dark trees. “Emmett's probably waiting for us by the car.”

“It's like a mile, isn't it?”

“Yeah, but I think it's the safest option. She reached down to pull her heels off. I did the same.

“Are you even sure that's the right way?” I looked up at the sky, like I might magically gain the ability to tell direction by the stars. I could barely tell north from south when the sun was up.

“Uh.” She looked left, and then right. “That's a good point.”

“We came from that way, right?” I pointed.

“Yes? I can't see my headlights anymore.” She pressed both hands to her forehead. “Oh my god. How did people live before phones?”

“Wait, we weren't that far from the main road,” I said. “Let's listen and see if we can hear the cars. We can go that way instead.”

A fat drop of rain landed right in my eye, and I blinked, startled.

“Great,” Savvy said, holding her hand out to catch a drop. “Rain is just what we need right now.”

The sound of leaves crunching made me turn.

Emmett ran out from the darkness, something poised over his head. It looked sort of like a hammer, though not the kind used for construction. It was just a metal block at the end of a stick.

“Run,” Savvy whispered.

We took off together, bashing through the trees. We were faster without our heels on. I threw mine behind me, hoping to hit Emmett.

I missed. And he was gaining on us.

Savvy let go of my hand. She was gasping for air. “Go, Lucy. Run.”

I tried to grab for it again. “Don't stop. I can hear cars.”

“No. You're faster than me. Just go. Get help. I can take him.”

“No, you can't—”

I screamed as a hand yanked on my hair. I stumbled backward, and a fist connected with my face. Stars danced in my eyes. Even Matt had never hit me that hard.

I was on the ground. I didn't remember how I got there. Savvy ducked as Emmett swung the hammer at her.

She lunged at him, trying to wrestle the hammer from his grasp. It hit the ground with a thud.

She dove for it, scrambling across the dirt. He yanked on her ankle, and she yelled as he dragged her back through the dirt.

I dove forward, dove for her. My brain was still misfiring, spots in my vision. I wrapped my fingers around her arm and desperately tried to pull her toward me. I was holding on to her so hard my hand was starting to ache.

Emmett let go of her suddenly and grabbed something off the ground.

He swung a tree branch, heavy and thick.

It connected with her skull.

She grunted as she hit the ground. I scrambled to her. She slowly sat up, blood pouring from a cut on her head.

Emmett stood over us, breathing heavily. He'd tossed the tree branch aside in favor of the hammer again.

I wrapped my arms around her, protecting her. “Please stop,” I begged. “We won't tell anyone if you just stop, okay? We were planning on leaving anyway. We'll just go and you'll never hear from us again. I promise. Please, Emmett.”

He stared down at me, his eyes black in the darkness.

“Lucy?” Matt's voice rang out in the quiet. “Savvy? Emmett? Are y'all out there?”

I froze. We'd run back to the car, not to the main road. The car I'd heard was Matt's.

“Ma—”

Emmett cut off my scream with a hammer to the skull. It barely grazed the left side of my head but still knocked me back. Savvy caught me before I hit the ground.

“Matt! Help!” she screamed.

Emmett lifted the hammer again. I swayed. I was dizzy. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

I looked up. Emmett had his arm drawn back, eyes locked on mine.

“You made me do this,” he growled.

The hammer was coming straight at my head.

Savvy shoved me out of the way. He smacked the hammer into her head so hard that the crack reverberated through the trees. She collapsed across my lap. Blood pooled on my dress.

My hands were covered in blood.

There was a buzzing in my brain.

“Savvy?” Matt's voice was still distant.

Emmett looked over his shoulder, cursed, and then swung the hammer again.

Everything went black.