Devious (8 page)

What if Christian is dead?
I thought.

That cannot be true. Maybe, he hates you too.

My eyes grew large, as the voice was not my own thought.
My thought answered my thought?
I stayed frozen waiting for what sounded more like Mama's voice rather than my own. I sat on the first step and stayed silent.

Hello?

It was silent.

I perked my head up as I heard someone coming outside. I instantly frowned as it was only Derek with a big grin on his face. He smelled horrible as if he had not bathed in a week. I would not have doubted it though, considering he just got out of jail.

“Baby girl, that was bold of you. The town probably thinks you are insane the way you swore in a church. How dare you?” he laughed. “But, I’ve always liked my girls feisty.”

I gagged. “You're a disgusting man. You're not even a man.”

He began to tug on his belt with a smile. “I just was looking for the restroom—I need to pee.”

I stood up and walked down the steps. “And the restroom is outside? You're pathetic. And if you try to pee on me I swear I will hurt you again. I'll have you crying so bad.”

Derek rolled his eyes and then went back inside the church. I sat back on the steps and began to cry. This time I had no idea why I was crying. It just felt good to let some tears go. I held them for so long that it just felt right.

After I finished crying, I began to walk toward my home so I could get some rest. While walking, at least five police vehicles asked me if I needed a ride home. At the moment, I wanted to feel accomplished and said no thanks. Now I regretted it, as my calves began to hurt in my five-inch heels.

My street was quiet because everyone was at Tyler's funeral. Yet I was the only one roaming around trying to get to my home the quickest.

As I entered my home that was unlocked already, I tiptoed suspecting someone was already there. “Hello? Christian?”

I searched every room, but no one was there. I honestly, did not care. At that moment, I would have rather been dead.

I collapsed onto my bed that was covered in hard chunks of dirt. However, at that moment I did not think about why dirt was on my bed. I felt out of control, trying to keep my eyes open but I ended up dosing off.

My phone was ringing under my head, but I could not open my eyes. I struggled to find it under my pillow as it kept ringing. I could not open my eyes fully, so I pushed any button on my cell phone. Little did I realize, I pushed speaker.

“Leanna?” It sounded like Tyler's voice, but that was impossible considering his outcome. “Leanna?”

“What?” I said, with my eyes still closed.

“Derek has been killed!”

Then, there was silence.

And I fell back to sleep instantly.

***

The following morning I looked through my call log and it was Christian who had called me. I dialed his number for the tenth time and he still did not answer. I was over his games, so I threw my phone onto the floor.

I crossed my arms and stared down at my footsie pajamas—but wait? I hurried to my phone and checked the date, it was only the next day, but I did not remember taking a bath or changing my clothes.

My phone rang and I answered it quickly as I realized it was Christian.

“You dumbass, I’ve been trying to call you!” I shouted. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Hello? Leanna? It's Johnny,” he paused. “Um, are you okay?”

I sighed, disappointed that it was not Christian. “Well, I’m just waking up. Where is Christian?”

“That's what I was hoping you would know. I haven't seen him all week. I guess I'll go check the bar again.”

“Did you call me last night?” I asked as I chewed on my nail.

“I called you six hours ago to tell you that Derek has died just like the others. It's sad and now police are asking for backup. I just hope Christian didn't get caught up with a bad crowd. I hope he's okay.”

I hung up without saying anything else, with only Christian on my mind. I did not care about Derek, if anything he deserved a painful death—well, that was mean to say.

I put on jeans and a hoodie and went outside. There were three moving trucks on my block. I figured a lot of people would be leaving for a while, until the police figured out who the killer was.

I walked to Christian’s home and Johnny was outside moving boxes into his truck. “Good afternoon Leanna.”

“What are you doing?” I snapped. “Why do you have so many boxes?”

“Well, I’m going to be staying at a hotel tomorrow night. I’m too fearful of what is to come. I told the police about how Christian is missing, but they said they have bigger things to figure out.”

“But, what if he is dead or something? I don't know what I would do if he were to be dead!” I cried. “I really loved that boy.”

Johnny narrowed his eyes, “I'm sure he's fine.”

I peeked into his truck and Johnny had all his guns in the backseat. My eyes then narrowed in suspicion. “Why are you taking all your guns to a hotel?”

“These are my babies,” he laughed. “It's like makeup to you.”

“But, to a hotel?”

“Leanna, I’m really busy. Shouldn't you be at school or something?”

“It's Sunday. Plus, school as been canceled for the next week.”

Johnny walked over to me and gently shoved me off his lawn. “I'll see you in the morning then. I won't be leaving until tomorrow night. I’m sorry, I’m just really busy right now, angel.”

I was angry that Johnny shoved me off his lawn, even if he was gentle about it. I spit on his grass and he stared at me in confusion.

“Are you feeling okay? You look paler than usual and you look so thin?” Johnny asked as I walked away.

“I look fine,” I snapped.

I walked back to my home and sat on the patch of grass Tyler last laid on. I began to tear up as I tried to call Mama, but I could tell she ignored my call because it only rang once.
How rude of Mama? What if she was getting the call that I had died?

I always was a lonely person on the inside, but now I was just as lonely on the outside too. Not even a free beer at the bar could put a smile on my face.

I was far gone.

Chapter 8

Born to Die

I stared at my clock as a knock on the door startled me awake. It was a little after midnight and I knew the knocking was nothing good. So, I hid under my blankets as I began to get dizzy as the knocking continued.

“Leanna!” it was Christian’s voice.

I jumped out my bed and hurried through the halls and slid to the door. I hurried to open it but I did not see him. All I could see was the pitch black street. “Christian?” I said as I peeked out the door.

As I tried to close the door, Christian pushed open the door with all his force. He entered my home with an ugly expression as if he were upset with me. He looked like he had been buried alive, covered in leaves and dirt.

He grabbed my tiny shoulders in anger. “What is wrong with you!” He began shaking me harder and harder; so hard, I could hear my teeth rattle. “You are insane! Just wait until I tell the police on you!”

I shoved him away, falling onto my bottom. I slid back slowly, afraid of his actions. “What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you?” I shouted. “I've been worried about you and called you several times!”

He lifted me to my feet with one tug and then shoved me in the arm. “So, now you're trying to act innocent,” he laughed. “As if you did not put your tiny little hands around my throat and tie a scarf so tightly around my neck that I passed out. Then, you drove me to the desert and dragged me into a ditch where you continued to kick me until I passed out again!”

I began to laugh. “Why would I do that?” I whispered. “Oh my gosh, you're serious?”

“All I did was kiss you and you did not like that. You could have just said you did not want to be touched but you began to attack me.”

“You're deranged. I don't have the power to take you into a ditch or even choke you.”

He chuckled and I could tell he was chuckling out of anger. “Ha, I thought the same thing until you did it! It's like you blanked out or something! Derek was right about you.” Christian leaned in to push me but I shoved his hand away with my fast reflexes. “But, now you are wide awake and I can prove what you did to me. After this, I’m heading straight to the police station to tell them what you did to me and probably the others!”

“Others?” I laughed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Christian began shoving me with his huge hands, causing me to take numerous steps backwards. My eyes grew massive as I could not believe he was putting his hands on me—an innocent woman. I took a step forward and then shoved him in the neck so he would stop pushing me.

He fell back onto the floor and I began to laugh from amusement. “I did not push you
that
hard.”

“Yes...yes...you did!” he cried as he held his neck which had old bruises. “You're stronger than you think.” Christian kicked his leg up as I tried to get closer to him. As he kicked his leg higher, his shoe came flying toward me and hit my nose.

“AH!” I screamed as I could feel my nose pounding from pain. “You dumb idiot!”

My body began to feel hot and my palms were so sweaty. I never felt so aggravated like that before. It was like I was an animal with no control or no desire to be calm. I began to twitch and tried to control my rapid breathing. I knew it was not natural to be so out of control with my own body.

Without thinking, I jumped on top of him and began punching his nose—harder, and harder until it swelled. I then grabbed a handful of his thick hair and then slammed the back of his head onto the hardwood floor countless times. My eyes rolled behind my head as I could not stop moving. I imagined my eyes glazed over with a black coating as I could feel a presence telling me to go on.

I began to laugh hysterically as I banged his head some more—more and more! My vision went hazy and my hearing diminished. I could feel my body dripping in sweat and my smell intensified.

As I felt like a robot turning off; my vision came back a bit. I paused as blood dripped off my tiny hands. I shook my hands and more blood splashed onto the floor. My eyes that could not focus on one object tried to stare at Christian’s bloody face.

I squinted my eyes, “Christian?” I said as I tried to shake him awake. “Honey?” I poked him with my bloody finger and then my body began to tense up. I lifted his head up as gentle as I could and saw that the blood was coming from the back of his head. I gasped in fear and jumped off his lifeless body.

I stood up and stared at my hands; such evil hands. I began to shake in fear of myself. I never wanted to leave my body as much as I did at that moment. But, I wanted him so badly. I wanted Christian to hold me—I was such a selfish human being.

In tears, I collapsed onto his chest and held him tight hoping it was all a dream. His lifeless body was no fun as his arms could not hold me. “I love you! I love you!” I screamed as the blood began to get all over my body. I rubbed my palms in the blood and my heart began to pound from excitement. I was like a sick human who enjoyed his pain—who enjoyed his new smell.

As I tried to rationalize, I could feel my body shutting down.

As if I were someone else.

Chapter 9

Million Dollar Man

I awoke with my heart racing and sweat sliding down my face—actually, I felt wet all over. I turned on my night lamp and screamed in fright.

“AH!” I threw my blankets off my body and realized I was covered in blood. The blood was all over my bed and as I walked around my home, I noticed the blood was everywhere.

My dream about killing Christian had me shaking all over.
Yeah, it was a dream.

Without second guessing, I ran to my living room to see if Christian was there. I searched and he was nowhere in sight.
It had to be a dream.

I fell onto the floor and began to rock back and forth.

I need to calm down. There is an easy explanation about why I’m covered in blood. Maybe this is ketchup.
I licked my thumb that was covered in blood—it tasted like candy to me.

I thought about the day before and all I did was talk to Johnny.
How strange?
That was all I could remember.

My cell phone rang and it was Mama. “Hello?” I said with a shaky voice.

“Leanna, are you okay? The news isn't telling me much about what is going on over there. Did anything else new happen? I’ve been trying to call you all night.”

“Do you ever have such impaired memory that you cannot remember what you did the day before?”

“Leanna Vita Cruz, are you hanging out at that bar again? What did I tell you about drinking and hanging out with those old stinky men. They only want you for one thing and that is not your brain.”