Freeing Destiny (Fate #2) (34 page)

Why was Gabriella showing this to me? The aunt was right. It was there in writing. She just wanted to be left alone. “So? What am I supposed to do with this?”

Gabriella scrolled up and then placed the phone in my hand again. “Read.”

The time stamp on the texts were from Monday evening.

Gabriella: Just letting you know I got your email with the flight info. Aunt Gina’s taking the ride to the airport with me to pick you up.

Stella: No prob. I’m excited to see you all tomorrow!!!

Gabriella: Me too! It’s been too long since I hugged my baby girl.

Stella: Anything you need me to smuggle from Cali?

Gabriella: LOL No, we’re all good. Just get your cute little butt home where it belongs.

Stella: I’m not so sure anymore.

Gabriella: Of???

Stella: That New York is home. I’m having such a hard time leaving him, Mom. I love him more than I ever thought I could love someone. We’ll talk in person, but I think I need to figure some stuff out. I can’t do the distance thing. I need him there or I need to be here. I’m so confused.

Gabriella: Oh, honey. We’ll talk all about it when you get here. You know I’ve got your back no matter what you decide, right?

Stella: Thank you, Mommy! I don’t know what I’d do without you. Can’t wait to get some of your lovin’ xo

Gabriella: xo right back. Call me as soon as you land tomorrow.

Stella: Of course. Love you!

Gabriella: Love to you, too! Safe flight and see you soon.

Now that sounded like Stella, but it still made no sense. “I don’t get it. It just doesn’t add up. Why would she go to such lengths if she was planning to stay behind the whole time?”

Gabriella shook her head and closed her eyes. “I don’t know. I just don’t know, Jack. But I’m with you, sweetheart. Something smells fishy. What can we do?”

After the revelation with Gabriella, I needed some fresh air. I wandered aimlessly through the streets of New York City with zero purpose and tons of uncertainty. For a city that was famous for never sleeping, it didn’t seem very lively. Whether it was the storm or the holiday, the Uptown streets were fairly empty and the only pedestrians were those walking their dogs.

I took the quiet time to call Emma. She’d been my only saving grace this whole day. Until that last eye-opening conversation with Gabriella.

When my sister picked up, I didn’t even give her the chance to finish her one syllable
hi.
“Hey, it’s me again.”

“Anything new?”

“Nope, but—I don’t know. Something’s not sitting right with me. Have you been in touch with Aubrey at all? Maybe she can help. You think you two can—”

At the mere mention of Aubrey’s name, Emma jumped down my throat. “Jack, I love you. I love Stella, too, but really? You want me to spend the rest of this messed up day searching for a person who doesn’t want to be found, with someone I hate?”

“You don’t hate her.” Emma didn’t have it in her to hate anyone, least of all our sister.

An aggravated moan escaped her. “Okay, I don’t
hate
her, but I don’t like her that much either. Maybe Gabriella and the aunt are right, Jack. Maybe we should just let Stella be. She didn’t even give anyone the name of her hotel. She probably wants to be alone.”

Not her, too. No way! I wouldn’t have it. “No. Forget that. I need you, Emma. I can’t be there and you are. Aubrey will do anything to make it up to us. I could tell by the sound of her voice earlier. This is her way back in. Go hit her up and give her the option to team up with you to help me out. Please, Emma. Please do this for me. The two of you have to go to my apartment and see if Stella left any clues. There’s got to be something. Then, once you find the hotel that Stella’s staying at, all you have to do is make sure she’s okay and check out her story. If her text was true, if she doesn’t want to be with me, I’ll leave you alone. I promise. No more missions, you can go back to Thanksgiving with Simon the Surfer.” My lame attempt at humor was lost on her. Even I wasn’t in the mood to tease my easily ruffled sister.

“Ugh! Fine!” Emma groaned, but she gave me a reason to jump up and punch the cold, bitter air. “Let me call her from the landline so I can get you off my back. Hang on.”

I waited in silence, a thread of hope dangled in front of me.

But she was back too soon. “No answer. Let me try Mom and Dad. The time difference sucks, but I think they’ll answer.”

I waited again and when I heard her talking, I breathed a sigh of relief. A long two minutes later, Emma was back.

“Did you know Aubrey was at the house in Palo Alto?”

“No. Leave it to her to spend her misery in luxury.” I hadn’t been to that house in years. I was always afraid I’d break something expensive or irreplaceable. “So, you’re going, right?”

Another groan, but I could sense her smiling through this one. “You are so lucky Simon lives less than a half hour away. You owe me, Jacky pants. You owe me big time.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now tell me your plan. What are you going to do? Just show up at the house?” I hated being out of control. Too many miles between me and getting Stella back.

“Well, what choice do I have? Aubrey’s not answering my calls. I have a ring in my glove compartment with keys to every house our parents own. It’s not like I’ll be barging in on
her
house. I have a right to be there, too.”

Good.
We were on the same page. “True. Okay. Now, go!” I demanded.

“Hey, watch it.”

“I’m sorry. Please go?” I almost fell to my knees and said a Hail Mary in the snow.

“Good-bye, Jack,” Emma finally muttered. “I’ll keep you posted. Go get some sleep or something.”

Yeah, like I could get any shut-eye at a time like this. My heart was so worked up I thought about following the signs right to the nearby hospital.
Doctor, Doctor, revive my heart. It must have flat-lined at least fifty times in the last two days.

Stella

Batshit crazy was a mild description for this chick. As long as I wasn’t being physically harmed, watching her talk to herself and pretend she was my friend was actually quite entertaining. But even as I observed her chop and dice vegetables like some homicidal Martha Stewart, my mind kept returning to Jack. What was he thinking? How was he feeling? Had he believed Aubrey’s lies?

I silently prayed that he hadn’t given up hope. It wasn’t exactly the season for miracles quite yet, but I had to remain optimistic.
If hope is lost, there is nothing worth holding on to.

“Hey, what are you all teary-eyed for over there? Onions got to you, too?” Aubrey’s brash voice over the bass of her irritating hip hop music startled me to attention. She’d been acting as if this was a normal get together between two lifelong friends.
Freaking nut job!

“Yeah, it’s the onions,” I lied, and lay my head back down on the table.

How long would she keep me this way? I liked the bathroom better. I couldn’t stand being this close to her much longer. I had no idea what her intentions were, and there was no end in sight based on the texts she showed me that she’d sent on my behalf. No one was out searching for me because I was found. A selfish runaway, hiding from some made up drama Aubrey had everyone believing I’d been going through.

I left Jack knowing our relationship was rock solid. We had hurdles to get through because of the long distance, but now Aubrey had Jack and my family thinking I was a basket case of uncertainty. I had no doubts. Sure, I packed my shit and moved in an attempt to do things the way I originally planned, but the second I sat down in that car, I realized I was making a mistake. I’d intended to call Jack as soon as I landed to beg him to join me for the holiday. The thought of being apart from him haunted me, and now—who knew when, or
if
, I’d ever see him again.

I cried with such fervor, snot dripped from my nose and into my mouth. I wanted Jack, I wanted my mom. I wanted to be free from this girl’s ridiculous game.

“Hello!” A new voice echoed through the massive house, and shocked me and Aubrey still.

“Aubrey? You here?”

I knew that voice. Emma!
Yes!
Thank you, dear Lord.

I opened my mouth to shout out to her, but Aubrey darted over to me with the knife in her hand and threatened me. “Don’t you dare say a word or I swear to Christ I’ll use this!”

Her eyes bugged out; her teeth bared through a maniacal snarl.

I couldn’t react. I had no doubt she’d make good on her threat. She was crazy. I’d seen the movies. If I did wrong by the psycho, I was a goner.

With shaky limbs and a thundering heart, I nodded and kept quiet.

Prayers for mercy ran through my head and fell from my lips. Fear stunned my limbs. Apprehension seized my throat. My lungs begged for more air as I held my breath and awaited an outcome. I heard the two of them talking in the distance, but could barely make out the crux of their conversation. When I finally heard Emma speak Jack’s name, my ears perked to attention, everything at a standstill around me.

“He’s worried sick. He wants us to go find her. Get your bag and come help me.”

That was all I needed to hear. “Emma! Emma!” I screamed as loud as my meek, exhausted voice would allow. “Emma, help me!”

“Oh my God. She’s
here
? Aubrey, what have you done?” Her frightened voice was still in the distance, but the thudding and crashing that followed sounded as if it were happening right in front of me.

“Leave her alone. Go away. She doesn’t want to see you. She came here for
me
.” Aubrey fed her sister lies. Desperate, pathetic lies told only to cover her ass. But Emma fought past her. I could hear things banging and crashing as she made her way toward me.

“She’s lying, Emma! Please. Help me! She has me trapped!”

“Aubrey, get the hell off me!” When Emma appeared in the doorway to the dining area I’d been forced to sit in, I exhaled as if breaking the surface after a ten thousand league dive.

“Emma!” I cried, desperate for her to reach me already. Everything moved in slow, agonizing motions. She was so close, yet so far away, and Aubrey was right behind her. I remembered seeing her tuck the knife behind her when she went to answer the door. It was no longer visible, but that meant crap. Would she really harm her sister? She kidnapped me to hurt her brother, so who the hell knew how Aubrey’s mind worked. It wasn’t stable, that I knew for sure.

She hadn’t whipped out the knife yet, so wishful thinking had me believing she’d forgotten about it. I wanted to warn Emma without bringing attention to the weapon Aubrey was concealing. “She’s not stable, Emma. Please be careful,” I cautioned as I used all my might to rise from the table. My arms ached from being held in the same position for so long, but I fought through the pain. I needed to help Emma, escape from Aubrey, and get to Jack.

My arms dragged the heavy chair I was shackled to. Emma noticed my peril.

“Aubrey, get me the keys to those cuffs. I can’t believe—what were you thinking?”

I was so grateful for Emma, but rather than try to understand Aubrey’s irrational behavior, I wished she would use her phone to put an end to this mess.

“Call Jack!” I screamed. Tears streamed so quickly I pictured myself drowning in them.