We walk until we’re out of breath, both of us panting from the excitement. Garver sits down on a fallen tree and pats the spot beside him. “The coast is clear.”

  I’m relieved, but also nervous. We’re back in the woods, alone, and obviously both willing to take things to another level. I keep telling myself that it’s too soon. Even if we’re two consenting adults now, I don’t want to have regrets later.

  Garver scoots closer and nudges me with his elbow. When our eyes meet every noise surrounding us seems to have stopped. My heart beats so hard I swear I can hear it. “I have a confession to make,” he announces.

  “When I heard of a new girl coming to school I told the guys if you were hot I was going to hit it.”

  Hit it. Mr. Cocky had claimed my vagina before we ever met. How astonishing.

  “Wow. It takes balls to tell a girl this on her birthday, when she can easily take a fist full of your balls and squeeze until you pass out.”

  He pauses and then breaks into a chuckle. “Whoa. Before you go all psycho killer on me, maybe I should say I changed my mind.”

  “Since when?” I challenge. “You’ve been trying to get into my pants since day one.”

  “Well true, but not because I told people I would. I wasn’t supposed to like you this much.”

  “You like me?” It was very obvious, although I needed the confirmation regardless.

  He takes his hand and drags it over my mouth. “You’re hot. Funny. Tough. But also fragile. That’s why I stopped being a dick about it. You’re worth the wait.”

  “You’re a different person with me, Garver. Why?”

  He shrugs. “It’s not important.”

  “It is to me,” I counter, hoping he’ll tell me something about himself. Instead he stands and pulls me to my feet.

  “Come on. Let’s not waste time sitting here. I’m going to take you somewhere no one has ever been before.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “Possibly. It’s going to be dark and soundproof.” He cackles, but doesn’t correct the statement or say he’s teasing. I follow behind a little worried and even more intrigued.

  Taking my hand, I reluctantly follow behind, having no idea what we’re about to find.

  In the middle of nowhere, deep within the cover of trees and weed overgrowth, there’s a building. It’s too small to be a cabin. It’s like someone placed a shed where no one would ever be able to find it without directions. I can tell from the condition that’s it been here for a long time. Nothing new represents itself as we reach the entrance.

  We come up to the makeshift door where Garver gets to work on the padlock. After I watch him put in the combination, I feel a little more comfortable about trespassing. He obviously has permission from someone to be here. “What is this place?”

  “It’s a secret hideout from the government. There’s a basement in a bunker underneath where all their conspiracies are kept hidden.”

  I shove him. “Yeah right.”

  He tugs the edge of my shirt and walks backwards inside the building. “Just get in here.”

  I’m shocked to discover the room is covered in streamers and there’s even a birthday sign, and while my excitement for the surprise begins, I suddenly realize this place is more than just a kid’s hideout in the woods.

  There’s a makeshift counter along one side with what looks like the bottom of a rubber tote acting as a sink base. Two pots are sitting upside down on a frayed towel, as if they’ve just been washed. Under the counter are a few gallons of water. There’s a small table with one chair, and on the opposite end is an old couch with cushions that don’t match. A couple blankets are strewn over the back. More rubber totes are filled with clothes, and one is turned over to make a coffee table. There’s no electric, but after scanning the room I notice two battery operated lanterns.

  Garver is excited, while I’m still swimming with questions. “Happy birthday, Soph.”

  Something in the pit of my stomach worries me, albeit I can’t put my finger on what it is. “You did this for me?”

  “Yeah, all of it. You’re eighteen now. You’re free to do whatever you want.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. “I guess.”

  He shrugs and leans against the counter. “I figured we’d ditch school and hang out here. No one will find us.”

  The way he says it makes me think he’s going to take advantage of the situation and I suddenly feel overwhelmed with an unsettling dread. Doing my best to play it cool, my eyes coast the room again. “Cool hangout.”

  “You like it? The fort was kind of here before. I picked up most of the stuff from people’s trash. It’s amazing what folks get rid of.”

  “Do you come here a lot?”

  “It’s where I bring hot chicks I’m going to bang.” He says it so flatly it comes across as the truth. When my eyes meet his it’s a different story. “My mom made it. This was where she and my dad would sneak off to in order to be alone.”

  “Do you own the property, your family I mean? It’s just, not something I could see an adult building, especially if they’re trespassing.”

  “The property once belonged to our relatives, but they don’t have a clue this existed, or the new owners for that matter. My parents dated when they were young. My grandfather, Mom’s father, forbid it. He didn’t think my dad was good enough. I used to hear my dad bitching about how my grandfather offered him money to leave town. I know for a fact that my mom took two years to study abroad, and the only reason they paid for it was because they figured she’d find someone while she was living in another country. Of course, she obviously came back and rekindled the relationship. After they got married it was long forgotten about, until she told me about it. This place reminds me of her.” For a moment he smiles, but it fades just as fast.

  “You never talk about your parents.”

  He turns away and heads over to the couch to take a seat. Sighing, he avoids eye contact with his next statement. “Yeah, that’s not going to change anytime soon.”

  “Does the rest of your family ever come to the bowling alley?”

  “Soph, you’ve got the wrong idea about that too. Frank isn’t my dad.”

  “But I thought?”

  “He’s real nice and calls guys my age ‘Son’. I stay with him and his wife, but I’m better off alone. My dad is long gone. I told you that before.”

  When he says it, I start to wonder what he means. “Alone?”

  “I’m nineteen. I don’t need parents or guardians. Can we talk about something else now?” His tone has changed. At first he was nonchalant, but now he seems perturbed. Obviously he doesn’t get along with his family, and with him being my only friend I decide not to push, even though I really want to dig and find out more.

  “I assumed you were a narc because you look older,” I say in a mumble. It’s just more things I don’t know about this guy. “So did you bring me here for sex?”

  It breaks the awkwardness of the previous conversation, but still makes me uneasy. “Why, you interested?”

  “Hell no! The kiss wasn’t that amazing,” I lie.

  “Keep telling yourself that.” His ego continues to bewilder me. How can one guy be this full of himself, especially when it seems like everyone besides me hates him?

  He motions with his finger and proceeds to pat the cushion beside him. “Come sit with me, Soph.”

  “Yeah, I think I’m good here.” A chill fills the air, and as I scan the small space I start to feel a bit trapped. We’re deep in the woods, and now I’m confined in a small shack that only Garver seems to know about. How stupid can I be? Apparently pretty stupid. “Maybe we should head out,” I suggest.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t?”

  There’s a long pause before I’m able to accept I’ve gotten myself into this situation and I’m the one who is going to have to figure out how to get out of it. “You’re making me feel uncomfortable, Garver.”

  “You a virgin?” He asks the question like it’s appealing if I am.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I huff out a response. “No! Not that it matters. Nothing is happening between us today, maybe not ever. I want to get out of here, so point me in the direction of the highway and I’ll leave you to your tiny sex shack.”

  I’m halfway to the door when his words stop me in my tracks. “Soph, I sleep here sometimes. I’m safe here.”

  Spinning around, my eyes widen as I contemplate his sincerity. “What?”

  He shrugs. “Look, I’ve been through a lot of shit. This is pretty much all I have left of my old life, well, what’s important.”

  I’m saddened by this revelation. Who wouldn’t be? “What happened to your parents?”

  He shakes his head. “That, I can’t talk about.”

  “Did you hurt them?”

  He lets out a guffaw, as if he expected the question. “Let’s just say they hurt me, and what’s done is done.”

  “What is your real address?”

  “Frank’s house. When everything happened with my family he took me in. He grew up with my parents. Since there wasn’t anyone else willing, he stepped up and took full responsibility for me. He made me a room in his house and gave me a good upbringing. Sometimes it’s too overcrowded there. I don’t feel like I belong. I come here because no one knows about it. Frank knows a place exists, but I’ve never told him where it is.”

  “You can’t expect me to be okay with not knowing your whole story. For God sakes, you say you sometimes stay in a shack. This isn’t a home. It’s probably not even stable. What if a tree falls on it?”

  “Guess I die. I don’t stay here often. I have other places.”

  “Like the bowling alley?” I’d seen the room in the back. It’s obvious he’s spent nights there.

  “Yeah.”

  A tightness grips my stomach. I thought I had it bad, but this guy is way worse off. “All sex jokes aside, I’m sorry, Garver.”

  “Don’t be. I’m good. I’m an adult and it’s my choice. I could’ve left town, but I chose to stay, to finish school.”

  “Are they really dead?”

  “Dad is. My mom may as well be.”

  I can't quite comprehend this. “But you don’t see her?”

  “Look, I really don’t want to discuss this anymore.” His face contorts when he says it. I can tell it’s something traumatic, however asking won’t get me answers. It’s obvious he’s not going to budge. If I want to know about Garver I’ll have to ask someone else.

  Now I feel bad for him. I pity him. His whole existence in this town is sad. He’s alone in the worst way. He’s constantly judged. He’s hated.

  My body moves toward him before I even know it’s happening. Once I’m sitting beside him, I reach my arms around his neck and pull him into a hug. “We don’t have to talk about it today. You can trust me when you’re ready.”

  He waits several seconds, fidgeting with a strand of my hair as if it distracts him. He breaks our embrace and snickers, a half-smile forming across his lips. “Want to make out now?”

  I shove him playfully, while my head shakes in disbelief. “Ugh, you’re relentless. I thought we were having a moment.”

  “I’ve been called way worse than relentless.”

  Five minutes ago I was nervous he wanted to take advantage of me, but now something has changed. Maybe Garver acts the way he does because he’s hiding what’s really going on. Maybe it’s all a show, and a friendship with me is the only thing he has to look forward to.

  Once again, I’m drawn towards pursuing the answer.

  Chapter 10

  There isn’t much to do in the shack. I keep looking around questioning my sanity for coming here alone with him. It’s obvious Garver has problems, what they are I’ve yet to discover. I’m unsure if he’s brought me here out of trust or for a more sexual reason. Maybe it’s a whole other purpose I can’t comprehend.

  He’s got a few games and some books, but nothing that really makes me want to hang out all day. Not to mention, he doesn’t want to talk about personal things, which is all I want to know about. Stuck in a silent conundrum, my boredom gets the best of me.

  “About what I told you earlier, keep it between us, okay?” He doesn’t make eye contact when he says it.

  “Doesn’t everyone already know?”

  There’s a quick shrug. “I’d rather not dredge up the past.”

  “You ever going to talk about Cassidy?”

  “Fuck that and her.”

  Snickering, I follow his gaze to something on a shelf. It’s a trophy with a small baseball in the center. If I squint I can tell there’s something engraved on a little rectangular marker. “Did you play sports?”

  “I used to, back when life was normal.”

  “Now you’re just a bowling alley mechanic, who has a secret shack in the woods, one I’m hoping isn’t a place where he plans to kill me and hide the body, oh, and I can’t forget still wants to graduate and leave town.” It’s a mouthful, but I’m hoping for a response. Something would be better than knowing nothing.

  He adjusts the way he sits beside me, closing the small space between us. “Maybe you’ll be the reason I’ll want to stay.”

  Something inside my stomach warms when he says it. For all the people warning me to steer clear of this guy, I’m drawn into his charms like a moth to a flame. I can’t help myself. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a good kisser who seems to have my back more times than I care to admit to him. “I don’t get the mysterious act with you. You’re vague about almost everything. Why isn’t anyone in this town forthcoming when it comes to talking about you? I don’t get the big secret. It’s not like you murdered someone.”

  His glare could cut holes. Tight lipped, brows furrowed, he simply stares before doing what he does best. “It’s your birthday and I didn’t bring you here to talk about me. He reaches behind one of the old couch cushions and pulls out a bottle of bourbon. I cringe when I see it. The taste alone is something I’ll never get out of my mind. The last time I partied with my friends I’d gotten so drunk off of it that I’d thrown up for three days afterwards. It’s not something I want to relive.

  “This isn’t your present, so don’t get those sexy little panties of yours in a bunch.” Garver opens the bottle and proceeds to drink until he needs to stop and catch his breath. It reminds me of someone desperate to get drunk and forget life exists. When he reaches the bottle in front of me I’m reluctant to take it. “I’m no good with that stuff.”

  “Afraid you’ll take off all your clothes and give me a little piece?”

  I snort at his assumption. In my defense, that only happened once and thankfully it was with my boyfriend at the time.

  “No. I’m not afraid. I don’t see the point getting that messed up so early in the day. I want to enjoy every minute of it, at least until after dinner.”

  “You have dinner plans?”

  Sadly, I shrug. “Dad has to work late. It’s cool though. We need the money.”

  “That big house causing you problems?”

  “It just needs a ton of work. Doesn’t help that I’m pretty sure it’s haunted. Do you know any exorcists?”

  A light flickers within his glare. “Wait, what did you just say?”

  As clear as I can possibly say it, I repeat my previous statement. “My house is haunted, Garver. There is shit living above my bedroom. Doors have weird locks and before you say it’s probably some country critter I’m telling you it’s not. I hear real footsteps.”

  It’s silent while his lips form a bright smile. His chortle causes me to anger with hindrance. I shove him. “Asshole. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  He tries to calm himself, but begins laughing again. “I’m sorry. It’s just far-fetched.”

  “Whatever. You and my dad can suck a dick. I know what I’m talking about.”

  When I get up and begin walking toward the door, he chases after me. “Hold up a minute. If you believe it’s true, maybe it’s something we should check out together.”

  “Together? Why, so you can make fun of me again?”

  An explosive snort-filled chortle escapes him. “I’ll admit, I’m a skeptic, but it’s your birthday, and I’m always up for a paranormal investigation.”

  Excitement overwhelms me at the prospect of doing something even more adventurous for my birthday. “We could record the whole thing. You’re laughing now, but you won’t be when I prove my case.”

  “Figured you’d want to leave before the fun could start.” Snickering, he begins leading me toward the exit of the secret shack. “Yeah, we’ll see who proves what to who.”

  Instead of walking, he insists we ride on his dirt bike through the woods to get to my house faster on account of thunder rumbling in the distance. It would be just my luck to get struck by a bolt of lightning on my birthday. I point to the gas-powered death trap. “If you think I’m riding on the back of that thing you’re mistaken.”

  “I don’t think it, I know it. Quit being a stiff and get behind me. I’ll even let you hold me tight so you don’t fall off.”

  “Quite the reassurance,” I mumble while stalling. “Wouldn’t want to die on my birthday. It’s like a lifetime contradiction.”

  “Most of life is a contradiction. Take some risks for once.”

  “Oh, like coming into the woods and hanging out in your creepy hideout isn’t risking enough?”

  His brow raises as he straddles the dirt bike. “You don’t like my pad?”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It’s just sort of, well it’s worrisome and ...”

  A heavy sigh escapes him as his head shakes in disappointment or maybe it’s aggravation. “I knew I shouldn’t have brought you here. I thought you’d be different, understanding even. You’re the one who wanted to know more about me. Now you know why I keep shit to myself. Don’t worry, I won’t bring you back.” His whole demeanor has changed. All of a sudden he’s acting like a different person.