Page 36 of Half Truths (Secret Society 1)
“That’s what the doctor is saying.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
She sighed into the phone line. “How are you holding up?”
“Fine.” I shrugged, even though she couldn’t see me.
“Are you eating?”
“Yeah.”
I was. Probably not as much as I normally ate. My clothes were beginning to fit a little loose around my hips. It wasn’t something I’d tell her. Normally, it would’ve been something mom would’ve celebrated, but under the circumstances, I couldn’t imagine she’d care.
“You need to do college things, Amelia. Meet friends, go to parties. Live. Please don’t let this ruin your experience.”
I scoffed. “My brother died, mom. It’s not like this was a minor thing that happened.”
“I know, honey, but promise you’ll try.”
I thought about the weird texts and the cards I’d received and promised her I’d try. What was I going to try to do? I wasn’t sure. Hopefully, find out answers and not get myself killed in the process.
Chapter Fourteen
My knee was bouncing incessantly as the Uber pulled up to the address I punched into the GPS. When I looked at the map on her phone, I only saw the water that surrounded us. We were literally at the top of a huge waterfall. On one of the gorges. Outside the window, I could see a structure. It was Carl Sagan’s former place—evidently the freshmen on the tour were as smart as they said they were. The secret society definitely owned this place or at least had access to it, assuming it was a secret society that had invited me, which, it had to be.
“This the place?” she asked after a moment of me just sitting in the back of her black Altima.
I nodded. “Can you give me a second, please?”
“Sure, sis.” She eyed me in the rearview. “I don’t know what you’re doing here and it’s none of my business, but I wouldn’t feel right with myself if I didn’t tell you this is creepy.”
I nodded and offered her a small smile as I scrolled through my contacts and clicked on Travis’s profile. Was it weird to send my ex-boyfriend, whom I hadn’t spoken to at all in well over a month, my location? Yes. Was it weird that I was being dropped off in the middle of nowhere at a structure that sat on top of a waterfall in the absolute dead of night? Hell yes. Therefore, texting my ex-boyfriend my location was the least weird thing about all of this. I took a few deep breaths and gave myself a little pep talk: I can do this. I’m doing this. I’m doing this.
“Thanks.” I opened the door and looked at my driver. “And thanks for waiting for me to get my act together.”
“No problem. Remember to five-star me. If you make it out alive.”
As soon as I stepped out of the car and shut the door, she drove off. My heart jumped to my throat. If I made it out alive? Who said things like that? I stared at the rear lights of her car, wondering if I would’ve just driven off after dropping off a woman alone here in the wilderness. Probably not. My phone buzzed with a phone call and I looked down to see Travis’s face staring back at me. I answered it, grateful to have one moment of comfort.
“Why are you sending me your location?”
“Because I’m in a creepy place and I didn’t know who else to send it to.”
“You can’t do this, Mae.” He sighed into the phone. “You agreed that once you broke up with me and left, you wouldn’t play games.”
“Games? I’m not playing any games. I just need a friend right now, okay?”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “Why is it so loud there?”
“I’m by a waterfall.”
“Waterfall?” He seemed on alert now. “Where the hell are you?”
“Ithaca Falls.” My lip wouldn’t stop quivering.
“Why are you there? Are you alone? Is that why you sent me your location?”
“Yes.”
“Goddammit, Amelia. Why are you there?”
“I don’t know.”
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. I could picture him pacing up and down his bedroom. “Does this have something to do with Lincoln? Promise you’re not going to hurt yourself, Mae.”
“What? No. Oh my God. No,” I said sternly. Did he think I called him because I was contemplating suicide? It was rather cocky of him to believe I’d make him my final call.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” The question came from a woman in the background.
Suddenly, his cell phone was muffled, probably by his shirt, as he said something. It was then that I realized how stupid I was being. I wanted comfort and the first person I thought to turn to was my ex-boyfriend, who had clearly moved on, not that I could blame him or cared. I’d chosen to come here by myself at this time of the night and I needed to grow the hell up and accept that nobody was going to come to save me.
