7. Unmasked Manipulation

Since our apartment"sair conditioner broke, the sweltering heat has followed us inside, engulfing us in brutal, suffocating heat waves. Melanie and I are sitting on the couch, fanning old newspapers in front of our faces, attempting to create some sort of fan to cool our hot bodies. This summer has been brutal, and I'm glad it's coming to an end. But with it comes autumn—and Halloween. It will be a year since Carli"s murder and Shawn"s disappearance. I shivered at the thought, fanning the newspaper in front of my face in an attempt to think of something else. Anything else.

"Ugh, can we please get out of here and go do something?" Her body sweat covers the leather cushions as she adjusts her position on the couch. For once, I agree with her, desiring to leave the apartment, even if it is late at night. We are both aware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows, but for the time being, we're willing to take a chance.

"Yeah, but what?" I finish the wine cooler in my hand, adding the empty bottle to the others on the coffee table.

"How about we go down to the lake and take a little swim?"

"Oh, that sounds like a good idea."

"And maybe we can see if River wants to come. I mean, we all used to hang out there, Scarlett."

"And now you went and ruined it." Rolling my eyes, I shrug my shoulders and get up from the couch, stretching out my sore, tired muscles.

"Come on, girl. Please? It"s too hot here, and with River with us, we wouldn"t have to worry about any weirdos coming after us."

"I don"t know, Mel. We haven"t hung out much since we broke up."

"So, just tell him we don"t want to go alone at night. We need his protective, manly ass to go with us." She makes a joke of it, giving me a wink as she gets up too.

"Fine, I"ll text him, but I can"t promise anything." We walk down the hall, each going to our rooms to change.

Before I undress, I grab my phone and send a text to River, hoping he texts back, but a small part of me hopes he doesn"t.

Hey, Mel and I are going to the lake tonight to cool off with a swim. You wanna come with us?

Since we broke up, we haven"t hung out, but we"ve talked. I"m not sure how awkward things will be if he comes with us tonight. Luckily for me, I guess, he texts back right away, and I hold my breath in anticipation of what his message says.

When are you guys going?

Getting dressed now.

Yeah, I could go for a swim too. You want to all go together, or you want me to meet you guys there?

I only think about it for a second before my fingers quickly tap away on the screen.

Can you just come here, and we"ll all go together?

Lol yeah. Still afraid of the dark, huh?

A little, yeah. Can you blame me, though?

If he only knew what happened to me in the dark, he would understand why I was still afraid. Not only am I afraid to tell anyone about the masked men, but I'm also ashamed of how much I enjoy the way they make me feel. Not the pain, of course, but the pleasure.

Shaking the disturbing thoughts from my mind, I lay my phone down on the bed and get up to change, quickly removing my shirt. When I look down, the bruises, burns, and horrifying-looking bite marks all over my breasts and stomach serve as a stark reminder of what the man in the red mask did to my body. I cringe and blink, trying to keep the tears from falling, knowing there's no way in hell I'll be able to wear a bathing suit without being interrogated by Melanie and River. I decide on a t-shirt and a pair of booty shorts, slip my feet into a pair of flip-flops, and gather my belongings before heading out.

When we walk outside, River is standing at the curb, a cigarette tucked between his lips. As he looks down at the ground while kicking loose stones with the tips of his sandals, his long, dark hair falls into his eyes. Under the streetlight, his sharply defined jaw pops as he tightens it. Before he realizes we are outside, I briefly admire him and miss the man I used to be able to call mine—the one who put up with my shit for four long years and stuck by me until circumstances made it impossible to continue. His shirt clings to his body, revealing the rippling muscles that define his abdomen beneath. He turns as we approach, grinning, and flips his hair out of his eyes.

"Ready to go?" As he speaks, he grins, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Yeah, let"s go."

When we arrive at the lake, we notice that there are a few other people swimming there as well. We lay our belongings on the grass, and while River and Melanie change into their bathing suits, all I do is slide my feet out of my sandals, which earns me a couple of odd looks.

"Um, why are not you wearing a bikini like you usually do?" Melanie exhales, pulling her bottoms out of her ass.

"I just didn"t feel like wearing one." River looks at me suspiciously, his gaze falling on my ass, lingering, and making me shiver.

"It"s hot out, though."

"Yeah, and we"re at a lake. I"ll be cooled off in no time." Leaving the subject alone, she dashes for the water and dives in.

The moment River raises his gaze from my body to my face, a flirtatious grin forms on his lips.

"You"re still sexy as shit, Scar. I"ve fucking missed you." He takes my hand in his and pulls me toward the water, and I follow him without hesitation. As we jump in, everyone here turns to look at us, with wide, bright smiles on their faces. They"re the same guys from the beach, I think. I give a nervous smile in return and dive under the water to cool off. When I come up, I notice them still staring at me, not even trying to be subtle about it as they float in the water on their backs.

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