Promising You (The Jade Series #4) (32 page)

I turn to leave, then stop and turn back around and give Arlin a hug. “Thanks for teaching me how to sail.”

I pull away, but he keeps me there a moment longer. “Anytime, honey. We love having you here.”

I’ve already agreed to come back next weekend and the one after that, but next time I’ll spend the night and drive back on Sunday. Hanging out with the grandparents in the Hamptons is a lot more fun than sitting alone in my room all weekend. Plus, it keeps my mind off Garret.

25

The rest of April goes by really fast. I’ve been buried me in homework and I still have two big papers to finish before the semester ends.
 

Every weekend I’ve been going to the Hamptons to hang out with Arlin and Grace. I take my books and study on the deck overlooking the ocean, which is the absolute best place to study. The sound of the waves. The cool breeze. The warm sun. It’s way better than studying in my room. Grace sits out there with me and reads a book. She loves to read.
 

We always spend the afternoons on the sailboat. I’m learning a lot about sailing. Arlin’s face lights up whenever I ask him to teach me something new. Grace says I’m the only grandkid who’s ever shown that much interest in learning how to sail. But I like learning about it. And I like spending time with Arlin. He tells me these old people jokes that aren’t that funny but still make me laugh because of the way he says them. And then he laughs at his own jokes, which makes them even funnier.
 

During the week, Garret and I have been meeting in our secret location almost every night after dinner. A couple weeks ago, Garret set up a tent because the bugs were getting so bad. It’s a big tent and he outfitted it with sleeping bags and pillows and got some lanterns so we could stay out there really late. I keep worrying we’ll get caught but Garret assures me that nobody goes down that far into the woods.
 

It’s hard to believe that it’s now the first week of May and finals are next week. This past weekend I left for the Hamptons on Friday instead of Saturday morning and didn’t get back until late Sunday, which means I haven’t seen Garret for days.
 

Monday night I hurry through dinner because I’m dying to see him. We’re meeting earlier than usual so we can both get back to our rooms and study.

When I get to the tent, Garret’s already there waiting. I crawl inside, zipping it up to keep the bugs out. He grabs my waist from behind and pulls me down on the sleeping bag with him.

“Nice of you to stop by,” he says, kissing the side of my neck.

“I haven’t seen you for three whole days. I needed my Garret fix.”

“I needed my Jade fix three days ago.” His kisses move to my mouth as he slides his hand under my white cotton skirt. “I love it when you wear these.”

Lately I’ve been wearing skirts when I come here, which always leads to sex right away and then we hang out and talk. The same thing happens tonight. After the sex part I get right to the talking.

“Did you get any updates over the weekend?” I ask Garret as he’s pulling his shirt on.

“I got an update, but I don’t know if it’s good or bad. The organization is having a big meeting two weeks from today. My dad said they didn’t send an agenda so he doesn’t know what it’s about.”

“When I was with Arlin yesterday he mentioned the meeting, too. He said he heard it’s about you.”

“Shit! Really? My dad thought it was still too soon for them to vote. He thought it’d be late June or July.”

“Garret, this is good. They’ll finally make a decision.”

“Yeah, and their decision could be to keep moving forward with the plan.”
 

“Why would they still want you to be president? Nobody would vote for you.
 
Even 20 years from now people will remember you as being some spoiled trust fund kid who got drunk, did drugs, and trashed his dad’s expensive cars. Hardly anyone is talking about you online anymore, and the few people who are have nothing good to say about you.”

“I know, but there’s still a possibility they’ll make me do this.”

“No. I’m not even considering it.” I secure my arm around him and lay my head on his chest.
 

He kisses the top my head. “What happened to you? Just a few months ago, you never thought anything would work out. You were always planning for the worst. And now you won’t even think about it.”

I push myself off him and sit up. “Because it can’t happen. You promised me I could have you forever. And at the time I wasn’t sure I wanted you for that long, but now I do. I want that damn forever.”

He smiles and runs his hand along my arm. “I want it, too, Jade.”

“So if they decide to go ahead with the plan, then we’ll run off together. We’ll go into hiding. We won’t let them get to us.”

“They have too many resources. They’d find us.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t try.” I gaze down at the blanket, trying to keep it together. I refuse to cry about this, because if I do it’ll seem more real.

“I can’t risk putting you in danger.” He pushes my chin up. “You know I won’t do that. If this goes forward, then we just can’t—”

“See each other anymore. Yeah. I know.” I say it without an ounce of emotion because I’m not ready to accept that as a possibility. “Talk about something else.”

He sits up across from me. “Jade, we need to discuss this. If this happens we only have two weeks—”

I put my finger to his lips. “I can’t, Garret. Please. Not now. Just talk about something else.”
 

He takes my hand from his mouth, keeping hold of it as he sets it between us on the sleeping bag. “How was your weekend?”

“Great. I went sailing again. I’m getting pretty good at it. Arlin’s taught me a lot. I’m really going to miss him this summer. And Grace, too.”

“You should ask them to come out and see you in California.”

“Yeah, I think I will. I don’t want to go all summer without seeing them.” As I think about Arlin, my mind wanders to a topic that’s been bugging me ever since I met him. “Garret, do you um . . . do you think Arlin’s done things? Like bad things?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It sounds like the organization makes their members do things that are wrong and illegal. Maybe even have people killed, like that reporter who found out about the election fraud in Ohio and Florida.”

“You don’t know if that story was true. You can’t listen to Carson.” Garret’s phone vibrates and he checks it. “It’s my dad. I’ll call him later.”

“So do you think Arlin has done anything like that?”

“Jade, they’ve all done things. My dad. Arlin. And if I’m part of this group, they’ll make me to do things, too.”

“No. You can’t. And why would Arlin? He’s such a nice man.”

“Because they threaten to do whatever they know will hurt you the most. And if you don’t do what they say, they make good on their threats.”

“You really think Arlin has hurt people? Or maybe had someone killed?”

He sighs. “I don’t know so I’m not going to assume anything.”

“But with your dad, you’ve seen stuff and heard stuff that makes you think it’s possible?”

He nods. “But Jade, I don’t know anything about Arlin when it comes to that and neither do you.”

“I know. I just can’t imagine him hurting anyone.”

Garret’s phone vibrates again and he checks it. “It’s my dad again.” He scrolls through his phone. “He left me four text messages, too. I should call him back. He doesn’t know we’ve been meeting like this, so don’t let him hear you.” He calls, and his dad answers right away. “Dad, what’s with all the messages?”
 

Garret listens and keeps listening for almost a minute, his expression growing darker by the second.
 

It has to be about the organization. They must’ve called Garret’s dad and told him they’re continuing with the plan. But it’s not time yet. It’s too soon! My heart goes into overdrive, beating so fast I feel like I can’t breathe.

“Okay.” Garret looks at me. “No, I’ll tell her.” He hangs up and sets his phone down.

“It’s the plan, isn’t it? They’re making you do this? But why? Did he say why?” I’m gripping Garret’s shirt tightly in my hands and don’t even realize it until he pries my fingers open and I release the fabric. He keeps hold of my hands.

“Jade, that wasn’t about me. Or the plan. It was about something else. Something happened.” He lightly rubs the top of my hand with his thumb which he knows always calms me down.
 

“What is it? What happened?”

“It’s Arlin. He had a heart attack. They took him to the hospital but he . . .” Garret has that sad look on his face that I hardly ever see, but when I do I really don’t like it. “He didn’t make it. I’m sorry, Jade.”

“No! I just saw him yesterday! He was fine. He wasn’t sick.” Tears quickly fill my eyes and run down my cheeks. “He took me sailing and he was healthy. Your dad is wrong! Call him back and tell him he’s wrong!”

Garret pulls me onto his lap and wraps his arms around me, pressing my head down on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Jade.”

The tears keep flowing and my rational side can’t figure out why. I just met this man a few months ago. I shouldn’t be this sad. But I am.
 

“I wasn’t done getting to know him. I needed more time.”

“I know.” Garret keeps me held against him. He kisses my head and rubs my back and we stay that way for several minutes.
 

My tears finally let up a little and I reposition myself in Garret’s lap to face him.

“When did it happen?”

“A few hours ago. My dad said the funeral will probably be this weekend.”

“And I can’t go. I can’t go to my own grandpa’s funeral.”

“Why can’t you go?” He takes the tear-stained strands of hair off my cheek and tucks them behind my ear.

“Because his family can’t know about me.”

“It’ll be a huge funeral. You won’t even have to talk to the family.”

“But Sadie knows me and so does her mom. They think I’m your ex-girlfriend and it would be weird if they saw me. It wouldn’t make sense.” I move off Garret’s lap and sit across from him. “I don’t want to go to the funeral anyway. I want to remember Arlin on a sailboat, not in a casket.” Saying it makes me cry again.

“What can I do, Jade?” Garret asks, cupping my cheek.
 

I push his hand away and wipe the tears off my face. “You can promise me you won’t leave. I’m sick of people leaving me! Promise me you won’t let that group take you away from me.”

“You know I can’t promise you that,” he says softly.

He reaches for me but I shove him away. I get up and stand on the other side of the tent. “Then just leave! Just go away! Let’s just end this now. We both know you’re not getting out of this.”

He jumps up and gets right in front of me. “We have no idea what’s going to happen.”

“Yes, we do. If these powerful people want you to be president someday they’ll find a way to make it happen. It’s over, Garret.”

“It’s
not
over. Don’t even say shit like that. You’re just upset because of Arlin.”

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t meet you down here and act like we’re still together when I know this is ending in two weeks.”

“It’s not ending in two weeks!” He screams it and for the first time I can see that he’s scared. I see the panic in his eyes and I hear it in his voice. He’s scared that this really
is
ending. That two weeks from now his life will be over. We’ll never see each other again and he’ll be forced to be with someone he doesn’t even like. Be forced to marry her and have children with her. Be forced into doing things that are bad and wrong and illegal. And years from now he’ll be the president and they’ll still control him. Who knows what they’ll make him do.

I hadn’t even been thinking about how awful his life will be. I’ve been so focused on us and what effect this plan would have on me. But it’s so much worse for him. And he’s only going along with it because of me. Because he’s afraid of what they might do to me if he says no.
 

“Sorry,” he says quietly. He hugs me and I feel his heart pumping hard and fast against my chest. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

I pull away. “You’re freaking out, aren’t you? And I haven’t been here for you. I should’ve been helping you, supporting you, doing whatever you need me to do. You should’ve said something. You should’ve told me I was being a shitty girlfriend. I haven’t even been a good friend.”

He looks at me, confused. “What are you talking about?”
 

“Your life is over if this happens. You’ll have no choices ever again. You’ll have no freedom. They’ll make you do things. Really bad things. This is way worse for you than it is for me and I haven’t even been thinking about that. I’m sorry, Garret.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. I’m prepared for all that. I can handle it. Am I freaked out that my life will be controlled by other people? Yes. But I’m more freaked out by the idea that I can never see you again. That’s what scares me, Jade. Because I don’t think I can do it. I’m afraid I’ll try to find you and then they’ll find out and hurt you to punish me.”

“So what are we going to do? I’m out of ideas. Our plan didn’t work. If it did, they would’ve let you go by now. They wouldn’t have waited this long.”

He puts his hands on my shoulders and looks me in the eye. “You don’t know that, so stop thinking that way.”

“I DO know it. And so do you. You just won’t admit it.” He doesn’t respond which basically tells me he’s thinking the same thing. That our plan didn’t work. “I don’t know what else to try. I don’t know how to fix this.”
 

“We’re not even sure if this meeting they’re having is about me. We’re just guessing based on rumors. It could be about something totally different.”

“But if it
is
about you, then we have no time left. I leave a week from Friday to go home and that might be the last time I see you.”

“Then let’s spend as much time together as possible over the next two weeks. We both have to study for finals, so we’ll study down here. We could even sleep down here. I’ll get some more blankets and sleeping bags. We’ll just camp out until you have to leave. We’ll spend our days in the dorm and our nights here. What do you think?”