Trusting You: The Switched Series book two (12 page)

As soon as I hear the shower turn on, I grab my purse and keys and head out the door. I know I should probably pack some clothes, but all I can think about is getting as far from this town as possible. I also know Brody is going to worried sick about me, but I know he can track me in no time and right now I need a break from him and Samantha and Josh.

I have to drive around an hour to an airport that can get me to Nashville. I run in and hope there is a flight leaving soon with a seat available. Finally something good is happening to me. As soon as I am on the plane, I finally take a moment to breathe.

After landing in Nashville, I rent a car and head to see Callie. I know Brody has probably already called her, that’s one reason I haven’t. When I am almost thirty minutes away, I decide to call and warn her I am coming. I grab my phone and turn it back on to see all fifteen missed calls from Brody. My phone starts ringing, so I press ignore and call Callie instead.

“Hello,” she answers.

“Hey, I am so sorry to wake you,” I say, thinking if she is asleep, maybe that means Brody hasn’t called her yet.

“It’s okay. How did supper go tonight?”

“It was a nightmare. Has Brody called you?” I ask.

“No, why would he call me? Is everything okay?” she asks, starting to sound worried.

“No, everything is awful,” I say not being able to hold back the tears.

“Leighton, what is going on?”

“I will be at your house soon. If Brody calls, please don’t tell him I am there. We will talk when I get there. Please Callie. You can’t tell him.”

“Okay, I won’t tell him. Just be careful. I’ll talk to you soon,” she says, before hanging up. As soon as that call ends, Brody starts calling again. I know I am being a baby right now because I can guarantee he is worried sick, but I really don’t think I can talk to him right now. Tonight has been way harder than I ever imagined it could possibly be.

Twenty five minutes later, I am pulling up in Callie’s driveway. I get out of the car to make my way to the porch when the stupid dog jumps in front of me growling. He is definitely a good guard dog, but I really wish he liked me. As soon as I get to the door, Ash opens it and lets me in telling Scooby to shut up.

“Hey, sorry to barge in so late,” I say hoping he’s not mad that I am here.

“It’s okay. Callie’s on the couch. It’s feeding time,” he says, yawning. “Are you okay?”

“Not really,” I say trying to hold back my tears. I hardly ever cry. I think I am just exhausted after the night I have had. I walk into the living room to find Callie on the couch with one baby while the other one is in a bouncy seat by her feet.

“Hey, what’s going on?” she says as soon as I walk in.

“I think I have just lived one of the worst nights of my life,” I say, bending down to pick up the baby she’s not feeding. I don’t know why, but I feel like I need to be doing something with my hands right now.

“What happened,” she asks, watching Ash come in and sit down.

“Has Brody called?” I ask Ash.

“Yes,” he says. “I just got off the phone with him right before you walked in.”

“Did you tell him I was here?”

“Yes, I had to when he told me what was going on,” he says, looking at Callie.

“What did he tell you?” Callie asks.

“He said to make sure all of the doors were locked and to not open the door for anybody. He also said he would be here soon.”

“Leighton, what is going on?” Callie asks.

“I don’t know why he would say that,” I say, trying to figure out what is going on. Who does he think could possibly be after me? I know my sister has some serious issues, but she would never do anything like this.

“Apparently your sister isn’t very stable. I don’t know any of the details, but I have never heard him sound so worried about anything. You really shouldn’t have left without telling him where you were going.” Why would he think my sister isn’t very stable? I am so confused.

“I guess dinner with your sister didn’t go very well,” Callie says, looking over at me. I just shake my head at her and feel the tears coming again.

“Do you remember the girl Brody talked about that he had to get the restraining order for?” I ask.

“You saw her?” Callie says, looking shocked.

“Oh I saw her alright. She’s my sister.”

“Sam is your sister?” Ash asks. “Wow, if that girl is your sister. I am so sorry. She is crazy.” If all of these guys have met Samantha that means she and Brody really were very close. What if he is still in love with her?

“Wait, Samantha is the same girl Brody used to date?” Callie asks looking shocked.

“They are the same girl. My sister is the first girl he ever loved,” I say, shaking my head. I really can’t believe this is happening. I see lights pulling in the driveway. Brody must have been flying to get here. “I can’t see him yet. Can I hang out in your bedroom?” I ask, standing up to give the baby to Ash.

“Sure, but I really think you two should talk,” Callie says quietly.

“We will, I just need to use the bathroom,” I say before heading out of the room. I go straight to their master bathroom that is attached to their bedroom and try to get my thoughts straight.

I know Brody loves me. I really don’t think he still has feelings for her, but I am so mad that she somehow has a part of everyone I have ever loved. Seeing Josh tonight really threw me for a loop. I always wondered what he had turned into. I always thought he had to have changed a ton to ever have decided to marry her, but he was the same old Josh for most of the short night we had tonight. Why did he marry her? As sweet as he was to me tonight, I know for a fact there is only one man out there for me and I really hope he still wants me after finding out my sister must have some serious issues.

I can barely hear Brody’s voice as he comes inside the house, but it’s enough to make me realize I need to go back out there and face him. I really don’t know if I can live without him. He has made me realize that some things are definitely worth fighting for. There is no way my sister is going to win this one. I don’t care that she had him first. I am determined do be the last girl he ever has.

I open the bathroom door and go into the bedroom. I am fixing to open the door to head back to the living room when I feel a pinch in my arm and I can’t breathe. Suddenly everything goes black.

I step out of the shower and hear nonstop banging on the door. Why is Leighton not answering the door? I grab a towel and dry off quickly before heading to the bedroom to grab clothes. I go to the front door and open it to find Josh standing there for the second time tonight. What is with this guy?

“Is Leighton still here?” he asks, barging in for the second time tonight.

“I just got out of the shower, but I really don’t think she is.” I start looking all over the house for her, but can’t find her anywhere. Where did she go? I have a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that I may never see her again.

“I think Samantha is headed for Nashville. Is that where Leighton has been living? Would she be going there?” He keeps throwing all of the questions at me and I cannot figure out why Sam would be heading to Nashville. Something is definitely off here.

“Why do you think Sam would be heading to Nashville? What is going on with the two of you?”

“It’s complicated,” he says again. “Can you track Leighton’s cell phone? We really need to know where she is,” he says. I grab my phone and type in the information to track her cell phone.

“It looks like she’s headed that way. Can you please tell me what is going on with Sam? Why is she trying to find Leighton?” I ask, hoping he will finally give me a straight answer.

“I will explain everything on the way to the airport. We need to get to Leighton before Samantha does. Do you want to drive or do you want me to drive? I really hope there is a flight out very soon,” he says, opening the door to leave.

I follow behind him and get in his truck. I have no idea what is going on, but I am hoping this guy will finally come clean on what has been going on the past seven years. Wait, if they have been married seven years that means they had to have gotten married right after I left. What is going on?

I call and find the airport with the quickest flight to Nashville. I am hoping Leighton is on the one that left an hour before us and we aren’t too far behind her. I keep trying to call, but she’s not answering her phone.

When we finally get our tickets and are seated on the plane, I look over to Josh. “Can you please tell me what’s going on now?” He looks at me and nods before telling an unbelievable story.

“I think it all started with you,” he says confusing me. How could I possibly have had anything to do with him and Sam getting married and breaking Leighton’s heart? “I came home in October after I left for school in September. I hated school, mainly because I was missing Leighton like crazy.” How does this have anything to do with me? I left her in September.

“I saw Samantha out one night. I was partying pretty hard because I was a mess. My parents were mad I had dropped out of college. I couldn’t figure out how to tell Leighton what I had done, so I was just trying to forget it all for one night. I remember seeing Samantha that night and talking with her. I don’t remember drinking that much, but the next thing I knew I was waking up in bed with Samantha. I don’t know how it happened, I would never have done that to Leighton,” he says.

“She drugged you,” I say, trying to figure out why she would do that to her sister.

“I think so. I don’t remember anything about that night. I tried to forget about it and avoid her, but a month later she came to me with a positive pregnancy test. I realized then she was crazy when she started planning our wedding. I told her I didn’t want anything to with her but I would take care of my baby. She didn’t like that very much and that’s when she started threatening Leighton.”

“What do you mean threatening Leighton?”

“She said if I didn’t do what she said, Leighton finding out about the baby would be nothing compared to what she had planned. She said she was tired of Leighton getting everything she wanted and it was time she found out what it felt like to lose everything. “

“Do you really think she would have hurt Leighton?” I ask trying to wrap my head around all of this. Could a girl I actually thought I loved at one time really be capable of doing such a horrible thing?

“I didn’t think she would at first, but it didn’t take me long to figure out that she was serious. I know it sounds bad, but I had no choice but to marry her. I was not going to let anything happen to Leighton. I would have done anything to protect her, even if it meant breaking her heart. She was my first priority, as crazy as it sounds,” he says with nothing but love for her in his voice. I still don’t understand how you could marry someone like Sam when you have the chance to have Leighton in your life.

“Why did you say it all started with me?” I ask remembering he had said that earlier.

“A month after we got married, Samantha came to me and said she had miscarried. Honestly I don’t think she was ever pregnant. Leighton came home Christmas and saw me in her house with Samantha. Samantha had told me she wasn’t coming home, but I realized really quickly she had it all set up for Leighton to come home and find me there,” he says, still not telling me how I am involved in all of this. “I felt horrible for letting Leighton find out that way. I packed that night and told her I was going to go find Leighton and tell her everything. Samantha got mad and told me if I left, she would make sure it would be the last time Leighton ever saw anyone. I didn’t believe her until she showed me a locked closet in the garage. She had all kinds of things in there to use to hurt or kidnap anyone she wanted to. I realized then that I would never be able to get out of it. If I tried to leave, she would have killed Leighton or worse. That’s why I am so worried about her now,” he says, looking over at me. “Millions of people in this world and you two had to end up together. You are the reason she hates Leighton. When you two were together, she said Leighton came home early one night and you couldn’t stop staring at her. You broke up with her soon after that and she has blamed Leighton ever since. I was her revenge for you breaking up with her. She is clearly not okay.”

I am still trying to process all of this. If he is a cop, surely he could have stopped her or turned her in for having a closet full of torture devices.

“Why didn’t you ever turn her in?” I ask. He just shakes his head.

“I didn’t have any evidence. She is very smart and careful. She had a legitimate reason for having all of the stuff in her closet. She never technically hurt Leighton. You know as well as I do without proof of something, my word wouldn’t mean anything. I just tried to make sure she never got upset. I didn’t want to give her a reason to hurt Leighton. Ever,” he says. I will have to say I don’t know if I have ever loved any girl enough to make a sacrifice like that. Marrying someone you hate just to protect her. That has to be true love.

“Are you still in love with her?” I ask, turning to look him straight in the eyes. He doesn’t say anything, just stares back at me. He doesn’t have to say anything for me to know the truth. I can also pretty much guarantee that when Leighton finds out what he has sacrificed for her, I will lose her forever.

Finally after what feels like forever, we are off of the plane and headed straight to Leighton. I pull my phone out and decide it’s best to call Ash and see if he has heard from her.

“Hello,” he answers on the first ring. I guess he knew this call was coming.

“Have you heard from Leighton?” I ask.

“Callie just got off the phone with her. I’m not supposed to tell you that though,” he whispers.

“I need you to do me a favor. I think she is headed your way and I need you to protect her until I get there,” I say.

“What exactly am I protecting her from?” He asks, confirming to me that she is headed straight to their house. I really wish she wouldn’t. If Sam is that unstable, I really don’t want to put Callie and those babies in any danger.

“Her sister. She’s a little on the crazy side and we think she is headed to look for Leighton. Just don’t let anyone in and be on the lookout for anything weird going on. I should be there in about an hour,” I say before hanging up.

“Can he protect her?” Josh asks.

“He will do everything in his power to protect her. He’s married to my sister and they have two newborns at home. I really hope we get to them before Sam does,” I say, watching him pull his phone out. He dials a number and puts the phone to his ear before leaving a message.

“Hey Samantha. Call me now. You know we can work this out. We can stay away from Leighton and we won’t have to worry about her anymore. Please call me back. We can make this work,” he says before hanging up.

“Do you really think that message will work?” I ask, watching him shake his head.

We finally turn into the driveway and I spot a rental immediately. Thank goodness she is already here. I am about to go crazy to see this girl. I am just hoping she is as happy to see me.

We walk up to the porch and Ash immediately opens the door.

“Come on in,” he says holding the door open for us. I walk inside and I immediately start looking for Leighton who is nowhere to be found.

“Where is she?” I say starting to panic.

“She’s in our bedroom. She needed a minute,” Callie says from the couch. “Who is he?”

“This is Josh. It’s a long story,” I say going over to give Callie a hug. “Is she okay?” I ask whispering. Callie just looks at me and shakes her head.

“Why is he here?” she asks, looking over at Josh.

“I’m here to find Samantha,” he says. “I’m really sorry about all of this.”

“It’s okay,” Callie says looking at him strangely. “I’ll go get Leighton.” She lays the baby down in a bouncy seat and I start to feel bad for not acknowledging them sooner. I walk over to squat and talk to them while she goes into the bedroom. I really don’t want to be talking to babies right now, but I have to do something to keep from running into that room and dragging Leighton out before she sees Josh.

“Ash!!!!!” Callie screams from the bedroom. I look up at him the same time he looks down at me and we both start running into the bedroom. “She’s not here,” Callie screams at me. “Where is she?”

“Leighton!!!” I scream, running into the bathroom making sure she’s not in there. “Leighton!!! I start running all over the house looking for her when I hear Ash yell for me. I run back into the bedroom to see him at the window. I walk over to the window and see exactly what he sees.

“She wouldn’t have left her purse and her phone,” Callie says, picking them up off the bed.

“Put it down, don’t touch anything,” Ash says to Callie.

“Why?” she asks. I look back at her and I have no idea how to tell her what I am going to have to tell her.

“Someone took her,” I say, looking at Josh who has just walked into the room.

“How do you know?” Callie asks, looking at Ash.

“The window. The screen has been broken out and the glass was cut just enough to unlock it. Someone knew what they were doing,” he says, pulling out his phone. “I’m calling Bo and Cindy to come get Callie and the girls. I don’t want them here when the police come.”

“Who would do this?” Callie asks, starting to cry.

“Samantha,” Josh says quietly. “She’s still not answering her phone. I have no idea where she would take her,”

“Get her out of here,” I say to Ash, nodding my head in Callie’s direction. That girl has been through enough in her lifetime. She shouldn’t have to witness something like this again. As soon as he gets her out of the room, I call Jaxon and Collin and the police.

“Can you track her phone?” I ask Josh after making the calls.

“I can try,” he says, pulling his phone out to make a call. Ash walks back in the room to tell me my parents are on their way to get Callie and the girls.

“We will find her,” he says, coming over to me.

“Ash,” Callie screams running in the room with both babies in her arms. We both turn around to look at her when she says something we all should have realized sooner. “Where’s Scooby? He didn’t bark when they got here, but he did when Leighton got here.”

“I’ll go check,” I say, walking out the door. I walk outside to find Josh on the porch on his phone.

“Any luck?” I ask. He looks up at me and shakes his head.

“The phone is showing up here. She is either still here or she left her phone. I’m about to start looking for it,” he says. As soon as he walks around the house, I see lights pulling in the driveway. My mom comes running up the steps to give me a hug.

“What’s going on? Ash just told us to come get Callie and the girls. Why are you here?” she asks. My dad walks up behind her and just looks at me.

“What’s going on?” he asks. I try to talk, but nothing is coming out. I am going to lose it right here when I need to be out there finding Leighton. I don’t even know where to start. I’m about to say something when Jaxon and Collin pull up. They are making their way up to the porch when the door opens and Callie and Ash come outside with bags and the babies.

“Just take care of her,” I whisper, nodding my head at Callie. She walks over to me and gives me a hug.

“You will find her,” she says, before letting me go. Everybody just looks at me. I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes when Josh comes around the corner with something in his hand.

“It was by the window,” he says, holding a cell phone up. Great, we have no way to track her now. How will I ever find Leighton now? “There’s also a dog back there,” he says, looking at Callie. “I think he’s okay, just knocked out. You may want to get him to a vet soon though.”