Read Second Nature for Free Online Page B

It’s not about that.”
    “You think I don't
understand you, but you’re wrong. I know that you just need to be near him,
even if he doesn't see you. You see him, that's what matters.”
    “Yup.” It was the most
pathetic thing I had ever admitted, and I hated that it was Vincent I was
saying it to. But then I lifted my eyes and noticed the way he was looking at
Lindsey who was walking to us with another pumpkin spice latte. He did
understand. He might have been the only one. He hid it well, but he knew. “I’m
just grateful you care that there is a killer on the loose. I can’t seem to get
Lindsey to focus on it, and Andrew is over it. Jake would help if I had
directions for him, but I don't.”
    “And the girls don't want
to acknowledge any of it. Our parents are being so overbearing none of us have
any free time.”
    “I know.” He nodded and
smiled at Lindsey as she pulled a second cup from behind her back and an amused
look crossed her face.
    “You thought I never got
you a coffee, didn't you?”
    He laughed and shook his
head, taking his coffee and sliding an arm around her waist. “Thank you.”
    “Why do you two look so
serious?” She sipped her latte.
    Vincent rolled his eyes.
“Perhaps because a psycho killer is hunting us all.”
    “Right.” It came out
snarky, but I was getting tired of how none of them wanted to talk about it
anymore.
    “Not this again.” She
rolled her eyes.
    We’d made the pact on the
beach to end it, a blood and Grey Goose pact, and none of them had stuck to it.
The day after we got the threatening text from Rachel’s phone we had to go for
a brunch. We were all forced to go. It was an emergency meeting for the
parents, due to the phone call that had been sent to Mr. Henning’s phone by my
father, right before Mr. Henning died. And the fact the killer had said phone.
    From then on every day
had been filled with events.
    At half of our scheduled
events, Vincent and I had been on Lindsey duty. She’d been a hot mess from the
killer locking her in the pool house so she drank too much too often.
    Sage cried all the time,
and when she wasn't crying she was manic. Her highs and lows were spastic and
uncharitable. When she was happy she hit on Vincent whenever Lindsey wasn't
looking. When everyone was looking, she hit on Jake. When she was sad she moped
and said weird things that didn’t make sense.
    The chances of her being
the killer crept into my mind more than anyone else.
    Sierra got drunk and high
and slept with everyone she could.
    Rita was the only one who
held it together, but then again we didn't know what to expect from her.
    After not hearing
anything in weeks, we all started to slip back into our regular mode.
    Lindsey and Vincent were
together all the time.
    Sage was hanging with
Rita and Sierra.
    And I played WoW and did my corkboard.
    “You girls have upped
your prescription meds or something. Haven’t you?” Vincent shook his head.
    “No. I just think Sierra might
be right. Maybe this is sort of over now. I mean, the killer hasn't been in
contact with any of us and no one else has died. He said there was a pattern,
and we haven’t seen anything that links Rachel and Mr. Henning together. I
think it’s over.” She lifted her cell phone, her eyes filling with desperation.
“We haven’t even been getting messages. I want it to be over.”
    It was Vincent’s turn to
roll his eyes. “Have you never heard of the calm before the storm? This is far
from over. That's a dangerous way to think, princess. We weren’t prepared when
Rachel got killed. We fell into a trap. Now someone has a photo of you and your
friends with a dead girl the moment she died. And your dads left threats on a
phone the killer has for the other dead person. Maybe that's the pattern.”
    “He has a point.” I
nodded.
    “No! You guys need to
think about this from a rational standpoint. It’s possible he did what he came
here to do and he’s left. I mean , he could be back