Forest Lake

Chapter 18

Mason POV

Why do I have a feeling that Emma isn’t telling me something?

I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing for morning to come sooner. I was nervous being away from her. What if something happened? What if that serial killer fucker decides to take another girl, and this time it's Emma?

My heartbeat quickened, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

No.

I will never let that happen.

Nobody will hurt her. I will kill them before they even think about it.

The door opened and Jax walked inside. I raised my head to look at him. He was staring in front of himself with an unreadable expression on his face.

I furrowed my eyebrows and lifted myself up on my elbows. He didn’t say anything when he entered. He didn’t give me any shit about Emma, and I expected him to. I was already prepared to tell him to fuck the hell off once he started ranting on about how right he was. But he was silent, and it was very weird.

“Jax?” I called him. “What’s wrong, man?”

He didn’t look at me. He sat down on his bed and took a deep breath.

Okay, now I am worried. This is the longest he has been silent since I knew him, and it was freaking me the hell out.

I sat up and eyed him up and down. I hoped that nothing happened to his sister, Cassie. He calls her a little devil, but he adores her more than anything in this world. If something happened to her, he would break down. She is 13 years old, and she is Jax’s little “Minnie me”. She was supposed to come to visit over the weekend. I really hoped that nothing happened and that Jax wasn’t upset over her. I had no idea how to comfort him if something happened to her. I would probably freak out myself. I love Cassie.

“Jax?” I called him again. “What the hell happened? Is Cassie okay?”

He lifted his head as soon as he heard his sister’s name.

“She is fine.” he mumbled, staring right through me.

“What the fuck happened then?” I asked him. “You look like shit.”

He mumbled something I couldn’t hear.

“Speak up, Jaxon.” I sighed.

“Another girl went missing.” he said a little bit louder.

I froze completely. My breath got caught in my throat. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.

Is it Emma?!

No! Fuck no!

I just saw her. I just walked her back to her room!

“Who?” I managed to ask, trying to force my body to move so I could jump up and go check on Emma.

“A girl from our class.” Jax mumbled. “Annie Miller.”

“Holy fuck.” I mumbled.

Jax hooked up with her last year. I almost did as well, but I was distracted. There was a party, and a city girl had bigger boobs than Annie. It was enough for me to shift my focus away from Annie. I’m a pig, I know.

“She was taken from her dorm room, man.” Jax mumbled, looking at me.

Shit.

Fucking shit.

“How the fuck did that happen?” I asked, removing the blanket and standing up.

I wanted to go to Emma. There is no fucking chance that I am letting her sleep alone now.

“She was alone in her room.” Jax said. “She doesn’t have a roommate. One of her friends went to get her so they could go to dinner together, but she wasn’t there. She found a note and blood.”

“Holy fuck.” I mumbled. “What about Daisy? Did they find her?”

“I don’t know.” Jax said, shrugging.

I ran my hand through my hair. What the fuck is going on? Why can’t the police find this fucker? He has to be close by. The cameras must have caught him. Why can’t they find him and stop him?

I took a deep breath and opened my closet. I grabbed a pair of sweats and a hoodie.

“What are you doing?” Jax asked me as I started to remove the shirt I usually sleep in.

“I’m going to sleep with Emma.” I said, pulling the hoodie over my head. “There is no fucking way I’m letting her alone in her room from now on.”

“You can’t do that, man.” Jax said. “The teachers will bite your head off.”

“The teachers can fuck off.” I said angrily. “I’m not leaving Emma alone until they find that fucker.”

“What about Hazel?” Jax sighed, knowing damn well that nothing he said would convince me not to go.

“If Hazel has a problem with it, she can come sleep here.” I said, pulling up my sweats. “Or you can go to Emma’s room, I don’t care.”

Jax nodded and looked down at his hands.
I sat on my bed to put my sneakers on.

“Will Cassie come visit over the weekend?” I asked him.

“I don’t know, man.” he said as he looked back up at me. “I miss her, but I don’t want to bring her here with all that’s been happening.”

“Nothing will happen to her, you know that, right?” I asked him as I stood up. “She will be safe with us. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She is like my little sister.”

“I know.” Jax sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I will think about it. My parents probably won’t even allow her to come.”

I nodded and grabbed my phone from the nightstand.

“I will see you tomorrow, man.” I said as I opened the door.

“Good night, Mase.” Jax said, standing up and walking to the bathroom.

I closed the door and pulled my hood up.
The place was swarming with cops again. It was funny to see them because they were trying to be quiet while rushing around and talking frantically into their walkie-talkies. They paid no attention to me, which kind of pissed me off. What if I was the kidnapper? I was right under their noses, walking around with a hood on my head, and they never stopped me to see who the fuck I was. I rolled my eyes and hurried toward the stairs.

A few minutes later, I was standing in front of Emma’s door. I knocked loudly and waited for a response. A few moments passed and nothing happened. I knew they were probably sleeping already, but I thought that my knocking would wake them up.

Unless something happened…

Unless he took her too…

I grabbed the door knob, ready to open the door and burst inside.

My heart was beating a hundred miles an hour, trying to jump out of my body.

I twisted the door knob, but the door was locked.

Fuck!

I knocked again, even louder than before.

“Who is it?” I heard Hazel’s scared voice from inside.

I sighed in relief.

“Mason.” I said. “I need to see Emma.”

I heard footsteps coming toward the door. I heard the door being unlocked and a second later, a pissed off Hazel was standing in front of me.

My eyes darted behind her. I saw Emma sitting on her bed with a sleepy and confused expression on her face. I almost cried in relief.

I pushed past Hazel and ran to Emma. I pulled her into my arms and took a deep breath.

“What the fuck, Mason?” Hazel said angrily. “You almost gave me a heart attack. Why did you almost break into our room?”

“Another girl went missing.” I mumbled as I let Emma go.

Hazel gasped, and Emma’s eyes widened.

“What?” Emma asked, shocked.

“She was taken from her dorm room.” I said, running my hand through Emma’s hair. “I’m sleeping here. I’m not leaving you alone from now on.”

“Oh, my God.” Hazel mumbled.

I turned around to look at Hazel. “Will you have a problem with me staying here? I can take Emma to my room and Jax can come here, or you can go to my room. I don’t want you to stay alone either.”

Hazel looked at me and shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You can stay here.”

I nodded and turned back to Emma. She was sad and worried. My heart clenched painfully. She has nothing to worry about, not while I am here.

“Who is the girl?” Emma asked quietly.

“Annie Miller.” I said as I sat down on her bed and took off my sneakers.

“From our class?” Hazel gasped.

I nodded, moving the covers away.

“Shit.” Hazel mumbled.

I laid down and pulled the covers over my body. Emma was still sitting on the bed, staring in front of herself absentmindedly.

“What about Daisy?” Hazel asked as she stood up and walked over to the light switch.

“I don’t know.” I sighed, wrapping my hand around Emma’s arm and pulling her gently to me. “They haven’t said anything about her.”

Hazel nodded and turned the light off.

“Good night, guys.” Hazel mumbled.

“Good night.” I said as I placed Emma’s head on my chest and wrapped my arms around her.

I could tell that she was freaked out. I was too. But knowing that she was safe and right next to me made it easier.

I kissed the top of her head and closed my eyes.

I hoped we would know something by tomorrow. I hoped they would find the fucker soon.