Page 13 of Web of Lies
Hey girl! Classes are starting up here! I’m so excited for the art class they have. Did you know the art teacher is world-famous? Like… awards and all kinds of stuff? It’s amazing, I can’t wait to get into my assigned project. It’s been forever since I’ve sat down and just… painted. There’s been too much going on in life, ya know? How are you doing? Classes good? That school still suck without me?? Ha! I know this one still sucks without you, seriously.
I’ve met some awesome people; I’m going to hang out with some of them at a maze party tonight. You remember the maze I told you about? Holy crap, there’s a house in there too, it’s so weird. The twins basically own it and throw kick-ass parties. And I—met someone. Yeah—weird, right? I’m going to meet them there and hang out a little bit. I’ll report back asap and tell you how the ‘date’, if you can call it that, went!
I love you bunches, Kaycee.
Magnolia xoxo.
A few hours later, I plant my feet into the freshly mowed grass, lips parting in awe at the green hedge maze. Tall hedges soar above my head, neatly trimmed to perfection in the shape of squares, going on for what seems like miles upon miles around me, bathing me in their piney scent. When Magnolia told me about the winding maze here, I almost didn’t believe her. Until I looked up the pictures, of course, but this—this is too much for words. This place is plucked from the pages of a magazine and is almost too perfect for a place like this.
The excited squeals of other students from the inside of the maze echo off the surrounding buildings. A smile blooms, imagining them wandering around the labyrinth, clueless as to where it ends, and adrenaline pumping through their hearts at the thrill the maze brings. It seems so endless—mysterious.
A few moans mixed with more excited squeals makes my smile melt away; the unmistakable sound of lips attacking each other’s drifts through the gaps in the hedges. Other gross noises come from within the intricate maze: skin on skin smacking together, groans and moans, and repeated curse words. I can’t fathom what that other weird sound is…. What the hell is going on between the hedges? An orgy? My body shudders at the thought of a public orgy, sending shivers down my spine. What the hell did I get myself into with Chase?
If he expects me to do any of that with him, he’s way off base—way, way, way off base. Well—maybe not off base. Hmmm. My mind and body have other ideas about him, remembering our kiss from when we were kids. Something sparked between us back then, never really going away. We spent a month together, him and me in the darkness of the movie studio. Talking. Playing. Just typical ten-year-old stuff. Until the kiss broke the barriers down, and we fell into a children’s love story. It had been our last day together, and then we never saw each other until now. How does he not remember who I am? Or is he playing me?
Still, in his presence, for the whole two times I’ve seen him, he brings a desire deep inside of me to life. A sickness no one has brought forth since Eli, and even Eli was more of anI want to experimenttype of situation. Chase is a gorgeous specimen. Especially as a man. That golden hair and bronzed skin, with muscles for days. Football really does the body good, and he and his friends are proof of that. But fuck! I can’t go down that road right now. Murder suspect. Damn it, Kaycee. You’re here for one purpose and one purpose only. To ruin him. Annihilate his existence for torturing your best friend with the help of his gorgeous friends. Why couldn’t they be ugly or something? Why did they have to be so damned beautiful? Curse me.
I bring my mind to the present, looking around me. The school’s property expands for acres upon acres—one hundred, to be exact. It is situated on top of one of the many bluffs, made famous by its name. It’s filled to the brim with sports stadiums, ponds, caves, forests, and beaches.
I wrinkle my nose as more groans penetrate the air. Among other things—ew, bad, Kaycee! Don’t think of penetration! My head tilts to the side, ears perking up at a familiar voice.
“I’m so lost!” One girl squeals with a high-pitched laugh.
“Let’s make use of our time then.” A deep voice purrs from between the hedges.
Instead of the burning rage I heard come from him this morning, now all I hear is the raw lust leaking from his raspy voice. My body stiffens as I listen to a zipper come undone. Lips smacking, sucking—something. I don’t want to listen to Carter, and some chick play hide the eggplant in the maze, but it’s like a train wreck. I can’t stop myself. Or the lust burning through me.
“Kind of a peeping tom, aren’t you, New Girl?” My entire body jumps as I whirl around, yelping.
Chase stands behind me with the biggest grin on his smug-as-fuck face, fighting off laughter. I’m sure my face is as bright as a tomato at the thought of getting caught peeping on two people I didn’t want to peep on, but here I am. Red as a tomato, embarrassment tingling through my body. Great—just great.
I clear my throat and shift my weight from one side to the other. “I wasn’t peeping,” I say with a stern voice. Or not so stern, more like throaty, and trying not to sound like I just got caught doing something naughty.
“Uh-huh, right. You weren’t listening to ole Cruel Carter bang his step-sister, huh?” If I had water in my mouth, I’d spit it all over the lawn in shock. Probably soak Chase in his tight, form-fitting t-shirt too. Hmm—not a bad image. Fuck focus: you’re supposed to be cool. So instead, I sputter on the spit caught in my throat and make a fool of myself, anyway. Smooth move, Kace, real cool.
“St-step sister?” I ask through a stutter that makes me sound like the virgin I am.
Chase snorts at my reaction and doubles over in laughter, clutching his stomach like I’m a damn comedian. “New Girl! You should see your face right now. Oh, shit….” He cackles on and on about how gullible I am, turning my face redder and redder than it already was. Can a hole swallow me whole yet? Because that’d be great.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re hilarious,” I quip, flipping my wrist in his direction.
“I will have so much fun with you, I can tell. Now come on, let me show ya around this place. We’ll start here.” He points to the green bushes in front of us, excitement sparkling in his eyes as he starts his tour.
“The first rule at East Point is don’t go into the maze unless you want to get fucked or lost. That shit’s impossible unless you know what you’re doing.” He says with a bit of a wink meant to entice me.
“Do you go in often?” I ask as we walk around the outside of the maze. I keep my eyes on the miles of bushes, trying and failing to not listen to the obscene moans coming from the inside. My body seems to spark to life at the sounds of their pleasure, bringing a desire to the tips of my fingers, spreading to my center. It probably doesn’t help that Chase is my guide too. Damn….
“Are you jealous?” He asks, raising a brow and taunting me with his lop-sided smile.
“Absolutely,” I reply, connecting our eyes. He stops his walking and stares over at me with surprise flashing in his eyes, promptly darting them away for a split-second. When he reconnects our gazes, a blinding Chase grin takes over his face. Any doubts in his mind are gone.
“Really?” he asks, lowering his hands to his side. His eyes bore into mine like he wants to use his football skills and tackle me to the ground and smother me in kisses. Or his dick.
“Now, who’s the gullible one?” I crack a smile and start walking again, trying to calm the erratic drum beating against my ribs. Flirting with Chase in my mind to lure him in was easy, but the reality is always a bit more than expected. More intense.
Chase huffs and catches up to me, keeping our pace in sync. “That’s not nice, New Girl, playing with my emotions like that,” he says, holding his hand over his heart.
I snort and eye the maze. “Is it really that hard to find the center?” I ask, pointing toward the hedges.
