the horrific image that would forever be embedded in my mind.
Finding Chrissy’s body had been a horrible experience, but seeing Chelsea killed brought it to a whole new level. Chelsea was my best friend and probably the only person who was in my life because she wanted to be there and not because someone had made her befriend me. I couldn’t bear to have anything happen to her.
“Hey.” Aiden’s soothing voice filled my mind.
I looked up to find him standing in front of me.
He dropped to his knees and pulled me into his arms. “We’re not going to let that happen to her.”
I buried my head in his chest. “We’ve got to stop him.”
He stroked my hair. “I know. And we will.”
His natural calming ability slowly washed over me for the first time since I’d found out the truth. I only half-wondered why that was because I had missed it so much and was in desperate need of it.
A few minutes later, my emotions under control again, I lifted my head and looked into his eyes. “You guys didn’t tell Chelsea about it, did you?”
He shook his head. “No, we’re not that stupid.”
“Where is she now?”
“Lucas took her to the lounge room.”
“Okay.” I pushed away from him and got to my feet. I was about to transport to her when I realised something was wrong. I dropped back down to my knees in front of Aiden, buried my head in my hands, and pretended to cry.
Aiden wrapped his arms around me, giving me the perfect opportunity to talk to him in case anyone was watching. It would only look as if he were comforting me as a good boyfriend was supposed to do.
“I can’t hear Chelsea or feel where she is, and I should be able to.”
“What are you saying?”
I pretended to sob quietly. “I think I’ve been drugged again. It’s the only explanation.”
“Are you sure you should be able to feel her from so far away?”
“I’m sure. But it’s not just that. You’re also able to calm me, which you haven’t been able to do since Harry gave me the injection.”
“Can you hear my thoughts?”
I pulled down the barrier I had put up between his thoughts and mine, expecting to hear them again, but there was nothing. “I can’t hear anything.”
“Shit. How do you think he’s drugging you?”
“Who friggin’ knows? For all I know, he could be drugging me with the air that I’m breathing.”
“You’re going to need to see Harry again.”
I tensed before forcing myself to relax into Aiden’s arms again. I wasn’t ready to see my mum again, but what choice did I have? If I wanted any chance in stopping Nathan, I needed to be stronger than he was, and if that meant I had to see my mother again, then so be it. “Okay.”
“Really?” he asked, his internal voice sounding surprised.
“Yep. But only after we let everyone know. I don’t want Nathan thinking we’re running off again.”
He kissed me on my forehead. “Let’s do this then.”
I pretended to wipe tears from my eyes as I pulled my head back. “I’m okay now.”
We transported to Chelsea and Lucas, who were sitting on one sofa, with Dave and Anna on the adjacent sofa. Aiden sat on the armchair, pulling me down onto his lap.
“You okay, honey?” Anna asked me.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to those messages,” I said.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to,” Aiden said. “I mean, that’s the whole point. Adam wants to shock you. He wants you to know he is in control.”
“Well, he’s got the shock value pretty much down pat,” Chelsea said with a strained laugh. “When you told me about the other messages, I had no idea just how bad they really were.” Her eyes glistened with threatened tears.
Lucas put his hand on her shoulder and sent her some calming endorphins. “You shouldn’t have had to see that.”
Lucas was right, but I didn’t know what to do about it. Chelsea was stuck in the situation whether we wanted her to be there or not. Nathan had made damn sure of that.
“How did
Finding Chrissy’s body had been a horrible experience, but seeing Chelsea killed brought it to a whole new level. Chelsea was my best friend and probably the only person who was in my life because she wanted to be there and not because someone had made her befriend me. I couldn’t bear to have anything happen to her.
“Hey.” Aiden’s soothing voice filled my mind.
I looked up to find him standing in front of me.
He dropped to his knees and pulled me into his arms. “We’re not going to let that happen to her.”
I buried my head in his chest. “We’ve got to stop him.”
He stroked my hair. “I know. And we will.”
His natural calming ability slowly washed over me for the first time since I’d found out the truth. I only half-wondered why that was because I had missed it so much and was in desperate need of it.
A few minutes later, my emotions under control again, I lifted my head and looked into his eyes. “You guys didn’t tell Chelsea about it, did you?”
He shook his head. “No, we’re not that stupid.”
“Where is she now?”
“Lucas took her to the lounge room.”
“Okay.” I pushed away from him and got to my feet. I was about to transport to her when I realised something was wrong. I dropped back down to my knees in front of Aiden, buried my head in my hands, and pretended to cry.
Aiden wrapped his arms around me, giving me the perfect opportunity to talk to him in case anyone was watching. It would only look as if he were comforting me as a good boyfriend was supposed to do.
“I can’t hear Chelsea or feel where she is, and I should be able to.”
“What are you saying?”
I pretended to sob quietly. “I think I’ve been drugged again. It’s the only explanation.”
“Are you sure you should be able to feel her from so far away?”
“I’m sure. But it’s not just that. You’re also able to calm me, which you haven’t been able to do since Harry gave me the injection.”
“Can you hear my thoughts?”
I pulled down the barrier I had put up between his thoughts and mine, expecting to hear them again, but there was nothing. “I can’t hear anything.”
“Shit. How do you think he’s drugging you?”
“Who friggin’ knows? For all I know, he could be drugging me with the air that I’m breathing.”
“You’re going to need to see Harry again.”
I tensed before forcing myself to relax into Aiden’s arms again. I wasn’t ready to see my mum again, but what choice did I have? If I wanted any chance in stopping Nathan, I needed to be stronger than he was, and if that meant I had to see my mother again, then so be it. “Okay.”
“Really?” he asked, his internal voice sounding surprised.
“Yep. But only after we let everyone know. I don’t want Nathan thinking we’re running off again.”
He kissed me on my forehead. “Let’s do this then.”
I pretended to wipe tears from my eyes as I pulled my head back. “I’m okay now.”
We transported to Chelsea and Lucas, who were sitting on one sofa, with Dave and Anna on the adjacent sofa. Aiden sat on the armchair, pulling me down onto his lap.
“You okay, honey?” Anna asked me.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to those messages,” I said.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to,” Aiden said. “I mean, that’s the whole point. Adam wants to shock you. He wants you to know he is in control.”
“Well, he’s got the shock value pretty much down pat,” Chelsea said with a strained laugh. “When you told me about the other messages, I had no idea just how bad they really were.” Her eyes glistened with threatened tears.
Lucas put his hand on her shoulder and sent her some calming endorphins. “You shouldn’t have had to see that.”
Lucas was right, but I didn’t know what to do about it. Chelsea was stuck in the situation whether we wanted her to be there or not. Nathan had made damn sure of that.
“How did
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