Page 30
Chapter 30 of "The Secret" begins revealing surprises: Gavin frowned. âYou donât remember what happened?âI shook my head, my cheeks going hot.He glanced... Read on to find out!
Gavin frowned. âYou donât remember what happened?â
I shook my head, my cheeks going hot.
He glanced around the emptying room, a stormy look crossing his face. âYour douchebag of a husband showed up,â he said, dropping his voice low.
My brain was like a record skittering to a halt.
âStefan? He was there?â I was in shock. How had he found me? He shouldnât have been able to track me with my phone turned off.
âYeah,â Gavin said, disgusted. âLetâs talk outside, in the quad.â
The pieces were falling into place nowânot just my recollection of Stefan being at the club, but how heâd acted Saturday morning, how heâd seemed to know there was something wrong with me. Yet he hadnât said a word about it. Instead heâd sat there, smug and mostly silent, making backhanded comments about me being pale and trying to force food on me.
I felt the same nausea Iâd felt that morning as I sank onto a bench, pulling my coat tighter around me.
And if Gavin was calling Stefan a douchebag, something must have happened between them. Oh no. âWait, what did he do? Did he say something to you?â
Gavin shook his head. âYou really donât remember.â He sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. âYeah, so everything was cool, you were dancing, having a few drinks, and then yourhusband,â he practically spat the word, âshows up out of nowhere. Just barges in, acting like youâre his property. We had a few words. He was all possessive, very aggro, and then he dragged you out of there. Like you didnât deserve to be out having a good time with your friends.â
âAnd thatâsâŚthat was all?â I asked.
He nodded. âYour husband has some anger management issues. And he obviously thinks he owns you. I know itâs none of my business, but having gone through this same kind of thing with my mom, I gotta sayâŚitâs the kind of behavior that doesnât get better. I worry about you.â
âStefanâsâŚcomplicated,â I said. âHeâs not normally like that.â But he was, wasnât he?
Something still wasnât right. Iâd been drugged, I was sure of it, yet Gavin hadnât mentioned it at all.
He shrugged again. âIf you say so,â he said. âYou know him better than I do.â
I nodded numbly. I was only half listening, still struggling to make sense of it all. According to my own memory, I hadnât been having a good time in the least when Stefan had arrived. I distinctly remembered the nausea, the way the ground had rolled under my feet, the way Iâd sunk to the floor as the room went black. How had Gavin not noticed?
âDid I seemâŚâ I paused, not sure how to ask if I had acted like Iâd been roofied. âDid I seem a little out of it?â
Gavin paused thoughtfully. âI guess you did seem a little off. I just thought youâd had too much to drink.â He laughed. âI mean, but who hasnât had a night or two out where they couldnât remember what happened?â
Me. Iâd never had a night like that and I never wanted to have one again.
âI donât think I was just drunk,â I said slowly. âI think I might have been drugged.â
His entire face changed, instantly stricken. âJesus,â he said. âWho the hell wouldâŚâ he stopped, his words cutting off as if he was remembering something.
âWhat?â
âNothing, itâs justâŚâ He paused. âNo, thatâs crazy.â
âWhat?â I demanded. âTell me.â
He took a deep breath. âItâs justâif you think you were druggedâŚâ he shook his head again. âI donât know. Do you remember seeing a big guy that night? Really tall?â
My stomach dropped. âYes. I do. He was over six feet, black turtleneck, shaved head. I thought he was one of the bouncers.â
Gavin looked me straight in the eye. âHe didnât work there. He was the one who led Stefan to you. They left the club together, carrying you. I canât help wondering ifâŚif Stefan and this guy had something to do with whatever you drank. I mean, dude was checking you out all night. Hovering not ten feet away from you at all times. I figured he just liked the way you looked, butâŚitâs a pretty big coincidence.â
My blood went cold.
âYou think Stefan had me drugged?â I asked, my voice cracking.
âI donât know what to think, Tori,â Gavin said. âBut if youâd seen the way he was acting, how possessive and angry he was about the fact that we were just talkingâŚI just wouldnât be surprised if heâd sent the big guy out that night to keep an eye on you. Maybe more than that.â