Dirty Little Secrets

CHAPTER 30.

KINGSLEY’S POV

I was sick and tired of Summer pushing me away. Every single time I tried to help, it felt like she just laid down another brick in the wall keeping me out.

Since she refused to open up to anyone about who was threatening her, I took matters into my own hands and teamed up with Felix and George. Right now, we were crammed into George’s bedroom, using the digital breadcrumbs we’d managed to lift from the ICT lab. Felix was hunched over his laptop, typing furiously.

"How long is this going to take?" I demanded, pacing the length of the room like a caged animal.

"Chill, bro. I’m almost through," Felix mumbled, not looking up from the screen.

"Oh, I almost forgot," George said, turning from the window to look at me. "Clyde met up with someone earlier. Apparently, the guy is friends with Summer, and he gave Clyde a message to pass along to her."

I froze in my tracks. "What kind of message?"

"He said, 'You can't keep running. Just embrace it.'"

"Did he give a name?" I pressed, my chest tightening.

"No. Just the message."

"This is so messed up!" I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling a sharp breath of pure frustration. Someone was actively hunting Summer down, and instead of giving us details or letting us help, she was shutting us all out completely.

"Boom! Done!" Felix announced, his voice breaking the heavy tension in the room.

"Finally. What did you find?" George stepped closer.

"I managed to crack into a private server. Honestly, it was very easy to get into, which is actually kind of suspicious. Who doesn't put a proper security protocol on their main database?"

"Save us the technical lecture, Felix. What’s the bottom line? Any good news?" I cut him off. If I didn't stop him, he'd ramble about code until daybreak.

"Fine, killjoy. I got a pinged address from the site," Felix said, turning the laptop screen toward us. George and I bent down, staring at the glowing coordinates on the map.

"Let’s go. Right now." I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair, throwing it on.

"Wait, as in now?" Felix blinked, suddenly looking very small in his chair.

"You can stay behind if you're too scared," I snapped, not even looking at him as I zipped up my jacket.

"Kingsley, it’s literally a 15 past 12 into the damn midnight," Felix shuddered, gesturing wildly at the clock.

"And so?" I turned around, locking eyes with him. "You have no problem staying out until one in the morning when it's a club, so why is this any different?"

"Because that’s a club man! Not some god damn forsaken abandoned building I’ve never heard of in my life! I’m not dropping everything to go house-hunting in the dark."

"So you're just not going to help a friend out?" Anger flared hot in my chest.

"That’s not what I’m saying, and don't you dare twist my words," Felix shot back, shoving his hair off his forehead. "Why do you think I’m stuck in this room instead of being at the club right now, if not to help? I’m doing this for her too."

"Then what's the issue?"

"Just wait until morning. It’s too risky to go out there blind in the middle of the night," Felix reasoned, his voice trembling slightly.

"Honestly, I'm with Felix on this one," George chimed in, stepping between us. "Besides, we need to loop Summer in. We shouldn't be going behind her back like this. She’s going to be absolutely furious if she finds out."

"Nobody is telling Summer a single word about what we found tonight," I said, my voice dropping to a harsh whisper. " Everything seen and heard here, stays in this room, forever!" I couldn't comprehend how they were being so dense. A girl's life was literally on the line.

"Do you honestly think Summer would let us go if she knew? She’d rather risk her own life in the name of 'survival' than let anyone else take the hit. The least we can do as her friends is help her in the dark, since she won't let us do it in the light!" I stepped back, looking at both of them with total disbelief. "Look, I don't get you guys. If you're too afraid to go, fine. I’ll go by myself."

I turned on my heel, stormed out of the room, and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the frame.