Twisted Circles (Secret Society 2)

He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. I shook my head, disappointment winning out. More than anything, I was sad that he felt that way, especially since I liked him. I reminded myself that I’d kept my actual identity from him. It didn’t matter. He’d brought me here so that his mother could psychoanalyze me and it was embarrassing.

“You’re an asshole.”

“I am and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have just asked you directly.”

“Do you know what it’s like to grow up thinking something is wrong with you? For every single outburst to be overanalyzed and probed as if I were some kind of experiment?” I pointed at the building. “Shit like that makes all of those memories come flooding back. My mother, my adoptive mother, pays good money for me to see Dr. Maslow. Money we don’t have. I’ve been surrounded by head doctors all my life, so that little stunt was not very covert.”

“In her defense, she didn’t know I was bringing you for any of that.”

“Oh, so she just asks every single girl you bring around about their childhood five seconds into meeting her?”

“Honestly? Yes. She really does.” Adam let out a short laugh and dammit, I felt myself laugh a little.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Hey, you saw the amount of hugs you got in ten minutes. We’re pretty fucking ridiculous.”

I laughed again and followed him back to his car. After we got in, I took a breath and exhaled, realizing I felt lighter. Even though I hadn’t told him, I was glad he knew and that he seemed to be on my side in all of this. I was clicking on my seatbelt when I felt him looking at me and glanced up to meet his eyes.

“What?”

“I really am sorry.” He brought a hand up and caressed the side of my face with his thumb. I nodded my acceptance for his apology because I couldn’t quite seem to get the words out of my mouth.

“Where are we going?” I asked after a moment, after he’d dropped his hand from my face, turned the car on, and started to drive.

“To excavate.”

“Excavate what? Dinosaur bones?”

He didn’t respond, but as he pulled into a cemetery and drove down the street, passing the endless plots, I started to feel like I was going to hyperventilate. I looked over at him.

“Please tell me we’re not going to dig up a person.”

Adam’s smile was wolfish as he glanced back over.

My shoulders hurt from shoveling dirt and we had barely made a dent on the plot. I exhaled, wiping my forehead with the back of my arm.

“Don’t they have machines that do this?”

“They do.”

“So why are we doing this?”

“Because it’s part of the initiation.”

“To dig a hole in the ground?” I set the shovel into the ground and looked at him. He was just standing there, all cool as a cucumber as he watched me do the hard work. “Please don’t tell me I’m digging my own hole.”

“You’re not. Yours is back at The Manor.”

“So whose is this one?”

“Who knows?”

“What do you mean who knows? Adam, you’re not making any sense.”

“Keep digging, Eva. I’ll let you know when you’re done.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“You know what’s not ridiculous? Fifty grand in your bank account in a few days if you pass these little tests.”

I kept digging. A little faster now. I exhaled and set the shovel down again, about to reach for my water bottle, when I felt the shovel tap something. I glanced up at Adam.

“I thought you said there was nothing in these plots.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I think I just . . . I think I just hit something.”

“You should keep digging.”

“Adam, I think this is a casket.” I stepped away, taking my shovel with me.

“You should open it.”

“What?”

“You should open the casket.”

My heart roared as I stared at him. He was completely serious. I took a step toward the hole. I definitely hadn’t dug six feet. Not even two. How was there a casket buried so close to the top?

“I can’t see,” I said. “I need a flashlight.”

He walked over with his cell phone flashlight on and aimed it at the ground. Sure enough, there was a glossy brown casket there.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to open it,” I said.

“Try.”

“Are you going to help me?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Well, what you’re doing is a crime and while you could go to court and argue that I helped you commit this ridiculous crime, I think we both know I’ll have a better lawyer.”

“You’re framing me?” My jaw dropped as I stood up. Taking my gloves off one by one, I threw them at him, then continued walking as he walked backward. I pushed his chest. “After you took me to your mother’s house so she could diagnose me because you thought I was crazy, now you’re framing me?”