Ch. 18: Close Encounters

After explaining everything to Asher, I'm fully prepared for him to call me crazy, but he doesn't. In fact, he doesn't say anything. While I tell him about the texts and flowers left at my apartment door, he just nods along, listening intently. When I get to the part about someone going after me the other night, his eyes widen. He stops me right there and starts pacing furiously around the room. For a moment, I swear he's going to burn a hole in the carpet. I sigh before walking over to him.

"Asher, hey." He doesn't respond, either choosing to ignore me or so consumed by his own thoughts that he doesn't hear. I grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Turning his attention back to me, I can't seem to figure out how what he is thinking. A mix of emotions seem to play across his face all at once that it is nearly impossible to decipher. "Hey, can you just stop for a second and talk to me?"

He lets out a deep breath before sitting back down on the bed. I follow suit, nervously fumbling with my hands. Why did I even tell him? Char and Nina almost had a heart attack when I told them about digging back into what happened to my mother, and we've been friends for years. I also was smart enough not to tell them about the hooded figure from the other night. Char would have driven me to the police station herself. Asher and I just agreed to take it slow. What was I thinking, bombarding him with all this at once? If only Andi had my emotional baggage in 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'; I'm positive she would have been able to get Ben to dump her within the hour.

"Makayla, that was a lot," he trails off. I shake my head.

I knew it. I should have kept my mouth shut.

I start to get up when Asher grabs my hand, lightly pulling me back down next to him. "Wait, that sounded really bad, but that's not how I meant it. It's just.... crap. I lost what I was going to say," he stutters, trying to form the right words.

The problem is I'm not even sure what the right words are. I know how it all sounds. I sound like a grieving daughter who won't accept the reality of her situation. It is painful, but if things were different, I could accept that my mom is gone. If I had seen her for myself. If we were able to bury her properly. If I had closure.... but that isn't my reality. It's not my father's reality. I can't accept that my mother may be gone without knowing for sure. Until I know what really happened that night, my mother's empty casket will remain forever open in my mind.

"Look, I know I just threw a lot at you in a short amount of time, but this is my issue. My mom is my past to cope with, and the only way I can see myself moving forward is figuring out what happened to her. I can do this on my own. I have been for years," I reassure him.

"What if what happened the other night wasn't a random incident?" he asks first. I falter, biting my lip. "Yeah, this could be your mom reaching out, but it could also be some psycho trying to scare you. What if you don't ever learn the truth? What if you figure it all out and it wasn't the ending you wanted? Are you truly prepared for that?"

I can't fault him for doubting me. He makes valid points. His questions aren't ones I haven't already asked myself. Over and over again.

"I know it's a long shot. I know I'm grasping at straws, and the idea of my mom being alive is a fantasy. I know that, and I know that the chances of me solving what the police and FBI couldn't is slim to none. I don't have the resources that they have at my disposable, but I have to try. To them, my mother is a case they couldn't solve. Another in a long line of mysteries that don't lead to an answer, but it's my mom, Asher! I can't move on. I've tried. Believe me when I say I've tried." I reply, feeling my throat tighten with each word I speak. I blink back the tears that threaten to spill over, not wanting to cry in front of Asher again. He stares back at me, and for the first time, I don't see pity after talking about my mom. He just gives me a sad smile, before pulling me into his arms. I'm surprised at the sudden gesture but welcome it anyway. I hold onto him, taking this time to gather myself. When he pulls away, he plants a kiss on my forehead. The small gesture brings a blush to my cheeks, as I return his smile.

"Alright, but you're not doing this alone. So, where do we start?"

***********************************************************************************************

The weeks quickly pass by. The sign of late autumn is approaching, as the leaves change colors and begin to fall. Asher and I spend the time getting to know each other, while also diving headfirst into researching my mother's case. Char was ecstatic when I first told her about Asher and I kissing. Char's excited scream was so loud we received several noise complaints from our neighbors. Nina was happy too, but I think a small part of her wished she and Colton could figure things out. He's been texting and calling nonstop, but Nina is making him work for it this time around. I remember her saying. 'Colton's got another thing coming if he thinks I'll take him back after a few sweet words and promises. Not this time. I need more effort. Words are meaningless, if he doesn't back them up."

Damn if she hasn't kept her word. After a week or two, he finally took the hint and started trying even more. Now, every day, Nina is greeted by either flowers, candy, or sweet notes from Colton at our door. I can see her resolve melting a little bit each time, so I'm not surprised when she tells me they are going together to the Halloween party at the end of the month As for Char, Noah finally asked her out. They officially started dating last week, and I've never seen her happier. The boy simply adores her.

Me and Asher have been taking it slow. We hang out almost every day, whether it's grabbing a bite to eat or working on the project. In that time, I've learned a lot about him. His favorite thing to do besides football is cook. His mom taught him when he was younger, so he has taken it upon himself to teach me a few things. I may have a knack for baking, but cooking is a whole other deal. So far, I've burned everything I have made; frankly, I blame Asher for the constant distraction. We always get sidetracked. I have learned one piece of cooking advice though: If you're going to stop cooking to make out with the guy you like, at least make sure the stove is off first.

As for investigating the night my mom disappeared, we haven't made a lot of progress. Everything we have found is information I already knew. There's a lot of the details online, as her story swept the nation, captivating the country for a month or so before they lost interest. I can't shake the feeling that the police may know more than they are letting on. As much as I don't want to ask for their insight on the case, it's starting to feel like there's no other choice. There's also the issue that the texts haven't stopped; if anything, they are escalating rapidly. As each new message chimes on my phone, the hope that it might be my mom is completely crushed. The messages aren't loving texts from a mother trying to find her way back to her daughter. The words have turned threatening.

Stop looking into what happened that night before I make you stop.

Leave well enough alone, Makayla.

You're playing a dangerous game, and you'll only end up losing.

You're testing my patience, Makayla.

I haven't told Char or Nina yet, which makes me feel even shittier. I am intentionally going back on the promise I made. If I received any more texts or threats, then I would report it to the police. I just can't bring myself to tell them. Asher only knows because he saw one of the messages light up on my screen. I broke down and finally told him but swore him to secrecy. He mentioned knowing someone who might be able to trace the texts, so he has been looking into that for me. If I go to the police, all the communication could stop, and then I'm left with nothing. Asher hates keeping it secret, but he stopped trying to argue once he realized I wasn't budging. I know he's mad at me and doesn't understand my reasoning, but I think he was tired of fighting a losing battle. While we wait to hear back from Asher's friend, we have no other leads to go on.

I'm on my way back from my last class of the day when I'm shaken out of my thoughts. I hear my phone chime and hesitate to check the incoming text. Sighing, I check and breathe out a sigh of relief when I see it from the group chat. Char recently created a group chat that included me, Nina, Noah, Colton, and Asher. Colton is the most recent addition, once Char confirmed with Nina that they were on their way to getting back together. I check and see my phone flooded with several new messages in the group chat since the last time I checked.

~~~~~~TEXT THREAD~~~~~~~

Group Chat Name: Noah's Hoes

Char: What time are you guys all coming over?

Nina: Wait, when did we invite them?

Noah: Probably in like 20 minutes. Waiting for Asher to text me back.

Char: What do you mean Nina? We planned this last night in THIS CHAT. You were there.

Colton: Nina takes forever to text back. It's why most of my messages are left on read for days.

Char: Yeah, that's why...

Asher: Lmao

Noah: Oh, so you can respond in here Asher, but can't answer my texts?

Nina: God you and Char are made for each other, Noah.

Char loved Nina's message.

Colton: Nina...you're not gonna defend me?

Noah: Doesn't look like it dude.

Char: Makayla, can you please stop ignoring this chat?

Asher: Babe leaving now with Noah's annoying ass. Are you on your way back from class?

Char: BABE?????

Asher: Shit, wrong chat. my b

Nina: I'm dead.

Noah: Excuse me? You bitch.

Noah changed Group Name to You can't sit with us, Asher.

Colton: I'm at Asher's now and then we are headed over.

Colton: Actually, we might be a minute. Noah refuses to get in the car with Asher.

Nina: Your boyfriend is a child, Char.

~~~~~End of Text Thread~~~~~~~

I laugh and roll my eyes at the messages before texting back that I'm five minutes away. I put my phone back in my pocket, as I feel water hitting my forehead. I look up and am hit by another raindrop. Just perfect. I quicken my pace, hoping to make it back home before the weather picks up, but it's already started to downpour. As I see the apartment get closer in view, I hear the low, muffled sound of a car starting up. I turn around and look behind me, noticing the black van down the street. Furrowing my eyebrows, the feeling of deja-vu only lingers for a second before I freeze. It looks exactly like the black van outside my dad's house a few weeks ago.

The streets are empty, which would be more alarming if it weren't pouring like crazy. The black van is slowly making its way down the street but stops when it sees me glance again in its' direction. I turn back and start walking even faster, anxiety radiating all over my body. I hear the screeching of wet tires, looking back to see the car headed straight for my place on the sidewalk. My eyes widen, as the reality of what is happening sinks in. The car is barreling towards me; my brain is telling my body to move, but I'm frozen in place.

"MAKAYLA, MOVE!!!!"

I jump at the last second, the car barely missing me, as it jumps the curb and screeches to a halt. I turn to see Asher running towards me. I try to slow my racing heart but fail miserably. Asher's hands wrap around me, pulling me up off the wet sidewalk and into his arms. I turn to hear car doors slamming, as I see Noah and Colton rush towards us. Before the four of us can process what happened, we hear tires screeching once again. We look to see the black van speed away from us until it's out of view.

"What the hell was that?" Noah shouts, still looking in the direction the car went.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. The driver must have hydroplaned. Lost control of the car or something," I say, not sure if I'm trying to reassure them or just myself.

"Okay and? Guy nearly kills you and just takes off. Who the fuck does that?" Colton is angry, him and Noah are still trying to process what just happened. I look up at Asher and see him looking at me, scared out of his mind.

"I'm okay. I promise." I softly say to Asher. He's about to speak when my phone chimes, interrupting him. My body tenses, as the worst come to mind. Asher has the same thought process, too. He grabs my phone out of my hand, reading the message before I can. His entire face falls, before a stern look replaces the concern.

"I'm not keeping this secret anymore," he speaks in a low voice. I frown, as he hands me back my phone.

Unknown:

You're lucky I missed. Next time, I won't.

***********************************************************************************************

Disclaimer: I don't know the legality of using established references in works of fiction, but any mention of pop culture or fictional people, places, or things, are not my own. All rights to original creation.