And two of the best. Both of them were amazing people, and she loved them. So yeah, them hooking up was a very good thing.
This radio silence was… bad.
She couldn't help it, she was worried. Janet had always been a carefree girl, stubbornly ignoring the problems she faced at home. Lord knows she had enough of those. Kaylie had watched for years as her family wore her down.
Her wealthy parents had put so much pressure on her to succeed as a classical dancer that it had nearly destroyed her. The accident had done more than finally end her ballet career once and for all. It'd made her invisible to her parents.
Since then, Janet had been in a tailspin.
Kaylie sighed and rang the buzzer.
She dreaded this conversation. If Janet was hiding out because of Jack, she didn't know what to tell her. He was a complicated guy. Devlin had told her that Jack had his reasons for being so solitary, but he wouldn't tell her why. Either way, she didn't want her friend to be hurt any more than she was already.
"Yes?"
Janet's dad was at the door. He looked over his shoulder nervously.
“Is Janet at home? I haven’t heard from her in a few days.”
“That’s because she lost phone privileges.”
Kaylie frowned and shifted her weight on her legs.
“Can I see her please?”
He shook his head.
"You shouldn't be here, Kaylie."
"Who's there?"
A shrill voice came from further inside the house. Janet's mother appeared in the doorway beside her dad. She looked crazed.
"Get out of here you tramp! I know you're the one who took my daughter to that- that place!"
Kaylie stepped backwards in shock. What was wrong with them? Where was her friend?
"Where's Janet? I want to talk to her.”
“You can’t talk to her.”
Kaylie lifted her chin. Mrs. Mahoney was freaking her out but she would not abandon her friend. Their words meant nothing compared to her love for Janet.
“Why not?”
“You are a bad influence, that is why! Stay away from her! And you can tell that giant who keeps driving by to stay away!"
"Giant?"
“The criminal with the long hair and the devil bike!”
They must mean Jack. That was interesting. He'd been driving by Janet's house? Since when?
What the heck had happened between them?
Kaylie wanted to get away from these horrible people as quickly as possible but she had to find out where her friend was. Thankfully Janet's mom disappeared back into the house.
"Please Mr. Mahoney. Where is she?"
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled apologetically.
"She's in her room. But she’s not coming out any time soon.”
“Her room? You are locking her up like a criminal?”
He looked ashamed for a moment.
“Sorry Kaylie."
He closed the door in her face. Kaylie stood there wondering what the heck was going on. Then she squared her shoulders.
She knew where Janet's room was. No one could stop her from peeking in the window.
She snuck along the side of the house and stared aghast at the hastily nailed shut window frame. They really were treating Janet like a criminal. Kaylie shuddered, sympathy twisting her guts.
She might have lost her dad early on, but he'd loved and protected her. So had her mom.
Growing up she'd thought her well off friend had the best life. The big house, two parents… Kaylie had figured out that it wasn’t so simple a long time ago.
Now she realized just how wrong she had been all those years.
She knocked tentatively on the window. She tried to see into the room but it was hard without any lights on inside. Janet's face appeared in the window. There were circles under her pretty blue eyes.
She looked awful.
Janet held a finger to her lips signaling silence. Kaylie nodded and waited while Jan disappeared from the window. She was back after a few moments, holding up a piece of paper with hastily scribbled words.
Three days.
“You’ve been in there for three days?”
Janet nodded and wrote something on the back of the page.
Scared. No food or water.
Kaylie covered her mouth with her hand, horrified. Janet's head disappeared from sight for a moment. She reappeared in the window with a fresh piece of paper.
'I need to get out of here.'
Kaylie nodded and mouthed 'I'll be back later! Let me talk to Dev.'
She wasn't sure if her friend understood her. She ran across the lawn, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. Dev would help her figure out what to do.
They had to help her. They had to save Janet.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jack
Misery. Pure misery.
He stared at the beer in his hand. He’d been drinking it like water. Trying to fight the urge to go to her.
Janet had not answered his texts or come out of her house when he slowly drove down her street.