“Ike, what is it?” Taylor demanded, racing into the hallway.
Isaac stood by Jessica, Avery, and Mackenzie’s bedroom door, holding onto Zac’s arm protectively. “Zac saw something,” Ike said. “Outside. He said there was a person running by the window.”
“There was,” Zac insisted quietly, seeming to shrink as he said the words.
Ike nodded at Zac. “Yeah. I think we should all stay together from now on. Until things . . . cool down, I guess. I don’t want anybody to get scared.”
Zac looked up at his brother. “I’m not scared,” he said quietly.
“I agree,” Taylor said quickly. “We’ll all stay together.”
“Or at least in pairs,” Isaac said. “But nobody goes solo, okay?”
“Okay,” everyone chorused.
Zac looked around. “I say we go sit in the living room,” he said. “My butt’s numb from sitting on the floor.”
Everyone smiled and made their way into the living room. Isaac sat on one end of the couch, and Taylor took the other. Zac sat between them and Tracy took a spot on the love seat.
Nobody spoke. Everybody listened: to the rain, to the sound of tree limbs scraping the roof, to the thunder. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except for the tension. The air was thick with it. It wasn’t because of the phone calls or what Zac had seen, it was because of what had been said between Tracy and Taylor.
Finally, Tay stood up. “I’m thirsty,” he announced, starting for the kitchen.
“Don’t go alone,” Isaac warned, edging himself off the couch.
Tracy stood up. “I’ll go,” she said, following Taylor.
Tay was standing at the refrigerator when she walked in. He didn’t look up at her. She walked up behind him and put her arms around his mid-section, resting her head on his shoulder. “Aren’t you even going to ask?” she inquired.
He pulled away from her, walking over to the kitchen counter and taking down a glass from the cupboard. “Ask what?” His voice was detached.
“You know what,” Tracy insisted. When he didn’t reply, she said quietly, “Tracy Dennis.”
“I don’t care.”
Tracy reached her hand out and touched his back. “Taylor, I didn’t -”
“You lied to me!” he snapped, turning around to face her. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled seemingly right above their heads.
She glared at him. “It doesn’t seem like I’m the only one who lied,” she shot back. “TJ? Who’s that? It’s not you! You lied, too, Taylor!”
He was caught off guard a moment but quickly recovered. “I had a good reason -”
“There are no good reasons to lie! It all ends up hurting in the long run! God, Taylor, all I can say is I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t think I’d hurt you! I’m sorry, Taylor. I’m sorry!” Tracy bit down hard into her lip in an attempt to keep herself steady.
Taylor kept staring at her, unwavering blue eyes boring into her green ones. “Then tell me the truth now,” he said slowly. “If you’re Tracy, who is Ally?”
Lightning.
Thunder.
She forced herself to look away from his undeviating blue eyed gaze for a moment, blinking heavily. When she looked back, she said, “I’m not sure, but I think -”
Zac let out a small yelp and the house was plunged into darkness.
