Deep Betrayal

after the movie slowly sank in. It wasn’t just about getting Maris and Pavati’s grief under control, or warning them about Jack’s campaign to “out” them. It was much bigger than that. Maris and Pavati’s carelessness could affect us all.
    Calder nodded, seeing the realization in my eyes. “Yes. Too many accidents and people will come looking for the cause,” he said. “We’ll all be in danger. Maris. Pavati. What if they find me? Or your dad? If they find your dad out there, what will they make of you? Or Sophie?”
    Thinking of Sophie in some scientist’s lab, being tested, poked, and probed, sent an icy shiver down my arms. “Maybe the city will put up caution signs. That should keep people out of the water.”
    “Yeah, come up to the lake for your vacation, but don’t go in the water. I don’t think that’s going to sell.”
    “Could we patrol the beach?” I asked.
    Calder looked out the window and stood up quickly. “There’s over twenty-seven hundred miles of lakeshore, Lily. Think of something else. I’ve got to go.”
    “Wait? What? Where are you going?”
    He kissed me quickly on the cheek and exited through the back of the café as I watched slack-jawed. Mrs. Boyd mumbled something about someone acting like he owned the place, just as I saw the reason for Calder’s exodus.
    The bell rang, and Gabby walked in. Jack shuffled behind her, his bangs hanging in his eyes, a dark blue hoodie pulled over his head doing little to hide the bruise around his eye or the cut on his lip. He’d really taken a beating the other night.
    Jack didn’t sit with us but dropped into a chair in the corner, a surly expression on his face.
    “What’s with him?” I whispered to Gabby. “He looks like the Unabomber.”
    “That would be a serious PR improvement.” Gabby glanced at the two cups on the table in front of me. “Double-fisting it?”
    I tried to laugh. “Yeah, feeling a little sluggish lately. Why don’t you take that one. It’s still fresh. I haven’t touched it.” I doubted Calder was coming back.
    “Give it to Jack,” she said. “I’m getting a smoothie.”
    I didn’t really want to sit with Jack. I couldn’t think of anything worse than pretending to have a normal conversation with him in front of Gabby, when both of us were having a very different conversation in our heads. Plus, his gloomy disposition looked contagious.
    I got up anyway and crossed the room, sliding him the coffee. He glowered at me and sank farther into his chair and deeper into his hood.
    The bell rang out again, and a huge guy in a red UW sweatshirt walked in. He glanced at me, and then at Jack. He never finished his trip to the counter. “Whoa. Is that who I think it is?” he asked.
    “Give it a rest, man,” Jack said, his voice like gravel.
    The guy rubbed his eyes in an exaggerated way, as if he didn’t believe what he was seeing. “Is it? It is! Jack Pettit! Did you know they’re calling you Aquaman over at Big Mo’s?”
    “They can call me whatever they want,” Jack said.
    “Mm-hmm. So you seen any mermaids lately?”
    Gabby arrived with her drink and swallowed (as I judged by her expression) a headache-inducing gulp of smoothie. “You got balls, Peterman. Lay off!”
    Jack sat up a little straighter. “Shut up, Gabrielle. I don’t need your help.”
    The guy laughed and shrugged. “Aw, I’m kidding. It’s good to see you guys. Who’s your friend?”
    “Lily,” I said.
    “Brady,” he said, and he shook my hand, holding on to it a few seconds longer than necessary.
    Jack made a psssh sound.
    “Hey, a bunch of us are going camping on Manitou Island tonight,” said Brady. “You girls up for it?”
    Gabby said, “Absolutely! Jack, you’ll take us?”
    “Yeah, Jack. You should come, too,” Brady said.
    Jack said, “I’ve got plans.”
    “What plans?” Gabby asked. “You never want to do anything fun anymore. What about you, Lily? Would your parents let you go?”
    “I’d have to check,” I said. The last time I’d gone to a party with the Pettits, it hadn’t turned out so great.
    “Well, check,” Gabby said. “You’ve never been to Manitou, and it’s always a good time.”
    “Yeah. I’ll ask,” I said as memories of mine and Calder’s day on Manitou flooded my mind. That was the day he’d let me into his world.
    “So what’ve you been up to, Jack?” Brady asked. “Besides the obvious. Nice shiner, by the way. Just bumming around town?”
    “I