Unleashed by Rachel McClellan Read Free Book Online

eyes serious.
    “So what are you doing out here?” she asked.
    “Had to get out of the house.”
    She nodded, understanding. Logan didn’t talk much about his home life. In fact, she’d only met his parents a few times in all the years she’d known him. According to Logan they were private people, who were only happy around each other.
    He stood up and moved over to her. “How’ve you been doing?”
    “Living the dream in Bandon, Oregon.” She forced a smile. It had been almost two weeks since she stumbled into that dead girl, but she still couldn’t sleep without a night-light.
    Logan touched her lightly on the arm. “You know you can talk to me, right?”
    She nodded and moved back a step. “So I was thinking of going to the beach for awhile. Want to come?”
    “Um, I don’t know. I can’t be gone long.” He looked toward the road, then back to her. “Wait here for a minute? I have to go inside and get some things.”
    “Sure.”
    “Cool.” He dashed inside.
    She leaned against the van and quietly sang her band’s latest song. For the first time, Kate had written the lyrics and surprisingly, Claire liked them. On the other side of her van she heard a car pull up, but she ignored it while she tapped against the metal door.
    “Hey,” a voice said.
    She turned her head and immediately straightened when she saw who it was. Ethan stood on the sidewalk wearing a black t-shirt and dark jeans. Since that day she’d cried all over him, he hadn’t talked to her, but that didn’t surprise her. Why would one random event make them friends again?
    “Hey,” she said.
    Ethan stepped off the sidewalk, closer to her. “I have something for you.”
    He reached into his pocket and pulled out her cell phone. The one she’d dropped in the girl’s locker room. The police had kept it because it was “evidence.” Evidence of what, she didn’t know.
    She took it from him. “How’d you get it?”
    “Yesterday I was visiting the police station, and I overheard Smith saying they were done with it, so I told him I’d take it to you.”
    “Is that what you do for fun? Visit police stations?”
    He chuckled. “The school counselor thought it would be a good career choice for me.”
    “Not you. You’re going to get out of Bandon and do something bigger with your life. Cure cancer or something.” Claire didn’t look at him. Instead she turned the phone over in her hand. “So I guess I’m not a suspect anymore.”
    “You never were.”
    “Sure felt that way. Do they know what happened yet?”
    He shook his head and looked toward the ocean. “They lifted a bunch of prints from the light switch, but it didn’t match anyone in their records.”
    “Did you know her?” She couldn’t say her name.
    Ethan’s blue eyes returned to hers. “No. But a few of my friends did. They went to her funeral on Tuesday.”
    She looked down at the ground, her heart pounding. She hated funerals.
    “How are you doing?” he asked.
    “Fine.” She kicked a pebble across the pavement.
    “You’re lying.”
    Her head snapped up. “What?”
    “No one would be fine after seeing that. You don’t need to act like it doesn’t bother you.”
    Surprised by his insight, she said nothing.
    “Cool bike. Whose is it?” he asked.
    “Logan’s. He’s inside.”
    He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked toward the store. “Have you eaten yet? I’m starving.”
    She tried not to stumble back. Was he asking her out? “Um, I might be going to the beach with Logan.”
    Just then Logan walked out with an armful of junk food. He stopped when he saw Ethan.
    “Hungry much?” Claire asked him.
    He looked down at the food. “A little. What are you guys doing?”
    “I was admiring your bike,” Ethan said. “You ride?”
    “Mostly dirt bikes, but I just got this.”
    “Nice. So you guys going to the beach?” Ethan asked.
    Claire’s eyes met Logan’s.
    “Yes,” Logan said. “We are.”
    Ethan returned to the sidewalk.