The Cheater by R.L. Stine Page B

my house. If you don’t, your father will hear from me on Sunday morning.”
    He walked down the dark driveway to his car, which was parked by the curb.
    Carter stood on her front lawn, her head in her hands as he drove off.
    It was hopeless. Adam just wouldn’t go away. Her life was in his hands, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.
    I could kill him. I could just kill him! she thought. She pictured herself grabbing Adam’s pistol, shooting him. She saw him grabbing his chest. Then she pictured him falling in a puddle of blood.
    â€œWhat am I
thinking
of!” she cried, horrified by her own fantasy.
    But she knew there was no other way out.

Chapter 13

    T he next morning Judge and Mrs. Phillips drove to a cousin’s wedding in Waynes-bridge.
    â€œWe won’t be back until late,” Mrs. Phillips told Carter. “I’m sure you can find something for supper in the freezer. If you need us, we’ll be at the Chateau. I left the number by the phone.”
    â€œOkay, Mother.”
    Carter waved to her parents and was grateful she hadn’t been invited to the wedding. She needed the day to figure out what she was going to do about Adam. It would be much easier without her parents around asking questions.
    At eleven o’clock the doorbell rang. Carter went to answer it. She was surprised to find Dan standing on her doorstep. His expression was grave.
    â€œHi, Carter,” he said. “Can I come in and talk to you for a minute?”
    She stepped aside to let him in. “What is it?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
    â€œI’m not sure,” he replied. “That’s what I’m here to find out.”
    Carter gestured to her father’s study and said, “Let’s go in here to talk.”
    Carter stood leaning against her father’s massive desk. Dan sat in one of the leather armchairs opposite her.
    â€œI wanted to say something to you last night,” he began. “But I didn’t have the nerve.”
    â€œWhat is it?” Carter asked.
    â€œWell,” he said, “I’ve been talking to Jill.” These words made Carter’s stomach lurch. What had Jill told him?
    â€œShe’s been worried about you, you know,” Dan told Carter. “So have I. I could tell she knew something about what’s been going on with you, about why you’ve been acting weird. So I decided to talk to her. I saw her at the club this morning.”
    Carter’s face twitched nervously. “And—?”
    â€œShe told me some weird things. She told me how you said you cut your hand on a razor, but afterward, there was no cut. No bandage, no scar.”
    Carter glanced down at her hand. The bloody heart. She’d nearly forgotten about that.
    â€œAnd she told me about your date with Adam and Ray—”
    â€œOh, my gosh!” Carter moaned. Dan’s come to break up with me, she thought miserably. He’s found out about Adam.
    But Dan didn’t look angry. He stood up now and put his hand on Carter’s arm.
    â€œCarter, I think I know what’s going on. I didn’t say anything to Jill about it, just in case I’m wrong—”
    No, Carter thought. There’s no way he could ever guess. How could he?
    â€œYou got Adam to take your math test for you, didn’t you?” Dan said quietly. “And now he’s blackmailing you.”
    He
had
guessed. Somehow, Dan had figured it all out. He knows me too well, Carter thought.
    She had dreaded this moment. But now that it was here, Carter felt relieved.
    At last! Someone she trusted knew the truth. She was so desperate to have her life return to normal.
    Carter let her head fall on his chest. Then she broke down and told him the story.
    Dan stroked her hair gently while she poured out the details. When she was finished, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “You must think I’m a terrible person,” she