Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 122030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
My mind suddenly flashes with a thought that’s taunted me since I learned the truth, the one that gets louder every time I hear from him now.
That I’d almost rather he never found me. That I’d just been left alone in that car, sinking for an eternity until the red glow dimmed. Because anything would be better than feeling this way. Love and hatred are bound so tight together inside me, I don’t think I know the difference anymore.
My phone buzzes again. And while I know I shouldn’t look at it—Fenn can only do more harm than good—I can’t resist the impulse to pick it up.
Lawson: Good night, bad girl. Let’s do it again sometime.
CHAPTER 25
FENN
“SHE HUNG UP ON ME,” I SAY ALOUD, THOUGH RJ IS PLASTERED TO his computer screen.
“What’d you expect?”
I scowl at the back of his head. “I didn’t ask to have your girlfriend drag me into this.”
“Come on…” RJ spins in his desk chair to level me with a distinctly accusatory frown.
“What did I do?” I demand.
“I’m not judging, but…” He shrugs. “Don’t tell me you weren’t thinking this might be your chance to redeem yourself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“All I’m saying is, you can’t act like you weren’t at least a little excited about the idea of finding her in some kind of trouble and getting a second chance at being the hero.”
“Dude. That’s fucked up.”
He turns back to his computer. “Maybe I’m wrong.”
Whatever. Asshole. I get there’s no shopping for sympathy from him where Sloane’s involved, but it’s more than a little manipulative to sound the alarms and get me all spun up only to tell me to piss off without an explanation. I guess I should be used to it by now.
Despite the false alarm, I’m left with a weird feeling I’d been speaking to an imposter. They sound like her. The same voice and inflection. But that person is someone else entirely. Our conversation puts an unsettled pit in my stomach. Whoever I spoke to just now wasn’t Casey. It’s all wrong and I have no idea what to do about it.
“It’s fucked up, though, right?” I say while I wander our room with my phone in my hand, wrestling with the urge to call her back but knowing I’m supposed to be respecting her boundaries. “Casey doesn’t disappear for hours and then tell everyone to get bent. That’s not her.”
“She’s obviously going through something,” he points out. “Gotta give it time.”
It’s not only tonight. I keep hearing about her getting in trouble at school, telling off chicks in the middle of class. It’s like she’s had a total personality makeover and everyone’s walking around like they don’t notice.
“I feel like I’m taking crazy pills,” I say over my shoulder in his general direction. “There’s obviously something up with her. I get she’s still pissed at me, but it’s not like we broke up and she decided to—”
I come up short when I notice RJ with an odd expression on his face. Sitting in his desk chair, he stares at his phone.
“What?”
He’s reluctant to look at me.
“Dude, seriously. If it’s about Casey, spit it out.”
“Try not to do something stupid,” he warns. “Sloane just texted me.”
“Okay…?”
“Casey was out with Lawson.”
The words hit me like they’re in a different language. I half cough out a laugh because I know I didn’t hear him right and there must be a wire loose in my head. Then the sober look on his face strikes me dead.
“Are you serious? Lawson?”
“Yes—”
I’m practically out the door before RJ can get out of his chair.
I storm down the hall to Lawson’s room and throw open the door. The loud crack when it hits the wall echoes through the entire floor. Silas leaps off the sofa at the noise.
Lawson is on his bed with his laptop when I barge in. He’s startled a moment before a sarcastic smile flashes across his face, and it snaps the last thread of self-control I might have had. I charge at him and rip the laptop out of his hands. It goes flying across the room to skid against the TV stand.
Gray eyes blazing with indignation, Lawson tries to hop off the bed, but I shove him back down.
“Casey? Are you out of your fucking mind? What’d you do to her?”
Silas launches toward us. “Hey, what the hell?”
“Fenn, chill,” RJ says behind me.
I shrug his hand off my shoulder. “Answer me, Lawson, or I swear to God…”
“Much as I love a threat…” This time he pushes past me to walk over and pick up his laptop off the floor. “I was in the middle of something here.”
RJ tries to grab me, but he’s not fast enough. With an angry growl, I push Lawson up against the wall.
“Fenn…” He shoulders me out of the way. “I like you, but you put your hands on me one more time, we’re going to find out who hits harder.”