Series: Cobalt Empire Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 220
Estimated words: 215301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1077(@200wpm)___ 861(@250wpm)___ 718(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1077(@200wpm)___ 861(@250wpm)___ 718(@300wpm)
“Forget Charlie,” Tom cuts in. “Are you okay, dude?”
“No—no, I’m not okay. I’m so fucking angry right now, and not at you, Charlie.” He pushes a hot hand through his hair. “I—I left in a hurry. Harriet called me crying, really crying. Worse than I’ve ever heard her cry. Then my phone died in the middle of her call, and I just came here as fast as I could.”
“Wake us up next time,” Beckett says, gentle but firm. “Even just one of us.”
“Preferably me,” Eliot adds.
“I will.” Ben nods repeatedly. “Sorry, Beck. I wasn’t thinking.”
“We’re aware,” Charlie snaps.
Ben lets out a tired laugh. “I’m glad I’m predicable, honestly. I’m glad you’re all here.” His eyes linger on me, as if suddenly recognizing I’m back. Like he forgot for a second tonight was my return. He slips a smile over at Tom.
It immediately inflates Tom like a fucking helium balloon. He looks ready to take off toward the night sky. I can imagine Tom has talked Ben’s ear off about my arrival.
Anger flames Ben again. His glare swerves over to the Honors House, lights off in the bedrooms. Even the front porch is dark. “Harriet’s mom showed up.”
“What?” I snap, shifting my stance with fury. “Here?”
“Yeah. She showed up where Harriet lives and told her dormmates pretty much what she told you and Tom.”
I choke on rage.
Tom rocks backward, his hands on his head. His horrified eyes pin on mine because we know how awful her mother was.
“The fuck is wrong with her,” I mutter under my breath. Her mom. Her own mom. Fuck Hope Danes.
“Where’s Harriet?” Beckett asks.
“The parking deck in her Honda,” Ben explains. “I’ve been with her. She bolted out of the dorm with nothing but her car keys, and she doesn’t want to go back inside. I ran here to grab her phone. Then I saw your car.” He takes a single breath. “I need to get her stuff. But I’ve never attempted to go into the Honors House past curfew, so this will be interesting.”
“We’ll help,” Beckett says, then strides toward the front porch with Charlie.
“Where’s the parking deck?” I ask Ben.
Harriet lets me into the passenger seat of the old Honda. She has her arms around the wheel like she’s considering either sleeping against it or driving off P4.
I shift the seat backward since I’m squashed against the dash, but I hear a crunch and glance backward. The footwell behind me is littered with so much shit: fast food containers, duffel bag, holiday wrapping paper, a hair dryer.
“I’m going to ask,” I warn her. “What the fuck?”
Harriet almost smiles. Almost. “I used to live in my car, dude.”
“Yeah, past tense.”
“Habit, I guess.” She still hugs the wheel. “No Cobalt calvary with you.” She sounds monotone. “Shucks. I was hoping to see Eliot ride in on a lion.”
I let out a laugh at the absurd image. “I told them I wanted to chat with you alone. So you’re just stuck with me. The pleb.”
“Commoner,” Harriet jokes, but her gaze drifts off. Faraway and pained. She’s wearing monogramed red silk pajamas. A Christmas gift from Ben’s mom last year, she’s told me. I’m not as close to Tom’s parents as she is.
For one, I’m almost certain they’ve known I broke my singer’s jaw from Sophomore Summer, especially if Charlie found out. They’ve been wary of me. It’s been an uphill battle, but one I’m not quitting.
I flick Harriet’s red furry dice dangling on her rearview mirror. “It’s nice here. Has character. Not at all emo.”
“I’m feeling very emo tonight.” Her red, puffy eyes can confirm.
“Same.” I stretch my shoulders back and wince, pulling a pencil pouch out from beneath my ass.
“Isn’t tonight your big reunion with Tom?” she asks, and after I nod, she tells me, “He got so mad when I said it was the least important day of the year. He’s been talking about it for weeks.” She grimaces and stares off, haunted. “I ruined it.”
“Nothing was ruined,” I say sharply. “Trust me, I know how to ruin everything, and I don’t think what Tom and I have can be destroyed, or else it already would’ve been.”
Harriet nods, loosening her hands on the wheel. She leans backward.
I take a tight breath. “Harriet. If things went up in flames tonight, that’s on her. Your fucking mom. Not you.”
“Isn’t it already burning, dude?” Harriet struggles not to cry. “I can’t go back in there. I told Ben I can’t go back in. She told my dormmates I’m a whore in grave detail.” Her eyes flood. “And the terrible part is she’s right—”
“She’s not—”
“I’ve sucked dick for favors, for a place to sleep. She’s right—”
“She’s not,” I snap. “Your mom is so fucking malicious. What she said was out of spite and hatred. You’re not a whore. You want to call yourself one the way Eliot calls himself one—then fine, but I’m not going to listen to you fucking degrade yourself because of an evil person. Fuck your mom.”