Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
I could hear her rustling around. “I’m going to run the numbers again. See if anything new pops.”
I could appreciate her steady optimism. I had some myself, but part of me still believed we were screwed. Dennis hadn’t managed to drag me into that tunnel, but I had the good sense to know someone else could.
“Well, you do that,” I said, already standing and heading toward my desk. “Let me know what you come back with. I’ve got schoolwork to catch up on while we still have a semi-functioning life.”
“Okay, okay. Go be productive. I’ll text you if anything new comes up.”
“Deal.”
I sat cross-legged in the middle of my bed, my laptop balanced on a throw pillow, the screen cluttered with half a dozen open tabs for the essay due Monday, which felt ironically relevant given the way my life was currently unraveling. I hadn’t even looked at the paper due Thursday. That was a problem for future me, assuming the future me survived the week. Instead of doing what I should’ve been doing, I kept getting sucked into a Reddit thread about Hemlock Heights. Calling it a rabbit hole would be generous.
This was a full-blown descent.
I’d lived here my whole life and never thought twice about the town slogan: Where the whispers of the past guide the present. It had always sounded like something philosophical for our postcards. I hadn’t thought much of the one for Crowsfell either.
I flipped my phone over as it rang beside me, seeing Ashton just now calling again. It was past noon, and I’d heard from everyone else but him. The cheer squad group chat had already checked in—almost each of us was Marked, so everyone was on edge. Kellan and Noah reached out separately. Even Brooke texted me, and I didn’t know she had my number. That brought on a whole slew of awkward feelings.
I had heard nothing from Layla. I would’ve been worried about where she was staying if I weren’t aware of her hanging out with Sarah Myers. Regardless of how rocky our friendship had become, I didn’t want her trapped in the hell that was her home. It had been dead silent from Brittany, too. I’d tried calling and texting her without getting a response.
I debated answering, but Ashton let it ring for a whole four seconds before hanging up. Minutes later, a text buzzed in:
ASH
Hey, tried to call and didn’t get an answer. I tried earlier too. Will try again in a few. Miss you, Angel.
What the hell?
Was he seriously trying to make it look like he’d put in effort without actually doing it? I stared at the message, irritation prickling hotter than it should’ve. Something was going on with him, and this wasn’t me overthinking. He was behaving so out of character, I didn’t know where to begin making sense of it. I could pinpoint exactly when this started, though.
The morning that he admitted to speaking with Sarah.
The screen changed with an incoming FaceTime call.
I hit accept, and the screen split into squares. The guys were all together on the sectional at their place, half-distracted, voices overlapping. Rook was stretched across the far end, a hoodie pulled over his head, while Nick and Xander sat perched near the middle, tablet tilted just enough to catch everyone else in the frame. Cade and Ryder had a separate square to themselves, both reclining in the private suite at the country club our families belonged to.
Roxxi was in the room at her grandmother’s again, a fuzzy blanket slung over her legs. Cloe and Ari were together now, side-by-side on Ari’s bed, surrounded by notebooks and pillows.
“Did I miss the summons for a cult meeting?”
Xander didn’t blink. “I told everyone we needed to talk Hunt.”
I rubbed my brow, already over whatever was coming. “What about it?”
“I want to preface this by saying I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
“That’s what Ari said earlier.”
Rook’s voice cut in, low and skeptical. “You don’t agree?”
“No.” I was the one who didn’t elaborate for once.
Cloe leaned forward in frame, her expression sharp. “She was targeted by that loser in a giant bird costume in a locker room. I think that gives cause for us to worry.”
“Not if we do what I said and group up,” Xander countered calmly.
“I wasn’t exactly alone,” I pointed out. “I had Brittany with me. Who lied about the whole thing, apparently.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed a little. “Yeah. Heard about that.”
“She’s not answering any of my calls or texts,” Roxxi chimed in, voice edged with heat. “Trust me, I had plenty to say. And while I’m glad Dennis is gone, and Ryder made him get on his knees for his queen and apologize, hot, by the way, I think he got off too light.”
His queen?
I wasn’t touching that one.
“Geez, Rox,” I said instead, trying not to smile. “He’s already getting expelled.”