Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 123575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Me: Am not.
Emery: You’re a liar. We both know it. But when you’re ready to talk about it, let me know. I’m always here.
Me: Love you, Em. Psst…if you don’t hear from me in a couple of days, call the cops.
Emery: What the hell, Lil?
With a grin, I switch my phone to vibrate only. Then I snap the textbook closed and turn to the window, ignoring the sudden spike in my heart rate.
Am I really going to do this? Rebel against the norm? Live dangerously?
My dorm room at Oakmount offers a perfect view of the quad where students cross between classes. Not only is it beautiful and scenic but it gives me a vantage point no one else has. This week alone, I’ve caught sight of Aries three times. The last time was today, about thirty minutes ago. If I move quickly, I can trail him to the warehouse again.
No...he’ll be there. I shouldn’t go to the warehouse. I should check his room at The Mill, where he’s still been staying.
Maybe there are answers there? It’s a risky plan, and if I get caught, there won’t be a believable lie to save me, but if I don’t do something, I’m going to go crazy.
My heart thumps a little faster, and I force myself to act without overthinking it further. I grab my jacket, messenger bag with emergency medication, and the pepper spray I ordered online. Mother would faint if she knew what her fragile daughter was about to do.
Okay, it’s really not so dangerous when all I have to do is bat my lashes at Lee and he’ll escort me to Aries’s door.
I smile to myself. For once, my supposed weakness works in my favor. No one suspects the girl with the heart condition of anything but fragility, which makes me the most unsuspecting villain. It’s been thirty minutes since I saw him. If his car is at The Mill, I’ll just turn around, but if not...well...it doesn’t hurt to do a little digging.
It’s now or never.
There’s a lot of hustle and bustle as students and staff intersect, some leaving for the day, and some arriving for evening classes. I climb into my car and slam the door shut, taking a moment to breathe. I don’t want to draw any attention, so I’ll need to keep some distance between us to ensure he doesn’t think anything is off. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I feel that I’ve read enough crime fiction and watched enough movies to act like I do.
I grip the steering wheel hard as anxious butterflies take flight in my belly. I can’t believe I’m doing this.
Acting on impulse and being reckless.
My secondhand Honda Civic is forgettably nondescript compared to his flashy Range Rover. But it’s mine, and I didn’t have to barter hours of my life away from my parents in exchange for it. It was the one thing I fought for with my mother, and thankfully, she decided it wasn’t worth the effort to push back when I was so adamant. Little rebellions like my car is what keeps me going...the only way I can manage the stupid parties without ripping my hair out.
The drive to the parking lot nearest The Mill only takes a few minutes. Technically, I don’t need to drive here but, there’s less of a chance of an asthma attack if I have less distance to walk. I park in a spot that gives me a clear view of the entrance but keeps my car partially hidden behind a large SUV. The Mill House stands imposing against the darkening sky, its Victorian architecture somehow both beautiful and oppressive at once. I’ve only been here a handful of times, and only ever as Aries’s stepsister, never as someone with purpose.
Today is different. Today, I need answers.
My phone buzzes with a text.
Emery: Whatever you are doing, be careful.
Me: Not doing anything but homework.
Emery: You’re a big fat liar. Be fucking careful.
She knows me too well.
Me: Will update soon.
Then I silence my phone, even the vibration, and slip it into my pocket.
Taking a deep breath, I exit the car and approach the building. The evening air carries a chill that makes me pull my jacket tighter around myself. Students pass by, laughing and talking, oblivious to my racing heart and sweaty palms. I try to look like I belong, like I’m just another visitor to a friend’s place and not someone about to break into her stepbrother’s room.
Despite campus security's repeated warnings, the front door isn’t locked—it never is. I slip inside, keeping my head down as I navigate the familiar hallway. Music pounds from somewhere upstairs, and the smell of pizza wafts from the common room.
I’m almost at the stairs when a voice stops me cold.
“Lilian? What are you doing here?”
I turn to find Lee, Aries’s best friend, tousled, shirtless, lounging against the doorframe of the common room. His expression is curious rather than suspicious, which I take as a good sign.