Whatever the reason, I convinced myself there was just no way he wouldactuallymake me move into a house with five strange men. It was beyond absurd. So I made no effort to pack my room up when I got back, instead opting to call Mitchell. He didn’t answer, but I left a voicemail, then settled at my desk to work on my Economics of Crime assignment.
Living with Ethan or not, I was still determined to be the best and brightest student in his class.
An hour later, my phone vibrated and I gusted out a sigh of relief to see Mitchell’s number on the screen.
“Hey, Uncle Mitch,” I greeted him when I‘d accepted the call. “I hope I didn’t interrupt your work?”
Mitchell and Karolyn both worked at an auction house. Mitch was an auctioneer and could talk faster than anyone I’d ever met, and Karolyn handled customer service.
“No, you’re fine. What’s up? How’s Meadowridge? Is everything… Are yousafe?” The edge of worry in his voice answered the question I’d been calling to ask.
I swallowed back the bitter disappointment. “I’m safe,” I confirmed. “I’m guessing they haven’t made any progress?” He knew what I was asking. The cops had an open case to search for the man who’d opened fire in my previous school—the man who’d shot me in the back as I ran in terror. They had no leads, though. After I was shot, it was all a blur. I had no clue how I’d survived or how I’d ended up being dropped off at the Emergency Department before I could drown in my own blood, but the gunman had disappeared without a trace.
Since waking up in ICU, I’d been perpetually scared he’d come back and finish the job but at Meadowridge…it was different. I wasn’t looking over my shoulder constantly.
“I’m sorry, duckling,” Mitch replied with a sigh. “They’ve gotten no further in finding the guy. Not even a name.”Let alone a motive.
I nodded silently, even though he couldn’t see me. “Okay,” I murmured. “I guess…I’m safe here.”
“Nowhere safer in the whole country, kid. I’d better go, but Karo sends her love.” He ended the call before I could even reply, and I slowly blinked at the blank screen of my phone. So much for that idea…whatever that idea had even been. Running…escaping. My usual MO.
A sharp knock at my door made me snap out of my melancholy, and I stood from my desk to respond. I assumed it was Nina, come to explain what the hell she’d been thinking with slamming Laura’s face into the table, but then again she never could have guessed I’d take the blame.
It wasn’t Nina at my door though.
“Brodie,” I said with a frown. “What are you doing here?”
The gorgeous blond actor just grinned with all those perfect, movie-star teeth. “Came to help you move, Evie babe.Seemed like the decent thing to do, since you’re copping heat for a fight you had nothing to do with.”
My lips parted in shock. “You believe me? I didn’t touch Laura!” Not that she hadn’t been asking for it with all her snide comments and dirty looks my way.
Brodie shrugged. “Yeah, I believe you. You don’t seem like the kinda chick to hit from behind.”
“So why didn’t you say anything?” I demanded, planting my hands on my hips.
Another grin. “I’m in enough shit with the dean already. The last thing I needed was to draw more attention. Besides, as far as punishments go, this one is not the worst. Sure, Bluebell House is crappy and busted, but it also means we don’t have a curfew and literally get a million times more privacy than these dorm buildings, where the walls are paper thin and everyone knows your business.” Across the hall, a door slammed shut awfully quickly and Brodie rolled his eyes. “Case in point. Are you letting me come in or what?”
Largely because he still had me crazy starstruck, I moved aside and let him enter my room before shutting the door behind him. I guess when he framed it like that, I wouldn’t hate the privacy…especially if?—
“Why do you think there’s no curfew? We’d literally have a teacher living in the house with us.”
Brodie snickered. “Ethan totally doesn’t count. You don’t really look packed. Dean expects us all to move in this afternoon, you know?”
“I…um…I didn’t really think he was going to force us to move. Is he? I figured…” I trailed off, seeing his bemused expression.
“Evie babe…Dean Attworth doesn’t bluff. And hereallydoesn’t like having his orders ignored. Come on, I’ll help.” He crossed to my wardrobe and pulled out my empty suitcases, making himself right at home as he laid them out on the floor.
Speechless and still seriously starstruck, I just silently did as I was told.
An hour later, Brodie carried my suitcases up the weathered wooden steps of a house that had a pretty name but the rest of it could only ever be described one way:haunted. If it wasn’t for the trailing bluebell flowers that filled the two gardens on either side of the entrance, there’d have been nothing appealing at all about this old house.
“This is where we have to live?” I squeaked, my palms already sweating as I cautiously followed him through the front door. “It seems…um…”
“Like there’s skeletons plastered up in the walls? I know, right?” Brodie agreed with an unhinged laugh. “I’m literally never going to fall asleep here. Acting inThe Phantomsas a kid totally fucked me up and now I see ghosts everywhere.”
I loved that movie.
Brodie had only been six or seven when he starred as the lead character who could speak with the dead and the CGI effects had beenintense. Some of the best jump scares I’d ever experienced. So yeah, I could see how that might fuck up a kid’s imagination for sure.
