"Wait, it gets better." He takes the second hand and wedges it into Justin's mouth, shoving it so deep that the fingers disappear down his throat. "There. Now he can literally eat shit and die."
He stands up, dusting off his jeans like he just finished gardening instead of desecrating a corpse. "Now that's what I call poetic fucking justice."
Chapter 15
Reese
"Yeah, we had no idea Justin was planning to move to Thailand. Such a shock to all of us."
I nod sympathetically into the phone while rolling my eyes so hard they might fall out of my fucking head. Mrs. Chambers' voice wobbles with what I'm sure she thinks is convincing concern, but I can hear the country club gossip wheels turning. They need a story to tell their friends about why their golden boy vanished without a trace.
"No, we weren't together anymore," I say for what feels like the millionth time. "We broke up weeks ago. Different paths in life, you know? I'm focused on dance; he was…well, whatever he was focused on."
Not hitting women, clearly.
"If you hear anything from him, you'll let us know, won't you, dear?" Mrs. Chambers presses, desperation leaking through her perfectly modulated voice.
"Of course," I lie smoothly. "I hope you findhim soon."
I hang up and stare at my phone for a long moment. It's been two weeks since Justin disappeared. Two weeks since that night. Two weeks of Justin's parents calling me, his friends texting, police asking questions.
Two weeks of me pretending I have no fucking idea what happened to the guy who slapped me across the face and called me a Blackwood whore.
I know exactly what happened to him.
Or rather, I know exactly WHO happened to him.
I walk into the living room where Ramsey is sprawled across our couch, one arm behind his head, the other holding the remote as he flips through channels. He doesn't look up when I enter, but I know he's aware of my presence. Ramsey's always aware of everything.
I sit directly in front of him on the coffee table, my knees almost touching his. He continues ignoring me, eyes fixed on some basketball game, though I can see the tiny smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
I cross my arms over my chest and stare harder.
Finally, Ramsey raises an eyebrow, clicks off the TV, and sits up. His long legs shift to cage me between his thighs, his knees brushing against my outer thighs. The sudden proximity makes my breath catch.
"What did I do now, baby girl?" His voice is a low rumble, amused and just a little dangerous.
I lean forward slightly. "Justin's parents just called me."
"Oh?" His expression doesn't change, but something flickers in those blue eyes. "What did the lovely Chambers want?"
"They wanted to know if I knew Justin was planning torun off to Thailand." I keep my voice neutral, watching his face. "Apparently he withdrew all his money, packed a bag, and just...vanished."
Ramsey's lips twitch. "Thailand, huh? Interesting choice."
"Yeah, super interesting." I narrow my eyes. "Almost as interesting as having a best friend who plays around on the dark web like it’s child’s play." I raise my own eyebrows meaningfully, not backing down from his intense stare.
Ramsey hums, his eyes darkening as he leans forward until our faces are inches apart.
"Don't ask questions like that; you don't really want the answer, star." His voice drops to that low, gravelly register that makes my skin prickle. "You know what it is, and you knew what it was going to be as soon as it happened. Whether you called me or not, I would have found out, and it was always gonna end up this way. He did it once, he'd do it countless other times. No one is losing sleep over him, and you know me well enough, no one is ever gonna find him or trace any of that shit to us."
I swallow hard, the confirmation hanging heavy in the air between us. Part of me has known from the moment I woke up the morning after that night, that it would play out like this. I've spent two weeks pretending I didn't know, didn't suspect.
"You killed him." It's not a question.
Ramsey doesn't flinch, doesn't look away. "Would it matter if I did?"
I should be horrified. I should be running to thepolice. I should be terrified of the man sitting in front of me right now. Instead, all I feel is a sense of...relief.
