Keanu follows them toward the entrance.
“Can we see her?” I ask.
Irvin wraps his arms around my waist, resting his head atop mine. In this moment, his comfort means everything. The warmth of his body is inviting.
“You can go see her,” her mother says. “She’s in room 104.”
I walk as fast as my feet will carry me. My eyes sting from tears, and my chest aches. Tubes down her throat and a bandage wrapped around her head, her face is swollen like a balloon. Hearing about what happened is one thing, but seeing it makes me want to smash something. How could someone do this to my sweet friend? Winter is kind, loving, and gentle. She didn’t deserve this.
I pull up a chair next to her, kiss her forehead, then flop down and intertwine my fingers with hers.
“I don’t know if you can hear me, but I love you, and I’m here for you, Winter.”
I quickly wipe tears from my eyes, trying to fight them back, but the pain is unbearable. I squeeze her hand—she doesn’t squeeze back.
I should have been there with her.
The nurse comes inside, checks the machines, and exits. The eerie sound of the monitors continues to hum. My heart pounds in my ears.
Tears race down my cheeks.
“I hope you pull through. You need to pull through. For me. For Keanu. For your parents. We love you. I’m sorry this happened. I hope the board members catch the killer.”
My phone buzzes with a message. I read it.
Unknown message: YOU’RE NEXT, BITCH!!!
My heart hammers. I drop the phone and read the message again. I jump up. Bolt into the hallway. Scan the nursing station. The conversation at the nursing station is too loud, too sharp, but muffled. The killer is here, I know it.
It wasn’t a coincidence that I received this message while visiting Winter. I stride to the lobby—I only see Irvin. Everyone else must have left. I bolt outside, scanning the parking lot. The killer must be here.
Irvin catches up to me, grabbing my arm. I sink to the concrete ground, wrapping my arms around my legs, rocking back and forth.
Someone is after me. I know it. He’s watching me. He’s the one who put the locket on my pillow. I’m not imagining it. He’s fucking with me.
“Princess.” His nickname is gentle, filled with warmth. He removes fine strands of hair from my face.
“Someone sent me a text message saying I’m next.”
I hand him my phone. He types in my passcode. I don’t know how he knew it, but I don’t care right now.
“Princess, there isn’t a message from anyone.”
I snatch the phone back and open the messages. The last message is from Irvin.
“I saw it. I swear, Irvin.”
Irvin studies me like a map. “Maybe you accidentally erased it.”
“I didn’t fucking erase it! I swear it was here!” I scream.
“Are you okay, my love?” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close.
Burnt flesh lingers in my nostrils.
“You don’t smell that?” I ask.
He eyes me curiously. “Smell what?”
