I head back downstairs to take Arcadia out for the night, still trying to rationalize it in my head, still refreshing Kira's stories. There's nothing new, but after I bring her back inside and lock the door, my phone rings.
When I realize it's only Blythe, I hit ignore.I wish I wanted to fuck you, Blythe. Sorry.
A few seconds later, she sends me a text.
Desperate, horny girls. I was very clear with her about my rules.
BLYTHE Hey, I'm at a party and that girl you say is your stepsister is here. You know the one who has the fucked up Stockholm thing going on with Dax?
Anyway, she's really messed up, and she's saying some weird shit. Thought you might want to know.
Send me the address.
Don't let her leave.
I pull up at the address and rush into the house, texting Blythe so she can help me find Saige.
"Hey," she says when she meets me at the door. "Sorry. I tried to get her to go home, but she said she couldn't leave becausethey're after herand shesaw them outside, and they know what she did. She was mumbling shit about a body and how it was your fault; I think someone might have slipped her something or she's having a bad trip, and I didn't know what to do."
Jesus Christ.
"Yeah, thanks for calling. I'll take care of it; it sounds like a bad trip. She's pretty fucking messy."
"Thanks for answering. Oh, that's right—you didn't."
"Sorry about that."
"Anyway, she was in here. My roommate is watching her."
I follow her into a back room, where Saige is dancing on a pool table with Kira and some guy in just a red bra and black leather pants. "Well, she did a shitty fucking job watching her."
"No! Not you!" she yells when she sees me. She must be pretty fucked up, because she's laughing, too. "Not him! Blythe, you're a fucking traitor."
"Yep, it's me. Time to go," I say before throwing her over my shoulder.
"Put me down!" she yells as she pummels my back. "Unsafe person! Stranger danger!"
"There's a kidnapping!" Kira yells from the pool table. "He's kidnapping my friend! Boo! You're no fun, Elias. You're a boring person!"
Jesus. How the fuck did I become a boring person? Especially through the eyes of a freshman girl.
A couple of guys step in front of us before we make it out the door. "Are you fucking kidding me? Move."
"I don't think she wants to go with you, man."
"Look, she's my sister, and she's having some kind of bad fucking trip, okay? I'm just going to take her home. And my Porsche is double-parked, so just fucking move, bro."
"Is that your brother?" the other guy asks Saige.
"Yeah, but he's fuckingevil," she says. "He's an insane person who keeps me in a hostage bunker!"
I roll my eyes. "She has a bedroom downstairs. There is no hostage bunker. Blythe, please tell them she has a bedroom."
"Um…I've been to the house. She has a room; it's not a hostage bunker. She's just really fucked up."
"You know what?" the first guy says. "I think this was the girl who was talking about dead bodies and how they were after her earlier. Saying they were watching her through the window or some shit. I think sheishaving a bad trip."
"I'm not having a bad trip! I taunted him in a text, and he came to get me. Elias, youknowwhat I'm talking about."
