“Jack’s here,” I stutter, grabbing my bag from the floor. “I have to go. Bye, Val.” I throw her a flying kiss, then leave an angry Grace alone with Valerie.
“Leaving?” Caden asks over his mouthful of sandwich.
“Yeah, Penny needs me,” I lie, heading straight for the door. “Are you coming over tonight?”
“Nah, I have a thing.” He cocks his head towards his roommates.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I wave.
“Later, Etheridge,” Nick grumbles over his burger, spraying Chris, who chucks an onion back in Nick’s face.
I close the door behind me, internally shaking myself to even joke about being involved with these gremlins. My eyes scan the phone, checking the time, as I walk out of the porch and find the Bentley parked outside.
“Wow, you’re early,” Jack cheers, folding his magazine as I struggle to pull the seatbelt.
“Don’t get too excited. It’s a one-off,” I say, finally managing to strap myself in. “Can we go, please?”
Jack looks over his shoulder suspiciously but turns on the engine. I glance out the back window. Mason’s bike is not by the lamppost where I saw it. My head spins in all directions as the car pulls into the main street.
Ping.
Stalker
Good girl. Careful next time. A joke like that could get your friends very hurt.
I chuck my phone toward my bag with a little too much force, cross my arms over my chest and stare out the window.
A moment later, a flash of black ghosts past, overtaking us and roaring down the road.
Dickhead.
16
EVA
It’sanother boring night in 24D.
For the last few days, Penny and I have been capitalizing our evenings planning Thea’s birthday while she’s out running. Her mum lives in Australia, and her father and sisters are in France this year, so we are organizing a surprise for her.
Though after tonight, her present may get a downgrade.
Because there is pineapple on the pizza, again. Fish and chips from the local chippy was the original plan, but apparently that’s not allowed because it’s not Friday. Thea’s rigid rules are a pain in the arse.
My roommates and I gather on the leather couch in front of the coffee table. Penny plops next to me, squeezing me between her and Thea.
“Is Caden coming over?” Penny asks with a smile and wiggles her eyebrows.
The girl is persistent. I’ll give her that. “No, he said he had a thing.”
“More likely, he doesn’t want to be ambushed by you again,” Thea points out and picks three slices from the takeaway box.
How this girl is so thin when she eats likethat, I don’t understand. I guess her daily runs and active metabolism take care of it. Me? I get breathy from climbing the stairs, so I have to really watch myself. Like tonight, when I’m sticking to beer and peanuts. Because, frankly, that pizza is not worth the extra calories.
“What? I was just being friendly,” Penny complains.
“He was supposed to stay with us for a week, and he couldn’t have run out of here faster.”
I bite my lip then sip my beer, looking down at my feet. That may not be Penny’s fault. But I can't tell them that.
