He replies immediately.
S.C.
More like your guardian nightmare.
It’shard to sleep at night. The apartment is empty save for me, Blackwell’s is closed, I wish Cynthnia was here, but I’m obviously not going to whine to her while she’s probably getting a much needed lay.
Besides, with all the secrets about her own house I’m keeping from her, she needs to stay far away as much as possible.
I toss and turn, my bedroom door closed and locked since my best friend isn’t here. I scroll through too many videos on my phone, look up the schedule for the Dragons—both games are at home—and think about my Halloween costume.
An elf, because it fits with what I already have. Not like Santa’s elves. But a black lace dress, leather corset, thigh-high black leather boots. Tomorrow is my nail appointment and I’m going with matte black. A lot of shimmer on my face, cat eye liner that I’ve perfected since I wear it nearly every single day, and doing my blond hair so it’s bone-straight… whether I go out with Faust or not, it’ll be a hot look.
Then again, if it’s below freezing, I might not fucking bother.
I open up Pinterest for more makeup inspo, but a text from Cyn pops up at the top of my screen.
It’s nearly one in the morning.
I’m not surprised she’s up since she’s with her boyfriend, or whatever he is to her, but I’m surprised she’s givingmetime this late.
I open up the message, worried for a second something is wrong.
And when I read the text, my blood pressure shoots up and I seriously considering calling Faust and asking if I can sleep over at his place. Or demanding to know if he stalked me over the weekend and suggest he do it again.
Something I’d never do if I wasn’t desperate or terrified, and right now, I feel both.
Cyn
Did you see?! They found another body. Are you home??
I text her back to tell her I’m home and safe, then open up my browser and find the news. Of course, nothing is posted thereyet. I go back to social media, type in Drayton U, and it’s all over my feed.
Body found by the science building.
In between the library and Bosphorus, where I ate.
Not many details, and I can’t find the cause of death, which I don’t expect this early. There were no emergency workers there when I left the Greek place, so it had to have happened in the past two hours.
I keep scrolling, reading the comments, looking for anything else at all. Sylvan was nearby because he knew I was at the restaurant.
Then Nolan said…that guy.
My stomach clenches and I sit straight up, glancing at my closed bedroom door.
But it can’t be either of them, right?
Why not?
People always think these types of things won’t happen to them or people they know, but then it does.
Fuck.
I take deep breaths in through my nose, out through my mouth.
Another text from Cyn comes through. She offered to come back and I really want her here but I’m not going to have her walking through campus in the dark. Even if Tylone drove her, which he better, she still has to head up to our place herself unless she brings him in and either way, I think it’s best for us all to stay put tonight.
Before I can tell her all that, though, another text comes through from her.
