Reid sighs. “Caeo. It’s about you and Caeo.”
Who?
I’m about to ask Reid for clarification when my gaze lands on the dessert section, and whatever he said slips from my mind. “Oh look, they have pie today.” A cozy warmth fills me as I breathe in the aroma of clove and jam wafting through the air.
Reid trails his hand down his face as he groans. “That’s it. I’m eating alone. I’ll see you in class.” He skips ahead, cutting off some people in line ahead of us.
What’s his problem now?
* * *
I contemplate the warped wooden door, its bottom half splotchy and stained, with swollen edges where it soaks in the puddle at its base. “What are we doing here?”
Classes have ended for the week, and we stand at the entrance to a run-down hovel with gray, peeling siding. Reid’s banging so hard the door creaks with every hit.
“You said we were going somewhere I’d love.” This is the sort of place I actively avoid.
“Arandur’s stinking cheese.” Reid rubs his temple. “In a minute you’ll be thanking me profusely, going on and on about how I’m such a good friend. And I am, because you have no idea how difficult you’ve made my life. I’m seconds away from telling Mallory everything just so I don’t have to deal with this anymore.”
“Telling Mallory what? What’s going on?”
It took a lot of convincing on his part for me to join him on this outing, and I’m beginning to regret giving in. Obviously, there’s something else bothering him, something beyond his fight with Alexis, but he won’t explain what it is.
He bangs on the door again. “Come on, open up.”
I take a nervous step back. “I think I’m going to go.”
“No, just give him a minute.” Another bang. “Cay, you home?”
“Who are you talking to?”
Reid groans. “He told me to bring you here. I confirmed it the other day.” Kicking the door, he drags his hand along his face. His fingers have raked through his hair so many times it’s edging into unkempt—he barely looks like himself.
“Great,” he mumbles. “Let’s go.” He shoves his hands in his coat pockets and storms down the street, grumbling to himself.
I take a step, intending to follow, but a tug of curiosity compels me to look back at the door. An uneasy feeling simmers in my chest; there’s something familiar about this place, but I can’t place it.
Peeking through the small window, there’s not much to see: a cramped living space with a single door leading to another room, the mess of someone’s life covering the table and counters. If they were home, they would undoubtedly have heard all that banging.
My hand finds its way into my pocket, fingers slipping against a small, smooth circle. A mother of pearl button I found tangled in my sheets as I made my bed this morning. I checked all my blouses, but none were missing any, then shoved it into my pocket before rushing to class. Something about it… it feels important.
I catch up with Reid, passing similar decrepit shacks along the way. “Are you going to explain what that was all about?”
“I could, but it’d be a waste of breath.” He stops at the gravel intersection. “Where the fuck could he be?”
A flicker of irritation bubbles within me. “Who?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he murmurs, not even sparing me a glance.
“It does matter.” I grab his arm and force him to look at me. “You dragged me all the way out here and won’t tell me anything. Who are you looking for?”
“Cay. Caeo.”
I blink, unsure what he said. “What?”
Reid’s face tightens, wound up like a kettle on the verge of screaming. “Your boyfriend!”
My… what?My heart stutters. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
