“Relax, it was a couple of Xannies. It wasn’t like I was going to kill him.”
Like a light being flipped, Macallan’s entire demeanor shifts, a wide smile lighting up his face. The sight is quite jarring given our current situation. And that’s when I see it... His phone in his hand.
“Thank you for that. Now the police have everything they need.” He locks the device and shoves it into his back pocket.
“You wouldn’t...”
“I think you underestimate the lengths I will go to in order to get rid of you, Lana.” His hand closes around mine as he pulls me close. “Now you have two options. You can get expelled and go to jail, or you can leave. Transfer to another school, drop out entirely, I don’t care, but I want you gone immediately, or I take this video to the police.”
“I can’t just leave.”
“You can and you will. Unless you prefer to be behind bars, that is.”
“You won’t get away with this,” she hisses, looking half a mind to lunge at him.
“I think I will. Because if I ever see your face again, I won’t hesitate to turn you over to the police. You have until the end of the day tomorrow.” He turns to me. “Get changed and grab your things. We’re leaving.”
While normally I wouldn’t stand for being told what to do, in this case, leaving is exactly what I want to do.
“Shouldn’t you be packing?” he says to Lana, careful to stay between us as I quickly slip on a hoodie and shoes, grabbing my cell and laptop before moving toward the door.
“Ready,” I tell him, hand on the doorknob.
“I would say it’s been a pleasure, but we both know that would be a lie,” he tells Lana, backing toward me without ever turning his back to her. “I meant what I said. I never want to see you again. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly.” She gives him a smile that’s all teeth, her eyes narrowing to nothing more than tiny slits.
Eager to get the hell out of this room, I tug open the door and pull Macallan into the hallway, not taking a real breath until we’re outside and away from Lana.
“Are you okay? Do you need one of us to come get you?” Char asks seconds after I’ve finished recapping what happened with Lana, though I might have left out the part where she caught me and Macallan seconds away from ripping each other’s clothes off.
“No, I’m good. I’m at Macallan’s.”
“Yeah, but you don’t plan on staying there, right? I mean, unless there’s something you’re not telling me...”
“Well...”
“Oh my God! Thereissomething you’re not telling me. I knew there had to be a reason he was in your room outside of your psych project.”
“It’s not like that... exactly.”
“Then whatisit like?” I can hear the smile in her voice.
“I’m not actually sure,” I admit, tucking my legs under myself as I take a seat on the edge of Macallan’s bed.
“But things are... Good?”
“Yeah. No.” I’m hesitant to say because, truly, are things good? I don’t even know. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
“Everything is complicated with you two.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“But given you’re at his place, I take it that means you don’t actively want to chop his balls off. That’s a start.”
“I guess.” I blow out a slow breath.
“So are you going to tell me what’s changed?”
