Page 18 of Just the Pool Boy at Vampire Mansion

He stilled, beer bottle halfway to his lips. Then corrected, and took drink. But I’d seen it. He looked away, toward the yard and the neighbors’ house hidden behind the trees and bushes.

Not only did he not reply, he stood and sauntered back inside. Conversation over.

He clearly had known the guy who died. Known him enough to lie sprawled on a sun lounger, waiting for sunstroke to take the hurt away? But he couldn’t or wouldn’t say.

Now that was interesting.

“Don’t go there,” I told myself. “Stop looking for trouble.”

The problem was, I just couldn’t help myself.

CHAPTER 5

The text came at two a.m.

I slept light these days. The phone only vibrated once and lit up on the nightstand, waking me.

sorry

That was it.

No name, unknown number.

I squinted at the word, then the time, brain fogged.

“sorry”

I held the phone close to my face, frowned at it, and flopped my head back onto the pillow.

There weren’t many people who knew this number. My little business was new. I had a total of three clients. The number was out there, but none of them would be texting “sorry” at two a.m., and all were in my contact list.

Probably a wrong number. I reached out to put the phone back on the bedside table. A second text pinged.

is Theo

Rolling my eyes, I put the phone back on the nightstand and shoved my face into the pillow.

Another vibration.

No, I wasn’t doing this.

Not at two a.m.

Not ever.

How had he gotten my number? From his father? Oh right, the groceries. I’d left him my number when he’d stayed briefly.

I grabbed the phone, rolled onto my side, and looked at the messages.

u awake?

No.

I sent back, including the capital letter and period, so he knew I was pissed.

Bentley switched my bedroom light for a UV one

I frowned at the words, taking a second to let them sink in. Was he serious?