Page 148 of Wicked Brutal

“That’s what was written across the top of the page he was signing.” Her eyes meet mine. “He’s pulling me out of Edgewood.”

“We don’t know that.”

“Yes, we do.”

“No. We suspect it.”

“Ryan.”

“I need facts.”

“Fine. Fact. My father lied to my mother about where he’d be today. Fact. He showed up at my school without telling me. Fact. He’s in the front office signing a transfer request less than twenty-four hours after telling me my friends are inappropriate and Victor gave me a wedding date.” Her voice catches on the last few words.

I cross the room. “Hey.”

“I think they’re moving it up.”

“The wedding?”

She nods. “I think yesterday changed something. Victor liked me.” The bitterness in her voice makes my chest tighten. “Maybe that was the point of lunch. Maybe he wanted to see if he was ready. Maybe Dad wanted him to decide.”

“We don’t know that.”

“He waited five years, Ryan. And now suddenly I’m getting transferred?” Her hand moves to her stomach. “I don’t like this.”

Neither do I. But this is the moment where one of us gets to panic. It can’t be me. So I don’t. Something in my head clicks over. Cold. Clean. Problem. Solve it. “Okay. We need to know what he signed.”

“How?”

“I need the paperwork.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “No.”

“I’m not stealing it.”

“That sentence does not make me feel better.”

“I’m going to photograph it.”

“Also illegal.”

I pull out my phone. “I need ten minutes.”

“In the front office?”

“Preferably eleven.”

I open the group chat.

roman is in administration. ally saw him signing a transfer request.

The responses start almost instantly.

Becca: EXCUSE ME

Danny: for ally?

don’t know yet.