Page 24
Caligo glided closer. Maybe glided wasn’t the right word, but he wasn’t walking, and it was the best way I could describe his otherworldly movement. I braced myself in case he tried to touch me, but thankfully he didn’t.
“That the coast was clear,” he said. “That you wouldn’t be a problem for the next few days.”
“A problem?” The word came out sharper than I intended. “He used that exact word.”
Caligo hesitated, apparently searching his memory, before nodding.
“Anything else?”
“That getting you to stay here had been easy. He said you’d been so hungover, he probably could have convinced you to sleep in the forest.”
I wanted to insist that it didn’t sound like Tyler, but it did. It sounded exactly like the snarkier, crueler side of him that emerged whenever his patience ran out.
Caligo reached tentatively toward my shoulder. I moved away from his hand, shaking my head. Not at him, but at this entire stupid, fucked-up situation.
I stared at the phone in my hand. After only a few seconds’ hesitation, I entered Tyler’s number. Just like every other time I’d called him, it went straight to voicemail.
It was so fucking tempting to leave a message saying everything I wanted to say, but that would make things too easy for him, providing an easy out from needing to defend himself.
He didn’t deserve an escape route.
I ended the call, and before I could talk myself out of it, called Remy instead.
He answered on the third ring, sounding as cheerful as ever. People always gravitated toward Remy because of his easygoing nature. Usually, it was one thing I loved most about him. Now it grated like sandpaper against exposed skin.
“It’s me,” I said quietly.
“Oh, hey. How are you doing? Do you need me to send you a file in a cake?”
“Would you do that?”
“Of course. As long as you don’t expect me to bake the cake, because we both know there would be no hiding anything in one of the disasters I make. Do you remember when I tried to make muffins for your eighteenth birthday?”
“We got distracted and ended up having to call the fire brigade,” I said on autopilot.
“And they were so burnt that the firemen couldn’t even tell what they were supposed to be.” He gave a quiet chuckle. “So, yeah, I’ll buy the cake. It’s safer for everyone.”
The familiar memory should have made me smile. Instead, it left me wondering how he could sound so completely normal while knowing what he’d done.
“I figured you might prefer me to stay in here.”
A long pause followed. “What? What are you talking about?”
“Was it all Tyler’s idea, or did you plan it together?”
“Row, I don’t know what you’re talking about? What kind of medication do they have you on?”
“Ah, right?” I worked hard to keep my voice controlled rather than surrendering to the rage clawing for release. “It’s the medication. So not only have you been cheating with my boyfriend, but now you’re going to gaslight me as well.”
“I don’t know what someone has told you, but—”
“I saw Instagram. I saw the two of you partying and dancing together. I saw you with your tongue down my boyfriend’s throat. So I’ll repeat, how long has it been going on?”
The silence stretched for so long that I wondered if he intended to deny it anyway. When he finally spoke, his voice had lost all its usual brightness.
“You should probably talk to Tyler.”
“Talk to Tyler?” A laugh burst out of me. “Chance would be a fine thing. He dumped me in here and disappeared off the face of the planet. I’ve called him five or six times, and he hasn’t picked up? Did he tell you that, or is your pillow talk more interesting than discussing me?” My voice grew sharper with every accusation until I almost spat out the last word. “Maybe you could tell him to call me the next time you see him.”
