Chapter
Thirty-Two
My mouth drops open. “What did you just say?”
His mouth twists into a frown. “Courtney has never believed you were a good person.”
“And when exactly did she tell you this?” My voice is sharp, but I don’t care. I can’t believe he just told me that.
“A few days ago, before Friday night. But don’t worry,” he reassures me. “I didn’t believe her.”
That is not reassuring. And I am rendered speechless. He’s talking about me to Courtney? And she’s ready to throw me under the bus as soon as she gets the opportunity? God, I hate her.
Seriously.
I do.
“She saw us talking at school and she warned me about you.” He looks away. “I told her it wasn’t necessary. I knew what I was dealing with.”
The only time Courtney could have seen us together was Friday afternoon, when no one else was really around. Which means she was somehow…spying on us.
A shiver moves down my spine. That’s super weird. When I don’t say anything, Cass keeps on talking.
“Since everything that’s happened, I think you’ve turned into a better person. You’re nicer. Gentler. Not strutting around the school all the time looking like you want to tear someone’s head off.”
“You really thought I acted like that? Looked like that?” My voice squeaks. I think it’s because I’m in total shock. He made me sound awful.
Not that I was the nicest person, I realize this. I had a reputation as a snob, yet it never bothered me. I was just following in my sister’s footsteps, who also ruled the school back in the day. Most of the time, I secretly liked it when people would scurry away when they saw me coming. That crowds would part to allow me to walk through and people called my name because they were desperate to be my friend. It made me feel powerful.
That was still happening a few weeks ago. Heck, it still happened today. But it’s not right for me to act that way—to glory in my so-called power and throw it around. It’s not even real.
It’s freaking high school, people.
Time and people are fleeting. I’ve lost three friends, one of them my very best friend, and I finally see it.
Life is short.
I need to make the most of it.
And being a total bitch is not the way to go.
“I’ll be honest. My early assumption of you wasn’t flattering,” he finally admits. “But I only looked on the surface, and that’s all you wanted us to see anyway. I didn’t know you. And you never acted like you wanted to know me.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” I didn’t want to know anyone but my close circle of friends and the occasional boy. And even then, the boys drove me crazy and I knew my friends were jerks. “I thought you were weird,” I admit softly.
He laughs. “I am weird. Your early opinion of me is pretty accurate.”
“But I’ve come to realize you’re really nice.” I smile when he grimaces. “You’re smart. You’ve led an…interesting life.”
“Don’t forget you also think I’m devastatingly handsome, right?” He wags his brows.
I laugh and slowly shake my head. “Who fed you that line?”
“My grandma. She calls me that at least once a day, usually in the morning before I leave for school. She’s good for my ego.”
“I bet,” I say drily. “But you are devastatingly handsome—if you’re fishing for compliments.”
“Hey, thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.” His smile falters and his expression grows serious. “I really am sorry about what happened earlier. I don’t want to fight with you. I really do like you, Pen. I like you a lot. I’ve always felt drawn to you, I just didn’t know how to approach you.”
“I like you, too,” I whisper. I’ve never actually admitted that to a boy out loud before. I usually just…fell into relationships. It’s always like next thing I knew, I’m with a guy and he’s my boyfriend. That’s what happened with Robby. One minute he was talking to me, the next minute I agreed to go out on a date with him, and the next minute after that, we were a couple.
Everything’s different with Cass. And I like that. I feel like what we have is special and unique, too.
“So let’s just see where this goes, okay? After everything that happened last weekend, I feel extra close to you. I don’t want to lose that connection.” He reaches out and touches my face, his fingers drifting across my cheek, making my skin tingle. I like it when he touches me. I feel light, like a balloon that could float high into the sky, never to be seen again.
“I don’t want to lose it, either,” I agree in a whisper, my lids growing heavy when he keeps lightly stroking my cheek.
“I have a suggestion.”
“What?” I sound breathless, but I don’t care. This is what he does to me. He may as well know about it.
“Let’s go over to Courtney’s house and see if she’ll talk to us.”
That balloon feeling deflates, just like that. “Are you kidding? No way.” I jerk away from his touch and he drops his hand. “I don’t want to talk to her. She’ll probably try to kill me.”
Irritation flashes across his features. “Come on, Pen. You’re being ridiculous. She’s not going to try and kill you with me there.”
“What, she treats you special?” I ask snottily. Ugh, I need to shut up.
“No, if she really is the killer, it seems she’s only interested in murdering girls. Right? So I’m a dude. She won’t touch me.”
I stare at him, the wind suddenly kicking up, whipping my hair across my face. I can’t even believe I’m considering this. But maybe we should go talk to her. Confront her even. What’s she going to do, lunge at me with a knife? We’ll be in her house and her parents are home. They had to cut their European vacation short once they found out what happened Friday night.
“Your idea is crazy,” I mutter, looking away from him.
“It’s crazy, but you can’t deny it’s a good one, right?” He nudges me with his elbow. “Come on, let’s go over there.”
“What if they won’t let us see her?”
“Then at least we tried.” He shrugs.
“What if she starts yelling at us? What if she accuses one of us of being the killer?”
Cass’s eyes go wide. “You think she’d do that?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Then that’s the risk we’ll have to take.” He grabs hold of my arm and gives it a gentle tug, pulling me into his embrace. He’s tall and warm and safe, and I relax against him when he holds me close, even though I’m scared.
“You in, Pen?” he asks.
“I’m in,” I murmur reluctantly against his chest.
Hope I don’t regret this decision.
…
“Penelope, we’re so glad you stopped by.” Courtney’s mom sweeps me into a hug, squeezing me extra tight. She pulls away and holds me at arm’s length, her gaze raking over me as if she’s searching for obvious flaws. “How are you holding up?”
“As best I can,” I tell her somberly.
Mrs. Jenkins nods. “Understandable. Poor Courtney has been an emotional wreck. This entire thing has shaken her to her core. We keep encouraging her to talk, to get it all out, but she won’t. She claims she’s fine.”
“Maybe she’s not ready to talk about it yet,” Cass suggests.
Mrs. Jenkins’s gaze flickers to him. “Who are you?”
I find it weird that a boy who claims he was so close to Courtney has never met her parents, ever. They were in rehab together, and Mrs. Jenkins acts like she’s never seen him before.
Though I guess I shouldn’t find it too weird. This sort of thing happens a lot, especially when two people aren’t that serious about each other. Meaning I don’t think Courtney was that serious about Cass.
No surprise. She’s not serious about anyone.
“This is Cass Vincenti,” I tell her, and Cass reaches out to quickly shake her hand.
“Your grandmother is Sue Vincenti, no?” Mrs. Jenkins asks politely.
“Yes, ma’am. We live just down the street.”
“Of course. In the ivy-covered house.” Her lips curl the slightest bit with seeming distaste. “I’ll go see if Courtney’s feeling well enough to come down and chat with you. Please, have a seat.”
The moment she’s gone, Cass starts pacing around the sitting room she brought us into. “This room is smaller than the one they kept us in Friday night.”
“Yes. This room is for intimate gatherings.”
He smirks and rolls his eyes. “I don’t know how they keep track of all their many rooms.”
“They have hired staff to do that,” I joke, though I’m also serious. His nervous pacing reminds me of a giant cat and within seconds, he’s making me nervous. I grab my phone, scrolling through it so I don’t have to watch him. There’s nothing going on. Even social media is quiet lately. I think people go to school and go home, keeping their heads down the entire time. We’re all afraid. And we’ll continue to be afraid until the killer is caught.
“Do you think she’ll talk to us?” I ask Cass.
He stops his pacing. “Yes. I think she will.”
I slowly shake my head when he resumes his pacing. “I think she’ll blow us off.”
“Does she normally do that?”
“You tell me. Has she ever blown you off?”
“Yeah. A couple of times.” He scowls, as if he’s remembering those few times.
“Same. So I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“I think she’s itching to talk. To someone who was there, who saw it all,” he explains. “Like us.”
That isn’t a bad theory. Maybe she’s eager to show off what she knows. She always did love a juicy story. We all did.
“Penny. I can’t believe you came to see me.”
I stand and turn to find Courtney in the doorway, and she is absolutely…beautiful. Her blond hair is perfectly curled in luxurious waves that spill down her back, and her makeup is expertly applied. She’s wearing a long sleeved, fitted black sweater dress and black tights with black knee high boots. She looks like she just walked off a fashion runway as she glides toward me, her rosebud lips parted, her eyes sparkling and bright.
“Courtney…” My voice drifts. What do I say? The last time I saw her, she’d been covered in blood and screaming uncontrollably, denying her involvement. Now she looks like a freaking regal princess, cool and calm. “Are you all right?”
“I’m…well.” She draws me into a hug, holding me close for a beat before she lets go, her gaze then heading to Cass. “Oh, Cass. You’re here, too? It’s so nice to see you.” She hugs him, then backs away, her hands clasped in front of her.
“You look great, Court,” Cass says, and I fight the jealousy bubbling within me. I have no reason to be jealous. Cass came here with me. He’s not interested in Courtney.
“I went to the spa for most of the day,” she tells me in that hushed, intimate tone she likes to use when she drops an interesting bit of information. “It was so refreshing. Just what I needed after everything that happened.” She waves a hand, like she can dismiss all the bad stuff with a few wiggling fingers.
I chance a glance at Cass, who’s frowning at me. He looks just as disturbed as I feel. Courtney’s not acting right.
Not at all.
“Please, sit down.” She indicates the couch with her hand and I sit, Cass joining me. We’re close, our arms brushing, and Courtney notices. I see the way her gaze lingers as she sits in a high-backed chair across from us. She crosses her legs, her skirt riding up to mid thigh, and I wonder if she did that on purpose.
“Are you coming back to school soon?” I ask her.
“Oh, I’m not sure.” She shrugs. “Mother thinks I should stay home and recuperate first.”
“Are you hurt?” Cass asks.
“Yes, I am. Right here.” She rests a hand on her chest, over her heart, her expression solemn.
Okay. That was creepy.
“Finding Dani like that was—horrible. One of the worst things I’ve ever experienced, and I will never forget it,” she continues, her voice even, her expression blank. “I don’t know if I can ever un-see that moment. It’s embedded in my brain forever.”
Maybe she’s on drugs?
“What exactly happened when you found Dani? Was she already there in the hallway?” Cass asks.
“Yes.” Courtney nods continuously, like she’s a robot stuck on repeat. “I went upstairs because Brogan sent me a text, asking me to meet him there.”
“Wait a minute…Brogan?” Well, that’s new information.
“Uh-huh. We were flirting the entire night.” It takes everything within me not to say something. Cass looks like he wants to burst, too. That was some serious flirting going on with Brogan in her room. “I mean, I know he and Dani were kind of a thing, but it wasn’t real, you know? Not like what Brogan and I have. I adore him. And he adores me.”
She was so rude to him that night. Or is she forgetting?
“Brogan sent you a text to come meet him in the east wing upstairs hall?” Cass asks, his voice full of disbelief.
“He did. And so I did. I went up there, ready to sneak a kiss with him or whatever.” She giggles, then sobers quickly. “I shouldn’t laugh. It was a terrible night. One I won’t ever forget.”
She’s repeating herself. I feel like some of the stuff she’s saying to us is rehearsed. Like someone had her practice saying it before she came downstairs to talk to us.
“Have you seen Brogan since that night?” Cass asks her.
She shakes her hair back from her shoulders and plasters a phony smile on her face. “No. I haven’t. But I’ve missed him. I don’t know what’s going on.” Her eyes light up and she leans forward on the edge of her chair. “Have you seen him? Did he go to school today?”
“I didn’t see him,” I say.
“I didn’t, either.” This is from Cass.
Courtney’s face crumples. “I hope he’s okay.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” I tell her.
Her face brightens once more. “I’m fantastic. Well. As fantastic as I can be, considering what’s happened.”
“We’re having a candlelight vigil for the girls tomorrow night,” I say. “You should come. If you’re up for it.” Yikes, why did I tell her? We don’t need a repeat performance from the last candlelight vigil.
“Oh, I don’t know. Last time I went to one, I sort of made a fool of myself.” Well, at least she’s honest. Her smile is sweet and she shakes her head, like she’s so saddened by her actions. The Courtney I know doesn’t give a crap. “But thank you so much for the invite.”
“The Larks want you there, Court. I hope you can go.” It’s weird, how my anger toward her has evaporated. I think it’s because of her odd demeanor. How spacey she’s acting, like she’s hopped up on a load of prescription pills.
“Oh!” She claps her hands once, startling us both. “The Larks! I miss them. How are they?”
“We are…” How do I tell her that we’re temporarily disbanding? “We’re doing the best we can considering the circumstances.”
“I’m sure. Well, now that we’ve lost three girls and I won’t be around much, it sounds like we don’t have much of a group anymore.”
“We don’t,” I assure her. “In fact, we took a vote and decided to stop meeting until the spring.”
“What?” Courtney leaps to her feet, her face red with anger. “Are you serious? You’re shutting down the Larks?”
“We’re not shutting down,” I say as I rise to my feet and go to her. I want to touch her, hoping it will calm her down, but she seems too agitated. “It’s just a temporary thing. I’m the only senior left, and then the juniors, and we don’t think it’s proper to continue on, what with everything that’s happened. It doesn’t feel right.”
“Maybe it doesn’t feel right to you. But for the rest of us, it’s everything. The Larks are everything! How dare you close them down? What gave you the right?”
She rears back her hand and slaps me soundly across the face. So hard, the impact jars my teeth and my head bounces.
Yeah. Bounces.
“Court, what the hell!” Cass rushes to my defense, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me away from her. “Why did you hit her?”
“She doesn’t care about anything or anyone but herself! Can’t you see? She’s destroying everything! The Larks are the only thing keeping us together, keeping us alive, and she’s tearing it down!” Courtney is screaming at the top of her lungs, her face tomato red, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I hate you, Penelope! I hate you!”
Mrs. Jenkins bustles into the room, her face full of horror and shame. “Courtney! What in the world? Are you all right?”
“Get her out of here.” She points a shaky finger right at me. “I never want to see you again, Penelope!”
A man in a black suit strides into the room. I’ve never seen him before, but he sends me a glare as he places his arm awkwardly around Courtney’s shoulders and steers her out of the sitting room.
“I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Jenkins says the moment they’re gone, her eyes full of sympathy as she watches me. “She’s been having…outbursts ever since Friday night. I don’t know what brings them on.”
“She’s mad at me, I guess.” I gingerly touch my cheek. It’s warm. I bet she left a mark.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” The pleasant smile on Mrs. Jenkins’s face feels as false as the emotion Courtney displayed those first few minutes she spoke to us.
Once she became angry, though, it felt like the real Courtney came out.
“No problem,” Cass says with a curt nod. Anger radiates from him, making his movements stiff. He curls his arm around my shoulders and guides me out of the sitting room. “We’ll see ourselves out.”
“Thank you for coming,” Mrs. Jenkins calls after our retreating backs.
So. Weird.
The moment we exit the front door, Cass comes to a stop, making me stop too. “What the hell was that?” He examines my cheek, his fingers gently pressing into my skin. “Are you all right? Does it hurt?”
“Not anymore.” I lift my gaze to his. “I can’t believe she hit me.”
“I can’t believe she did, either,” he says grimly. “I wanted to hit her, too.”
That shouldn’t make me feel good, but it does. “She acted so strange. Not like her normal self. I think she’s pumped full of prescription drugs. Maybe anti-anxiety stuff.”
“Probably,” he mutters, shaking his head. “You ready to go?”
“Definitely.”
We’re almost to his car when he speaks again.
“I have another idea.”
“What is it?” I ask warily.
“Do you know where Brogan Pearson lives?”
“Kind of. Not exactly, but I could find out.”
“Let’s try. I want to talk to him.” His expression is serious. “I have a few questions I’d like to ask him.”