I look up at Maxx, and his face falls dramatically, losing that edge of irritation that he was trying so hard to hide.
“I must look pathetic,” I start with a self-deprecating laugh. “And I’m sorry about not helping with the search party.”
“You aren’t pathetic at all: your boyfriend is missing.” Maxx pauses, like he isn’t quite sure that was the right thing to say. Boyfriend? Is Parrish my boyfriend now? I have no idea because we never really got to talk about it, now did we? “If Maxine were missing, I’d be the same way.”
“You wouldn’t help search?” I retort dryly because I must really look like an asshole now. Berating Tess about Justin, destroying my birthday present and her most prized possession while spouting vitriol, and refusing to take part in the search party. I’m not going to come out of this situation smelling like a rose, that’s for sure.
“Kota, can I ask you something?” Maxx starts, biting his lower lip for a moment and reminding me that even though we haven’t spent much time together, I’ve somehow picked up one of his habits.
“Go for it.” I swipe my blazer sleeve across my face, not caring if it gets gross or not. The state of my school uniform means nothing to me right now. Parrish. I need to figure out a way to rescue Parrish. It’s like … life has suddenly become a video game. If this is just a game, I can beat it, right? I can rescue the prince from the tower.
“Do you know where Parrish is?”
The question hits me out of left field, and my eyes widen in just such a way that I probably look guilty as fuck. To be fair, I actually don’t know where Parrish is. But I know he’s alive. I know he isn’t safe. I know he’s hurt. I stare at Maxx for so long that his face starts to change, turning into a look of alarm that must be reflected in my own gaze.
I turn away from him, but he won’t let me go, grabbing onto my shoulder and forcefully turning me around. He leans down and looks straight into my face, and I swear, I forget how to lie. It dissipates like water on hot pavement. Nothing but steam.
“What happened? Where is he?” Maxx breathes, and I see this terrible spark of hope in his eyes. He’s worried, but he’s also glad that I know something, that his friend hasn’t just disappeared into the ether. “Dakota, you can tell me.”
The sound of someone coming down the stairs give us both pause. Maxx releases me and steps back as Tess appears in the foyer beside us. The way she looks at me … I’ll never forget her expression for as long as I live. My cheeks—yes, and my boobs—turn a brilliant red as I remember the feel of the heavy typewriter in my hands, the sound of shattering glass as it made contact with the BMW.
She says nothing as she moves past me, like a ghost has possessed Tess’ body and taken away all the fight she had left.
Using Maxx’s brief moment of distraction, I slip into the garage, noticing that the safety glass has been cleaned up, and head for Chasm’s idling car.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Maxx calls out, grabbing my arm before I can complete my escape. “Dakota, you know something. You do. I can see it in your face.”
“Can you please arrange for me to see Maxine?” I repeat, because I can’t tell Maxx. It’s too risky. I shouldn’t even have told Chasm. I reach up and carefully remove Maxx’s hand from my arm before climbing into the car. He says nothing, just stands in the garage and watches us until we disappear up the road toward the academy.
School is fucking torturous.
Everyone wants to talk to me, but not for the right reasons. They’re all salivating to get the scoop on Parrish, but not because most of them are concerned, because they find the entire situation amusing.
Maxx did warn me about Whitehall, after all.
“He suspects something?” Chasm asks me at lunch, standing in the theater while Lumen and Danyella run off to grab us lunch. They both genuinely care, at least, and they’ve been trying to take care of us both all day. Chas taps his toe against the floor, his back against the front of the stage, arms crossed.
“He won’t tell anyone, will he?” I ask, but even as the words are leaving my mouth, I know the answer. Maxx isn’t like that. We might not know each other very well, but I get the feeling that he wouldn’t give up my secrets so easily.
“Maxx? Please.” Chasm snorts again and looks away. “He has these annoyingly rigid morals. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what they are, but once you know, you can be assured that he’ll never break them. He won’t tell anyone unless he thinks it’ll benefit both you and Parrish without a doubt. Until then, he’ll keep it to himself. But, he’s going to be suspicious as shit until then.”
