It’s a good idea, actually. A great one.
“I still think we should check the diner out, just in case.” Chasm gives me a look that’s hard to interpret. “My dad wants me home on Sunday,” he adds sourly, pushing his hair back from his forehead. “But if X wants to come with me, we can scope the diner out beforehand.” The two of them exchange a look. “We’ll stop by Mr. Volli’s place while we’re out.”
“I’d rather go with you on Tuesday,” I tell him, but then he turns those gorgeous eyes of his on me and shakes his head.
“You need to stay here and figure out a way to get Tess to talk.” He points at the book on my nightstand. “At the very least, you need to keep reading and see if there’s anything else that stands out. If we’re going with this theory, we need a list of places to search. The location where they first met, where they first kissed, where they first—” He stops suddenly, and our eyes meet. X lets out an annoyed sigh.
“Do you two need a minute?” he asks dryly, but I shake my head.
We do, actually, but I’d rather not waste any time tonight on messy feelings.
We have work to do.
“No, we’re good,” Chasm says, looking away before I can think up an appropriate answer. “It’s all good.”
But neither of us is going to forget the look on Parrish’s face anytime soon.
I settle back down on the bed with the book while X turns and leans his back against the wall. Our feet bump together, and we both go still, but neither of us acknowledges the strange, electrical currents we feel when we touch.
Even if he’s technically Maxine’s ex, he’s still hers.
He will always be hers.
“Okay, Tess, let’s see what you’ve got,” I murmur, flipping the book back open.
I stare at my father across the table, a plate of ham and eggs in front of me, and I smile at him with all the ignorance of a girl who has no idea that the man she loves the most is a cold-blooded killer.
I’ve always enjoyed idioms.
This one seems most appropriate to describe what happens next: speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Delphine wakes me up the next morning. Nothing unusual about that, but I can’t help but be suspicious of her and anyone else that had access to this house that night.
“Breakfast is ready and on the table,” she tells me with a smile as I climb out of bed and head straight for the bathroom to deal with my period. I’m not about having a conversation with her right now. I just couldn’t bear it if I was friendly with her and it turned out she was like, an accomplice or something.
Once I’m dressed in jeans and a Whitehall Prep hoodie that either belongs to Chasm or Parrish—I truly don’t know since it’s been washed and smells like soap and only soap at this point—I head back into my room to find Delphine folding clothing from a basket and slipping it into the top drawer of my dresser.
The pajamas I wore that night when I woke up in the woods are in her hands.
That’s a puzzle I’m still having trouble figuring out. Like, did the Slayer buy a second set and put me in them? Or were the ones I was wearing washed, dried, and put back on me? Delphine would have easy access to the laundry, right? I’m just struggling to figure out how she’d be capable of drugging me and then dragging my body outside by herself. She’s so tiny and thin, and it doesn’t look like she works out much more often than I do.
I decide to push that thought aside for the time being, heading down the stairs just in time to see the pool guy leaving out the front door. I’ve seen the dude in passing before, but he never stood out to me much. Same deal with the man outside on a riding lawn mower, dealing with the slightly overgrown grass.
Guess the Vanguard household is back to running on all cylinders.
I don’t like that.
It makes it feel like Parrish doesn’t matter, like he isn’t coming back.
“Come eat,” Maxx says, standing in the doorway between the living room/kitchen area and the hallway. I glance over, finding him dressed in … oh. Wow. X is cloaked head to toe in this slick lime-green, black, and white jersey and pants. Even his boots match, hitting him at mid-calf, and strapped tight against his muscular legs.
I must be staring like a crazy person because he hooks a confident smile my direction.
“What do you think?” he asks as I finally remember that I’m supposed to be doing something other than gaping at my sister’s ex like a cringe-worthy tit-faced asshole. I make my heavy feet move forward, but Maxx doesn’t move back, and then we’re just standing way too fucking close together. “My parents made a surprise trip into town and basically ordered me down to the track.” His mouth twitches. “They don’t think I should draw attention to myself by participating in another press conference. Worried the Slayer might get me next or … something.” He sounds supremely annoyed.
