Page 55 of Devious Obsession
I like it, though. It kind of has that haunting melody that sits in your chest.
Suddenly, she stops. Curses. After a second, she restarts again. The notes go all wonky, and she stops with a squeak.
I crack my eye open.
She’s leaning forward, her head tipped to the side. Her fingers are pulled away from the keys like they bit her.
“Aspen?” I focus more fully on her.
The drugs went to work fast, judging by her expression. I wonder what her sheet music is doing. If it’s talking to her or wiggling across the page.
She glances at me, and her eyes bug out. I slip my phone from my pocket and switch it to video mode, aiming it at her.
“What is it?” I ask.
She’s staring at me with a horrified expression. “Steele,” she whisper-yells. “T-there’s a monster behind you.” Her grip tightens on the bench, her feet leaving the pedals.
I glance behind me, then face her again. “Maybe we should get out of here? Get to safety.”
She nods wordlessly and rises, leaving her bag behind. She hurries out into the hallway, and I follow. She seems to be walking like someone’s hunting her, glancing over her shoulder at me with wide eyes.
I smile to myself.
Perfect.
15
ASPEN
Iwake up in the music room, my mouth full of cotton. I look around, squinting in the dark room. The fluorescent light from the hallway comes in through the window in the door, slanting across the floor and giving me enough to see.
My bag is gone, as is my phone.
What happened?
I lick my lips and drag myself upright, tugging down on the hem of my shirt. As soon as I move, the motion sensor lights in the room flicker back to life. I close my eyes briefly against the searing pain of the brightness. It takes a minute for me to open my eyes again and resume taking inventory. My leggings are dirty, and there are grass stains on my knees. There’s a rip in my shirt, too, right across my stomach.
A shadow appears in the window, and I scream.
“It’s me!”
I take another look and wince. Thalia’s brows are pinched, and she tries the door handle.
Locked, of course, unless you ask the school to give your ID access to these rooms.
I pull the door open. Her gaze quickly takes me in, and without warning, she drags me into a hug.
“Wh—” My voice cracks, so I just stop.
“Are you okay?”
I shake my head and clear my throat. “What happened?”
She pulls back a little, still holding my arms. “You don’t remember?”
“No…”
“Let’s just go home,” she murmurs. “Where’s your bag?”
