She kicked a rock into the trees. “I should’ve known by the way his eyes went soft when he talked about you. He would drop anything the second you called. I never came first.”
I curved an arm around my middle, trying to hold my ribs steady as I walked. “That’s just work. He and Jinx love what they do. It has nothing to do with me.”
I eyed the tree line, searching for any foliage thick enough to give me a fighting chance. But I knew I couldn’t outrun Calla, not with my current injuries. For now, my best option was to keep her talking. “So, you started sending the emails? The text messages?”
“I tried to warn you. Gave you so many chances. But you never listen, do you?”
“You could’ve talked to me. Told me what was bothering you. You could’ve talked to Toby.”
“You don’t think I tried talking to him?” she shrieked. “I told him you were coming between us, that Wolf Gap wasn’t a good place for us. But he wouldn’t listen. He told me I was jealous.”
I stopped, leaning against a tree, trying to catch my breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Calla scoffed. “Oh, you would’ve loved that, wouldn’t you? Me begging you not to steal my boyfriend.” A muscle in her cheek ticked. “You haveeverything. This perfect family, parents who love you, a big brother who looks out for you, a sister who’s your best friend, your dream job. I had none of that. All I had was Toby.”
My mind stuck on the past tense. All shehadwas Toby. “My life isn’t perfect. It’s a disaster most of the time.”
“Bullshit.”
“It’s true. My mom and I haven’t had a real conversation in almost a month. She’s pissed as hell at me.”
A small smile flickered across Calla’s face.
I straightened from the tree. “You’re the one who told my mom about my videos.”
She grinned. “Anonymous emails can be so helpful. Text messages, too. I found Jackie’s number and fed her all sorts of things. I really thought that crazy bitch was going to take care of my problem for me. She came so close.” Calla shrugged. “You know what they say, if you want something done right…”
Calla gave me a hard push. Pain sparked along my ribs as my head swam. “You’re not going to get away with this. People saw you.”
“I’ll take my chances. Poor ol’ Addie is probably bleeding out from that head wound. And those little girls, they’ll never find their way back to the trailhead for help. I’d say the odds are in my favor.”
My chest gave a vicious squeeze.No.Birdie and Sage were far smarter than Calla gave them credit for. They’d get help. Someone would find Addie and call the police. Hayes would come. So would Calder.
A sob ripped at my throat as an image of him filled my mind. Those dark eyes dancing with humor. Or how they’d heat to a golden amber when we made love. How they saw everything I hid away from the world and always understood. I wouldn’t lose those moments. I refused.
“Where does Toby think you are right now, Calla?” He was my one hope, the only thing that might bring her back from the edge.
“He thinks I’m staying with a friend.”
“Don’t you think he might get suspicious? Put two and two together when I go missing?”
Calla jabbed the gun into my back to keep me moving. “Sure, he’ll be sad at first, especially when they find your body. But then he’ll forget all about you. He’ll realize I was all he ever needed.”
I stumbled a little as Calla so casually mentioned my death. As if I were nothing more than an annoying flea she wanted to be rid of. “If you kill me, you’ll be competing with a ghost forever. That won’t get you what you want.”
Her footsteps slowed. “What are you talking about?”
“Haven’t you realized that people always make those they’ve lost into gods? Their faults are wiped away, and their attributes are ten times greater. What you want is to take me down a peg. And you’ve already done that. The photos, the porn sites, the hate you’ve built in the comments of my site. You have what you want.”
“It isn’t enough!”
“Why not?”
Calla pointed the gun at my chest, her eyes blazing. “Because he broke up with me. He told me it wasn’t fair for him to be with me while he was in love with you. That’s why you have to die.”
49
Calder