Cecily:Are Steven and Larry okay?
Ava:They’ll live. But with pain. I feel so sorry for them. Do you think Jeremy did it?
Even she thought of that.
That’s the most logical answer, after all. It all lines up.
Cecily:I don’t know.
I hope not, though I’m kind of sure he did.
My chest constricts at the thought that he hurt those people severely just because they talked to me or touched me.
And where the hell is he, anyway?
I click on his contact.
Cecily:I’m here. You’re not.
I wait for him to read it and reply.
And wait.
And wait.
Then I fall asleep while waiting.
I wake up feeling a shiver of cold. At first, I’m disoriented, then the events from last night rush back to my memory.
The first thing I notice is the empty spot by my side.
I grab my phone that has fallen to the floor because I might have slept with it in my hand.
It’s ten thirty. Holy hell. How did I sleep in?
My belly flutters when I find a text from him.
Jeremy:There was a situation. I’ll talk to you soon.
His words seem clipped, almost dismissive. Or I hope I’m reading too much into it.
Cecily:What type of situation?
Jeremy:Nothing you need to know about.
My blood boils, and the sense of dejection from last night rushes in at full force.
Cecily:You could have, I don’t know, let me know beforehand so I could’ve been with people who are actually considerate of me and my time instead of staying in this gothic house.
Jeremy:Drop the sarcasm and watch that mouth.
Cecily:Fuck you.
I pause, and I think he pauses, too, because there’s no typing on the other end.
Why the… Did I justcurse? Okay. It doesn’t count since it’s in a text. It’s not like I said it out loud.
I startle when the phone vibrates in my hand again.