Page 77 of Pretty Threats

“Yes, honey?”

“Thank you. You’re such a great mom to all of us.”

“Aw, what are you doing? You’re gonna make me cry.”

I sniffle because my own eyes threaten to tear up. This mess with Killian has me more emotional than I want. “Sorry,” I say, forcing a small laugh. “I’ll text tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, honey.”

Talking to Marianne made me feel less alone. So does the thought of talking to Liam. I probably should’ve tried that a long time ago.

My phone beeps and there’s a text message from an unknown caller.

Unknown: Did you get my message?

Raine: Who is this?

Unknown: Alicia. Did you get my voicemail?

Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I draw in another deep breath, trying to clear away my stress. I open my apps and spot the number one over the voicemail app. After tapping the icon, I enter my pin.

Hey, Raine, it’s Alicia. I really need you to call me back as soon as you get this message. Call me, okay?

I don’t feel like talking to Alicia. To put her off, I text instead.

Raine: Hi, Alicia. I can’t talk tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

My phone rings immediately, but I send Alicia’s call to voicemail and then put the Do Not Disturb in place. Whatever is going on with Alicia is not something I want to get into tonight, and I couldn’t help her even if I wanted to. She can’t come to the dorm, and I don’t have a car to pick her up. What else could she possibly need from me tonight?

After I set my phone on the floor just under my bed, I sink down into the covers. It’s cold, and I realize why that feels strange. I haven’t been cold the past few nights because I wasn’t sleeping alone. Pulling the blankets tighter around me, I frown.

I don’t love him. I don’t want to sleep with him. I don’t even want to see him again.

But my body does miss his.

31

KILLIAN

She must have restored the factory settings on her phone and laptop because none of my trackers reveal where she is. When I find her dorm room empty, I start to wonder if she’s withdrawn from school and left Foxgrove.

By now, I’ve figured out she may have overheard Jamie and I talking about the operation to get her to fall in love with me. Strange that one of us didn’t notice her approach. Then I remember my phone’s open control center. Online, there was something an association with ear bud usage.

When I do a deep dive, I find the phone can become a transmitter for linked ear buds. For fuck’s sake! I slam my phone down and crack its screen.

This was not supposed to happen. I fucking had her. This was our new start.

Scowling, I run an impatient hand through my hair. No. I don’t care. It’s not over. She can’t really expect it to be.

After an hour of repeatedly scrolling through her friends’ photogram accounts, I see Raine tagged in a picture posted from the student union where she and Owen Malenus and a couple of random film people are having lunch. So, she hasn’t pulled out of school. Good. That would’ve made things harder.

By the time I get to the union, she’s gone. I hang out there because I’ve got a better chance of randomly spotting her if I’m on campus. As I stalk all the photogram accounts where I know she might be pictured, I drink coffee and brood.

Even if I’d lied about being in love with her, she knows I’d never let her completely disappear. She must understand her escape is temporary. So, maybe on some level this is a game. To punish me for trying to trick her. Which I accept. I deserve it for being so fucking sloppy.

I skip my computer engineering lab and an exam so I can hack the student housing database. It takes all day. Fucking Ralston and his encryption. I end up having to plant a camera in the admin building so I can steal a password. My whole day is filled with insane fucking behavior.

In the end, I’m rewarded for it.

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