Page 57 of Liars

A beat of silence passed. “Well, at least we’ll have college. KU, right?” Kenny said, trying to brighten the mood

“That’s still the plan,” I assured them. “And I can’t wait.” I meant it. College was my escape. A chance to finally leave this house.

“Everyone at the academy has been asking about you,” Carson said, filling me in on what I’d been missing, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

I exhaled. “I made it through my first week. That’s something.”

“And your shoulder?” Kenny asked.

“Better. I can move it more with less pain now, but it’s not a hundred percent yet.”

“We’re worried about you,” she admitted. “This is the longest we’ve ever gone without seeing each other.”

I forced a smile even though they couldn’t see it. “I’m okay. I promise.”

“Good.” There was a slight pause before Kenny’s voice turned sly. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, tell me, any hot boys at Public?”

I groaned, and Carson snorted in the background. “Boys are the last thing she needs to be thinking about.”

I probably shouldn’t tell him what I was doing tonight. Carson wouldn’t approve. Kenny, on the other hand, would be begging Poppy to swing by and pick her up.

An image of Kreed flashed in my mind—his ever-present scowl, those icy silver eyes, the two thin scars slashing beneath one of them.

Hot guys? At Public? How about the fact that I lived with three of them? Kenny would lose her ever-loving mind.

“Um…”

My bumbling silence was all the confirmation she needed. “Holy shit. You met someone.”

The doorbell rang, saving me from having to explain.

“I gotta go,” I said quickly. “I’ll call you soon. Tomorrow,” I added, needing to convince myself and them that I hadn’t forgotten who I was before all of this.

“You can’t just leave me hanging like this!” she protested, her brown eyes begging for something juicy.

“Tomorrow,” I promised.

But as I ended the call, I couldn’t ignore how quiet Carson had gotten.

The mirror wasn’t helping.

Poppy tilted her head as she stood behind me, a critical expression on her face. “The skirt’s cute, but the top’s not doing you any favors.”

I looked down at the white long sleeve I’d thrown on. “What’s wrong with it?”

She bit the corner of her lip. “It’s not slutty enough. The point of tonight is to make Kreed not just take notice of you but make him crazy for you. To do that, we need everyone’s eyes on you.” She rummaged through the pile of clothes stacked on the bed that she’d brought with her, pulling out a black crop top. “Here. This is perfect. Sexy but not trying too hard.”

I hesitated but took the top, swapping it out for the one I’d been wearing. When I looked in the mirror again, I had to admit it looked better. The color made my skin glow, and the cut was flattering without being too revealing.

“Better,” Poppy said with a satisfied nod. “Now for shoes. And this leather jacket.” She tossed the fitted coat at me.

By the time we were ready to leave, I felt like I’d been through a makeover montage. My hair was loose and wavy, and my makeup was dramatic enough to make my eyes pop. I didn’t even recognize myself.

“You look hot,” Poppy said as we got into her car. “Hell, I might want to date you.”

“Dating you would be a hell of a lot easier than most of the guys I’ve been out with.” Not that I had a lot of experience under my belt.

I didn’t pay much attention to where we were going until we turned onto a dark, gravelly road. My stomach tightened. “Where is this place?” I asked, peering out the window at the looming trees, moving deeper into the woods. We had to be on the outskirts of the city. “Do you know where we’re going?”

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