Page 10 of Pretty Secrets

Taking in a slow, ragged breath, I center myself and then walk from the changing room. I spy an empty rack against the wall, so I hang the rejects up to await restocking. Oliver’s cheery voice floats through the room, and I follow it until I find him making small talk with a beautiful cashier. I try to hang back so she doesn’t think we’re together, but when she looks over his shoulder and spots me, she goes pale. “Y-you….”

I close my eyes, feeling the familiar crack in my chest.

“You’re—”

“No,” Oliver interrupts. “This is Eden, you’re probably mistaking her for—”

“Dee,” the girl finally finishes. She peers from Oliver to me and back again, questions written all over her face. “Sisters?”

Now I’m curious, too. I walk toward the counter and notice her hands are shaking. Why would Dee be on a first-name basis with this girl? “Delilah was my sister,” I confirm. “I go to Carnegie now.”

She blanches, blinking rapidly. “I’m sorry,” she says eventually. “It’s just—” She pauses to swallow, and then her eyes fade as if she’s reliving a memory. “I was there the night she died. Me and my friends were the last to see her, you know?” She finally looks back at me and frowns. “I’m so sorry. I really liked your sister.”

My mind whirls. This girl wasthere? At a Knight party? She certainly wasn’t invited as a guest, so she had to have been invited for another reason. Even though Dad never confirmed, I knew it was a Knights of Arcadia event. Dee had sent me one final text, a picture of a castle with the message saying,Don’t ask.That was always code for secret society stuff, and I hadn’t cared to ask either. I remember thinking the castle was beautiful, though, right before I put my phone down without responding.

Pressing my lips together, I can feel my body buzz with anticipation. Who would’ve thought a terrible trip to get clothes would result in finding someone who was actually there—andnota Knight? I clear my throat. “So, you were there when it happened?” I ask.

The girl across from me nods solemnly. “We didn’t know what was going on at first. She never came back to lead us upstairs to the party. Eventually, we walked out to find people gathering by the docks. It was awful.”

My stomach tightens so hard it feels as if I might expel everything roiling around inside. Instead, I take a steadying breath, trying not to let the emotion show. “Tell me everything?” I ask, giving her a small, hopeful smile. “I only know what they told me, which isn’t much.”

She peers around the shop as if she’d rather do anything else but what I’m asking.

“Tell you what,” Oliver interferes. “Eden and I are going to a coffee shop around the corner. No pressure, but we’d love to buy you a drink and you can talk about what happened.”

The cashier nibbles on her lip. “Maybe….” She takes a peek at me, then closes her eyes. “Yeah—yes. I’ll be there. I get a break in an hour.”

5

Eden

Holly sits across from us, eyes darting around the small, eclectic coffee shop with owners who must love the color teal more than anything else in life because it’s everywhere. Despite the unique interior, it’s a popular place. Oliver and I had to wait to get a spot with chairs facing each other. Luckily, we got it just before the Trendz cashier walked in.

The knots in my stomach tighten. Fate is either funny or an outright bastard. Who would’ve thought that an outing to buy me clothes I don’t want turned into an opportunity to talk to someone who was actually at the party Dee died at? Dad stayed silent on how and where she was found, which isn’t at all out of character. He never says much about the Knights. They’re supposed to be a secret, after all.

I anxiously pull at the new clothes I’m wearing. Oliver sits in the black velvet armchair next to me, relaxing back. Despite his outward appearance, his eyes are sharp as we both take Holly in. If it was a Knights party, why was this girl there? It’s the only question that runs through my mind over and over again, but my throat is too thick to ask it. Instead, we both just wait for our new friend to sip her coffee a few times to get comfortable.

“Holly,” Oliver eventually prompts.

She nearly jumps. Her gaze darts to me again, and for the second time, she looks as if she’s seen a ghost. “Sorry,” she whispers. “I’m just trying to come up with the right words.”

I lean forward, placing my elbows on my thighs. Somehow, this would be easier if I were wearing the clothes from this morning. I feel like an imposter in this. “Nothing you say is going to make this worse for me, I promise. I want to know what happened that night.” Inside, my body feels as if it’s one big heartbeat of anticipation. Nerves thrum through me as I watch the girl struggle.

“Start with why you were at a Knights party,” Oliver suggests.

Her mouth drops, crimson staining her cheeks. “I’m not supposed to talk about them. NDAs and all that.”

My fingertips tingle. “NDA before or after Delilah died?”

“Before. Dee told us we couldn’t talk about the party, and if we did, everything we got would be forfeit.”

Oliver puts on his disarming smile. Leaning forward, he traces his fingertips over the girl’s wrist and thickens his accent. I swear he’s like a succubus that switches on the charm, turning everyone to putty in his wake. “We obviously know about the Knights, Holly.” Oliver continues to tell the girl everything we already know about that night, including why my sister was there—and it works.

She relaxes, gripping the coffee mug in her hand again as Oliver sits back. She giggles awkwardly. “Right. Okay. My friends and I were Angels for the party. You know, theentertainment,” she says, widening her eyes as if to convey the message without actually saying it. “Dee organized everything. She told us when to show up, she arranged our gift bags, she was a part of the judges panel, everything. It was awkward at first, but seeing a girl there made everything better, you know? We were all less afraid.”

Entertainment? Delilahhiredthese girls? My brain buzzes with questions. That doesn’t seem like something my sister would do. She hated the misogyny aspect of the Knights. And hired them to do…what exactly? I can’t even wrap my head around it.

“Everything was fine,” Holly rushes out, and I try to school my face into something impassive. “Oh, well, she did get into an argument with someone on the dock when we got there. He was tall, muscular, had a nice ass.” A second later, crimson stains her cheeks and she stutters, “Forget I said that. It’s not important. Um, I couldn’t hear what they were arguing about, but then we were given a tour of the castle and shown to the dressing room. She said she had a meeting and would be back, but she never returned.”

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