Page 130 of Tag

“Tiffany’s is the bistro he was referring to. Lunch on Monday. That’s the address.”

“Is that what you were writing this whole time?”

“Sanj, last night you told us you were going to break up with him. None of us knows for sure how he’s going to react.”

I stared at her, then glanced down at the perfectly neat handwriting that spelled out the bistro’s name, address, and even a time slot suggestion in parentheses.

“She’s not wrong,” Ari added gently, like she wanted to be the voice of balance but couldn’t in good conscience disagree. “We just want you safe. Especially with everything going on.”

Roxxi made a face. “Exactly. I’ve seen this show before, and for the record, he doesn’t take it well.”

“Guys, it’s not like I’m breaking up with a mob boss.”

“No,” Cloe agreed, deadpan. “You’re breaking up with a college jock, and that’s probably worse. So you’re location will be on, you’ll send a check-in text and maybe consider a safe word.”

Roxxi grinned. “Make it something fun. Slim-Jim, perhaps?”

Ari laughed, and I let myself crack a smile. My grin faded just as fast when I thought about how I was going to have to look Ashton in the face and dismantle whatever future he still thought we had, destroying all the silver lining in his head.

I walked to the sink and rinsed my mug, the warmth of the coffee too heavy in my stomach.

“Well, that’s one person down,” I muttered. “Have any of you talked to Layla? I know you saw her, Ari, but has anyone actually spoken to her since the diner?”

“I texted after I saw her with Sarah. She hasn’t read it.”

“She’s been MIA from our old group chat, too,” Cloe divulged, pulling out her phone and thumbing through messages. “That’s abnormal for her.”

“It’s not entirely unlike her either,” Roxxi pointed out, slipping her phone into her bag. “After I all but told her to choke on her apology, she’s reacting accordingly. You know how she gets when her feelings are hurt, or she doesn’t like what someone says to her. She disappears and gives the silent treatment like we’re in high school. Her mother was a therapist. You’d think the girl would be wrapped a bit tighter. Better control of her emotions or something.”

Cloe moved to wash her mug out. “You know what I’ve been thinking about since I woke up? Her hanging out with Sarah, and then you told us Ashton was talking to her too. That’s not a good recipe in my opinion, and you know I don’t do coincidences.”

“Let’s head out,” Roxxi said, adjusting the straps on her bag. “And the three of them together is like a bad strain of an STD.”

Ari giggled and followed her to the door.

None of that sounded as wrong as it should’ve. The Sarah connection made my stomach twist. Add Layla’s recent mood swings and Ashton’s sketchy behavior to the mix, and it felt like something was brewing.

Not drama or girl-code violations, but something uglier. Especially now that I knew Roxxi had been the reason Sarah got a new nose. I told myself we might be overreacting, but the timing of everything was too suspicious to ignore. I did another sweep to make sure I had everything. Phone, bags, keys, backup stick of lip balm, brass knuckle keychain from Roxxi, and then trailed after them. The morning air was crisp, sharp against my cheeks as I took a deep breath to steady myself.

I caught sight of the neighbor’s Yorkie sitting on the stoop in a doggy sweater, silent as a church mouse. Where was Mrs. Strode? Our elderly neighbor was usually never far from her companion.

Arianna followed my gaze. “Judith is outside alone?”

Roxxi glanced over at the dog. “I thought its name was Pearl.”

Ari shook her head slowly. “No, it’s definitely Judith.”

Cloe shrugged as she hit the unlock button on her fob. “It’s cold out here. She probably wants her to do her business solo.”

We all piled in, the car warm from her remote start. I really needed to get myself one of these. The soft scent of cashmere hung in the air from the diffuser on the mirror. Roxxi sat in the front passenger seat with her giant thermos she’d loaded with a smoothie. I sat in the back beside Arianna.

For a while, the car was silent with only the gentle hum of the road beneath the tires, Roxxi sipping from her straw like it was fueling her soul, and the occasional tap of Cloe’s manicured fingers adjusting the controls. My mind was on everything andnothing all at once, floating in a space where you feel like you’re falling but your feet are still planted.

“I think the more Marked the better,” Ari stated without pretense.

Cloe glanced at her in the rearview mirror. Roxxi turned in her seat.

“Elaborate.”

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