Page 54 of Endless Anger
Even though I roll my eyes, relief sags in my shoulders at the smooth tenor voice. I turn us toward Foxe, whose six-foot, six-inch frame feels small compared to the forest. Moonlight spills in from behind him, illuminating his form like a god stepping down to earth.
His brows disappear beneath his messy umber locks as he gets a better look at us. A knowing grin twitches against his mouth, and he pockets his hands in his black distressed jeans, rocking back on his heels.
“Ditching me for Lulu again, I see.” Dark amusement dances in his eyes, hidden in the shadows. “Just like old times.”
After a single beat of silence, Lucy starts thrashing. She shoves at me, so I let go of her, stepping back. Lifting her chin, she tucks those red pieces of hair behind her ears, revealing a row of piercings decorating the cartilage on the left, and adjusts her plaid skirt where it’s ridden up her tight-clad thighs.
Foxe gives her a once-over. “Still loving those short little skirts, huh, Lulu?”
I let my gaze linger on her legs a little longer than necessary.
“Donotcall me that,” she snarls. Storms rage in her eyes as they volley between us, and she crosses her arms over her chest. “And what thehellis going on? What are you two doing at Avernia?”
“Is this Avernia?” Foxe asks, glancing around. “I’d have expected a better reception. Most college campuses love having a rock star in their midst.”
She stares at him. “Avernia is a private school for the country’s best and brightest. The students here aren’t like your groupies.”
“You think I don’t have pretentious groupies?”
Her focus swings to me, ignoring him. “Well? What are you doing here?”
“Attending a party, if that’s allowed?” I pause, lifting a shoulder. “That’s what Iwasdoing anyway. Now, I guess we’re all accomplices to murder.”
“Uh, what?” Foxe’s brows shoot up as he places a hand over his heart. “I know Ash-tree is a violent prick, but you too, Lulu? I thought you were a pacifist.”
Lucy doesn’t respond, pushing past us and heading back to the empty quarry.
Foxe looks at me, his expression lazy. “Didn’t take you any time at all to find her, did it?”
I roll my eyes, checking his shoulder with mine as I stalk after her. “It’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”
Dozens of bloody footprints mark the dirt path to the rock clearing,and I try not to cringe at what just happened or the fact that Lucy saw it all go down.
“Actually, you never told me why you wanted to come here.” Foxe falls into step beside me. “Just that you had to leave the tour to come slum it with a bunch of nerds.”
I feel his eyes rake over me, silently absorbing my disheveled state, but I don’t respond.
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel like I missed a very important bullet point in your journey though. Were you covered in blood when Aiden’s security team dropped us off?”
“Do you really want to know?”
He seems to consider this. “Good point.”
We stop a few feet away from where Lucy’s standing at the quarry’s edge, contemplating the lake below.
She doesn’t move at first, and Foxe slings an arm around her shoulders. “Thinkin’ about going for a swim, Lulu?”
Her hands ball into fists, and her spine tenses beneath the oversize cardigan she’s wearing. “They just…threw her down there.”
The lake is black, impossible to see through even during the day—according to my sister. Fury Hill residents say things that go in don’t come back out.
Because of the poor visibility, the girl they tossed has a low chance of being found, even if the local police department was to get involved. Fury Hill cops are notorious for their corruption and generally terrible solved-case stats. Avernia campus police are even worse.
Everything just gets covered up and ignored so this town can continue on with its pretend idyllic image.
It’sbullshit.
“Who threw who?” Foxe asks, letting her shrug out of his hold. “What’s going on exactly?”
