Page 59 of Endless Anger
“No, you didn’t,” I agree, smirking to myself. “Mom did.”
We hang up, and I place my phone on the desk, a prickling sensation traveling slowly down my spine. It’s cool awareness, the feeling of being watched.
Without looking, I smother a grin. “Eavesdropping is rude, pup.”
From my peripheral vision, I see Lucy push the comforter away and sit up in my bed. She presses her palms into the mattress on either side of her thighs, breathing deep.
“What’srudeis your existence.”
“Glad to see the mountain air hasn’t warped that silver tongue of yours.”
I spin all the way around, and her eyes are burning—blue flames that I know I shouldn’t stoke but can’t help wanting to anyway.
“So, what? You go here now? You’re an RA in my dorm? After the bullshit you said three years ago about how you had no interest in attending school with me.”
“Can’t a guy change his mind?”
“You rarely do.”
Hurt flashes in her gaze, dimming those flames in a way that makes my chest feel like it’s being crushed. But she quickly drops her eyes to the floor, glaring at her bare feet for a second before getting up to find her black Doc Martens in the corner.
“Where are you going?”
She bends down, slipping the shoes on. “Privileged information.”
“Oh?” I get up at the same time as she straightens, stalking toward her. Unlike earlier, she’s not caught off guard, so she doesn’t cower or fold when I stop an inch away, so close I can almost taste her shampoo. “We don’t speak for a few years, and suddenly I’m not important enough to warrant knowing your whereabouts?”
“You gonna tell me what you were doing out in the woods? Or why you were covered in blood?”
My mouth snaps shut.
Her frown is insidious. It almost makes me smile. “Then that’sexactlywhat I’m saying. Thanks for helping me out, but I’m going to go report my roommate’s murder because it’s the right thing to do. Maybe I’ll file a restraining order while I’m there.”
“A piece of paper wouldn’t keep me from you,” I tell her, leaning in to finger the red hair brushing her face. “Besides, we’ve waited too long to report the incident. Anything you say now will look suspicious. You don’t want to get us in trouble, do you?”
She glares at me, then jerks back, ripping her hair from my hand. “See, you haven’t changed a bit.” Pushing past me, she heads for thedoor, pausing just once as she grips the knob. “Don’t contact me again. Avernia’s big enough that we don’t need to see each other, and I’m…not interested in rekindling our friendship. I’m not interested in anything when it comes to you, so leave me the fuck alone,pretty boy.”
My mouth twists up when she leaves, slamming the door behind her.
Such a ridiculous notion, that I haven’t changed in three years. As if all that time I’ve been sitting in some sort of growth stalemate and not lamenting the fact that I didn’t go with her when we graduated.
I would have followed Lucy Wolfe to the ends of the goddamn earth.
I was just too chickenshit to admit it.
And now that I know better, I’m definitely not going anywhere.
19
LUCY
I don’t tellanyone what I saw.
That would make this real, and a part of me is still trying to convince myself that what happened was some sort of nightmare.
Incidentally, I don’t sleep either. Instead, I vacillate all night between staring at the dorm room ceiling and pacing until the soles of my shoes feel worn.
I do, however, check to make sure none of my belongings have been disturbed. That feels like a normal thing to do when your roommate’s been murdered—just in case it was premeditated and you’re next.
