Page 165 of Ominous: Part 1
“I know he’s a dick but why’d you have to bring up his sister?”
Seb doesn’t look at me. A cool breeze blows through the night, rattling the trees in the dark lot. “He was messing withmine.Besides,” he lowers his voice a little, “I’ve heard he was fucking weird about her.”
“Well, sheismissing,” I point out, knowing he knows, because he brought it up. The first time he tried to warn me away from Eli.This is how he knew of him.
Seb nods once, then trains his gaze on me. “Yeah,” he says, “she is.”
Janelle hasn’t closed her door, I realize, as I hover outside of mine, looking up at Seb over the top of it. Like she wants to be ready to help me.
Gratitude surges through me even though I know we’re safe with my brother. Then again, judging by the company he keeps… maybe not.
“Be careful around him.” Sebastian’s words are quiet, and he’s lost some of his testosterone fueled bravado.
I nod once. “Be careful tonight,” I counter, glancing at his friend with the gun.
Seb doesn’t smile, but he says, “Drive safe.” Then he turns around and heads to the passenger side of the truck.
I slip behind the wheel of my car, turn over the engine and fiddle with the frayed cord to connect my phone to the stereo, blasting “37 Stitches” again, so many questions dancing in my mind.
My phone lights up in my hand before I drop it in the console.
Glancing up at Janelle, who is turned to look out her window and seems in no rush to get out of here, I unlock my phone.
There’s the text I read from Eli in the library.
Him: Baby girl, I’m coming for you. I thought we were over this shit.
And a new one.
Him: I wouldn’t trust my friends if I were you. And next time you want to get some other guy hard for you, consider the fact I might actually kill him.
A lump forms in my throat.
I look up at Janelle again.
She’s still staring out the window.
Another text comes through from Eli. This time, it’s a photo.
It’s dark and blurry, but thanks to his bleached blond hair and the trees edging the sidewalk, I don’t need to zoom in to knowwhoit is.
Dominic.
Andwhere.
Here.
My heart races as I stare at the screen, but it isn’t fear I feel. Not exactly.
It’s intrigue.Where are you hiding?
This time, I text him back.
Me: You should’ve done something about it.
I drop my phone, slip on my seatbelt, and I sweep my eyes over the dark campus one final time before I drive Janelle and I toward the iron gates. I think I see a looming shadow by the fountain in front of the library. I tap the brakes, but when I look up in the rear-view mirror, the shadow is gone.
“Thank you,”I tell Janelle. “For your diversion back there.” I’ve been following the directions to her place, and she warned me she lives in Eli’s neighborhood. I try not to think too much about it. Apparently, given the fact he’s stalking Dominic, he’s not home.
