“So you’re telling me you didn’t pull that fire alarm?” my father asks as he taps his fingers on the desk.
“No, I told you already,” I reply, leaning back in my seat.
“Get that smugness off your face,” he barks. “You three were the only ones visible on the cameras.”
“I told you, there was a girl,” I say.
He slams his hand down onto the desk. “I warned you to fucking stop with those girls.” He points at me. “Those girls will be the end of your education. Your job. This legacy that I’ve built from the ground up.” His gaze lowers. “Your fucking life.”
I make a face. “Gee, Dad, thanks for the threat.”
“You think I’m joking, but this is fucking serious. You should be happy I’m still allowing you to step foot on this campus after what you and your friends did.”
Now he’s going too far.
My fingers claw at the seat. “We didn’t do shit.”
“A girl died. And you were involved,” he growls.
I keep my mouth shut, but I’m boiling with rage.
“I don’t care what your reasoning behind all this bullshit is. But this needs to stop.” He grinds his teeth. “Today.”
I get up and march to the window to stare outside. I can’t stand to look at him one second longer. I’m getting blamed for something I didn’t even fucking do. It’s always the same shit with my father. He always thinks I’m the bad guy.
“Sit your ass down. I wasn’t finished yet,” he says.
“I am.”
I hear his chair scoot back, but I’m not afraid. Not anymore.
No amount of pain he ever dished out comes close to what I’ve already endured.
He stands behind me, staring out the window with me.
But all I can focus on is Penelope, sitting there in the grass with her friends, watching the firefighters check if there really is a fire they need to put out. Like a perfect angel.
Innocent.
Liar.
He places a firm hand on my shoulder. “Is that her?”
I nod.
“And you think one simple girl is worth risking everything I’ve given you?”
I sigh out loud. “It’s Eve’s sister.”
I can feel him freeze up, and his fingers dig into my skin. “Stay. Away.”
Penelope
The whole school was in an uproar over who pulled the fire alarm, but obviously, I’m not going to tell anyone it was me.
Especially not now that the three boys have been called into the dean’s office. One day, that’s all it took for the officials to find the “culprits.”
I’m lucky the cameras only pointed at the doors, or everyone would’ve seen Dylan put his hands on my body. I still can’t get it off my mind, even now, a day later. It’s as if his fingers left a mark on my skin, despite the fact that he didn’t even … touch me.
All he did was fondle me through the fabric of my panties, but it was enough to make me soaking wet.
Fuck.
I hate how easily my body gives in to physical touch.
I sigh and try to focus on my homework, but it’s hard when that devilish face keeps popping up into my memories, that devious smile, and those fingers rolling through his metallic blond hair.
No wonder girls fawn all over them.
Something about those guys is magnetic.
Something … unforgettable, that’s for sure.
I roll my eyes. Look at me, all ridiculous and shit.
They’re fucking bullies. That’s what they are, plain and simple.
He tried to fucking set fire to my fishnets. Who does that? Like you have to be insane to think that’s okay. Or hot.
I swallow down the lump in my throat and open a new browser window. I have to find out more about these boys. They knew Eve, I’m sure of it now. I just don’t know how. Maybe she fell for them, and they laughed in her face. Perhaps they hurt her in a way that made her want to end things.
My fingers dig into the palm of my hand, but I push my feelings aside and search until I find some information. There’s not much to find about Alistair, but I can find the name Caruso all over. And it makes my jaw drop.
Because Dylan’s father’s picture pops up, and he’s posing right in front of this fucking school with an award in his hands and a smile on his face. Spine Ridge University dean.
That’s him.
That’s the man Dylan spoke to when I listened to their conversation.
Oh my God, no wonder they’re allowed to get away with so much bullying and violence. They punched a dude into the wall, literally trapped me on school grounds several times, and not to mention the bonfire, which is close to school grounds …
Dylan’s father must’ve been giving them a pass.
Fuck.
I slam my fist onto the table.
I click to the next website search I was doing and find Felix’s father as well. Mr. Rivera, billionaire with several companies under his belt, including a very famous private club called RIVERA that’s all over the world, a major retailer selling clothes, and of course Spine Ridge University board member.
My fingers squeeze the mouse so hard I almost break it.
Goddammit.
This explains so much.
Suddenly, something is slid under my door.
I check and frown, confused. “Kayla?”
She told me she was going out to a restaurant with Crystal, but maybe they came back early.
Still, there’s no response, so I get up from my seat and pick up the package. It’s badly packed in recycled paper with only a wire keeping it all together. I pull apart the wire and the paper comes apart.
I shriek and drop it all to the floor.
Inside is a note covered in blood.
I know you’re Eve’s sister. I’ve seen you around campus. Watch yourself. Or you might end up facing the same fate.
I immediately open the door and run out. “Who was that?”
In the back of the hallway, a girl runs away, and I immediately go for the chase. Without shoes and in my pajamas, I bolt through the hall, ignoring the many faces peeking out the doors to see what all the ruckus is about.
I rush down the stairs while the girl is already ahead, running through the common living room. I follow her all the way to the kitchen and out the back door into the dark of the night.
I finally catch up with her a few steps away from the sorority and jump on top of her.
We fall into the grass, and I fight her for control while she shrieks like a banshee. When I’ve finally pinned her to the ground, I see who it is.
Sadie.
The girl my sister once fought with.
I grasp her by the hair and growl, “Did you put that note under my door?”
She whimpers. “Please don’t hurt me. Please!”
“Was it you? Did you make her jump?” I seethe in her ear.
She cries out, “What? Who?”
“Eve!”
I pull her hair again. “No! Jesus. Why would you even—”
“Then why did you leave that note?” I interrupt.
“I was told to do it!” she screams.
“Bullshit!” I slam her face into the mud.
“No, it’s the truth. Please, you gotta believe me!” She’s crying real tears now, but I don’t know if they’re sincere or if it’s because she got caught.
“Some guy told me to put that under your door. I didn’t know what was inside,” she adds.
“What’s his name?” I grit.
“Nathan,” she replies. “I don’t know his last name. He’s one of my classmates at Business and Hospitality.”
Nathan? Where have I heard that name before?
Maybe it’s in the diary. I should check it out and see if it’s legit.
Maybe he’s the one responsible for my sister’s death.
My nostrils flare, and after a final push, I get off the girl.
She spins around and crawls backward away from me. “Jesus Christ. You literally attacked me.”
I flick my hands, shaking off the mud as I stare into her eyes. “The fucking package he made you shove underneath my door contains blood.”
Her whole face turns white, and she looks like she’s about to vomit.
The door behind me slams open again, but I pay no attention to the girls swarming out of the sorority.
“Girls!” The sorority leader, Tilda, steps forward. “Did you forget about rule number one? No fighting.”
I gaze at Sadie, threatening her with a look.
She’s got the wrong one if she thinks she can mess with me.
“It’s fine,” Sadie suddenly mutters to Tilda. “We were … fighting over a boy.”
Tilda frowns and then bursts out into laughter. “Girls… boys are never, ever worth it. Trust me.”
Two people approach from the side of the road, Kayla and Crystal. When they see us, they immediately come running toward me. “What happened here?” Crystal asks, eyeing the girl behind me.
Sadie gets off the ground after two girls from the sorority help her. “I’m okay,” she says, patting down her clothes. “It’s only a little mud. No worries.”
She’s trying to play it off.
Good.
Because if she gets me fucking kicked out of this sorority, she’ll be in far deeper shit than she already is.
“It won’t happen again. I promise,” I say.
“Well, you’ve broken a rule now, so I have to punish you both,” Tilda says, rubbing her lips together. “But we’ll talk tomorrow. Get some rest first. And no more fighting, or it’ll turn into an actual suspension. Understood?”
I quickly reply, “Yes.”
Sadie nods.
I don’t want to get kicked out over trying to find out what happened to my sister, so I’ll have to do things more secretly from now on. Keep my cool. No more losing my temper.
Although, I now finally have an actual lead.
Sadie walks around me, avoiding getting too close for fear of a punch. I’d probably do the same if I was her.
Kayla approaches and grabs my arm. “Did you two fight?”
I nod. “She shoved a note underneath my door.”
She frowns. “Oh … okay. Well, that doesn’t seem like a big deal.”
I sigh out loud and wait until the rest of the sorority girls have gone back inside before I pull her to the side. “Look, I can’t explain it, but something evil is going on at this university.”
Kayla listens intently while Crystal looks confused.
I sigh again and rub my forehead. Guess I’m going to have to tell them. “This summer, my sister killed herself.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss,” Kayla says, her face softening. “No wonder you were crying.”
I avert my gaze. “She was bullied, and I feel like someone’s responsible for her death.”
Kayla gasps. “Oh shit.”
“Are you sure?” Crystal asks.
“She left me a diary, and I’m pretty sure the people she mentioned were part of her choice.”
“Wow,” Crystal says, flabbergasted by my story.
Kayla frowns. “So this fight with Sadie …”
“She pushed a bloody note under my door with a threat on it.”
“Oh Jesus. Bloody?” Crystal slaps her hand in front of her forehead. “This is way above my comfort level.”
“Calm down, Crystal. We don’t know anything yet,” Kayla says.
“What if it’s the Mafia?” Crystal says.
I shush her. “Not so loud.”
She blushes. “Sorry.”
“Point is … I’m going to find out whoever was responsible for the fact that my sister felt she needed to end it all. And that note is all the proof I need.”
“Are you going to go to the police?”
I mull it over for a second.
Any normal student would under normal conditions. But nothing about this university or my sister’s death is normal, and if I did go to the police, I’ll definitely become their next target.
Whoever’s behind this wants me to stop looking, wants me to stop putting the spotlight on them. So I’ll have to take things from a different route. Be inconspicuous and under the radar.
But I won’t be able to do it on my own.
“I’ll think about it,” I answer.
Crystal parts her lips. “But if it’s a threat, you have to—”
“I don’t want to cause any more problems,” I interject. “I have enough as is.”
“Oh, right,” Crystal says.
“You do what you feel is best,” Kayla says, and she rubs my arm. “But I have to say, you’re racking up a lot of enemies for a freshman.”
I laugh. “Well, I’m ready to knock them out if they try me.”
Crystal snorts. “Yeah, we saw that.” She eyes the sorority’s front door.
“Oh, Sadie will be fine,” Kayla replies. “It’s not like she’s so fucking nice to begin with.”
I almost choke on laughter now.
“Wow, you guys have some enemies too, huh?” I say as we go back inside.
Kayla rolls her eyes. “Don’t even mention her fucking name. I’m glad you tore some hair out.”
Crystal leans in and whispers, “That girl once tried to rip Kayla’s hair out of her scalp because she thought Kayla had kissed her crush.”
“She deserved this, just saying,” Kayla says as we walk up the stairs. “Well, anyway, let’s go to bed. Sleep on it,” she tells me.
I nod and yawn, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
Someone’s made me a target now.
And I’m not gonna let this rest.
I will find that fucking Nathan guy, and when I do, he’d better pray for mercy …
Because I’ll stop at nothing to avenge my sister.
