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“I see it,” I said, relief in my tone.
I spun back to Jefferies to say goodbye. After all, I might hate the man, but I didn’t want to fail his class. As soon as I turned, I flinched. Jefferies had closed the space between us when I was facing the other way. He slammed into me, his hand clamping something over my mouth.
A sweet, ether-like smell filled my nose and mouth, my tongue itching like crazy. I was immediately dizzy. I tried not to inhale, but it was too late. Panicked, I gulped down anxious breaths, and the drug raced into my body, sending waves of darkness rolling in at the edges of my consciousness. I tried to fight back. To attract attention. We were out in the open. Surely someone could see! Surely someone would come to the parking lot. Surely…
We scuffled, but he was stronger than me, even when I wasn’t half knocked out. I pushed against him and tried to run, and he hauled me back by the hair. I fell, twisting my leg painfully underneath me, and losing a shoe in the process. It didn’t matter. He gripped me under the arms and dragged me toward his car. My hazy gaze was locked on my legs as I was pulled. Myremaining sneaker was part of the pair I’d saved up all summer to buy. The faraway sound of the bus pulling up at the stop reached me as Jefferies bundled me into his car in the dark lot. He looked down at me for a moment and stroked my cheek.
“Don’t worry, Eve. We’re going to have lots of fun.”
Then he shut the door, and the world fell away.
Beckett
I’d done it.I’d found the perfect property for Eve’s mom, Melly. It was big enough for both of her kids to be home at the same time, but not so big she’d feel lonely there when they weren’t. It had a beautiful garden and a sea view. It was in one of the nicest, safest neighborhoods in town. I signed the papers on it late that night and then hurried over to The Chickadee to take Eve home. She grumbled about the rides, and always tried to give me the slip, but she complained less about the evening ones. There was a predator on campus, after all, and she finished so late sometimes, it was dangerous to go home alone.
My phone rang as I pulled into the lot, Asher’s name flashing on the display. I answered.
“Hey, how’re the ribs healing?”
“Terribly. You’ve got a mean punch.”
‘Well, you deserved it,” Asher grumbled and then paused a second. “Coach Eric called me today about coming home.”
“Did he?” I asked, my voice innocent.
Asher swore. “I knew you could make things happen, but I never thought you could make them happen that fast.”
“It’s got nothing to do with me. The Hellions need you, and Coach Eric knows that. You’re sorely missed. The Ice Gods just aren’t the same without you.”
“So, I’m doing you all a favor, really?” Asher pointed out.
I let out a laugh that loosened the tension in my chest. Slowly, we were getting back to normal. Asher would be home, and the Hellions would dominate the ice again. Eve would forgive me and come home, and I’d make sure to spoil her every single day, for as long as we both shall live, and my father and I might have an actual chance at having a relationship again. It all felt too good to be true. Nerves immediately followed my buoyant mood.
I’d learned enough times in my life that when things were looking up, there was inevitably a more vicious turn coming around the corner.
I tried to push away that pessimism. I didn’t make bad things happen. I didn’t deserve everything to go to shit. The positive mantras sounded jarring and wrong in my head, confirming the fact that I really did believe that I was a magnet for bad luck and fucked up shit. I’d started to see a therapist, mostly because I thought Eve would approve. We’d only met once, but he’d quickly gotten a measure of the level of fucked up he was dealing with.
Hanging up with Asher and shoving my phone in my pocket, I went into the diner, anticipation at seeing Eve the only thing that could dull my anxiety.
“Oh! She got off early. She already left.” Her coworker gave me a cheery smile.
I headed back out to the parking lot, disappointed. She already left? I pulled my cell out and called her. It went straight to voicemail. She’d turned her phone off, too. I tried again and then called Lily.
“I haven’t spoken to her since this afternoon. Why?”
“Just checking. I was supposed to pick her up, and she’s gone.”
“Maybe she had enough asshole for today and decided to take the bus,” Lily said, her usually sweet voice vitriolic.
Of course, Eve’s best friend had made me public enemy number one since that night I’d given her Eve’s stuff and kicked her out the room. I was ashamed of how I’d behaved. Like a coward.
Lily hung up without another word, and I wandered back toward my car. I was halfway across the parking lot when I saw it. It was dark there, and I never would have noticed it if a passing car hadn’t done a U-turn right in front of the diner’s lot entrance and swung its headlights across the ground.
A flash of white caught my eye. I headed over to it, a potent kind of dread forming in my belly as I reached the object.
Recognition hit me hard. I picked it up, and my dread turned into panic.
It was Cinderella’s sneaker.
