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Every muscle ached, my head screamed in pain, and I was dangerously close to puking up everything I’d eaten today.
Forcing myself up into a sitting position, I supported my weight on the palm of one hand.
Chalene bobbed from foot to foot in front of me, the movement making me seasick. All at once, she squatted in front of me, her eyes big, face pale. “Jess?” she asked, voice wary.
My chin snapped up, and though I was dizzy and in pain, my stare hyper focused on her. Through gritted teeth, I accused. “It was you.”
37
Kruger
It didn’t feel right leaving her at that unholy church passing itself off as a music store and driving away. It wasn’t the first time I’d been there, and I always thought it had a creep factor of one hundred and ten.
But today was the first time I’d driven away with a rock of dread in my stomach. I almost turned back twice, but I knew if I did, I’d have to tell her I was suspicious AF of that no-good director and what he’d said wasn’t maybe a threat but a definite one.
At least she wasn’t on campus. At least the guy didn’t know where she worked.
She’d be safe there. Right?
When I walked into the Elite weight room, everyone whistled and clapped.
“There he is,” Rush called. “Bro. Way to lay down the law to the parentals.”
I grunted in acknowledgment, tossed my duffle bag, and stripped off my hoodie.
Ryan appeared beside me. “You okay?”
“Don’t I look okay?”
“Actually, you look like Jamie did the other night when we were watching that movie.”
“I heard that!”
“I didn’t whisper!” Ryan tossed over his shoulder.
Prism appeared on my other side, plucking one of the AirPods out of his ear. “Where’s Jess?”
“I dropped her off at work.”
“Which job?” Prism wanted to know.
“The music store.”
“The one off campus?” Ryan asked.
I nodded.
“You don’t look too happy about it,” he pressed. Ryan always knew when something was up. Probably why everyone thought of him as a leader of sorts.
“I got a bad feeling,” I confessed. I told them what the director said to Jess. By this time, Wes, Lars, Jamie, and Rush were standing there with P and Ryan.
“Do you think he was the one to push her down the stairs?” Wes asked.
My head whipped up. “What?”
Wes shrugged. “Why else would he tell her not to think too hard? It’s like he doesn’t want her to remember.”
I dropped onto the nearest weight bench. “Fuck. Why didn’t I think of that?”
