Oh, fuck you, I think, and turn back to Morgan.
“Don’t look now, but…” Morgan lifts her eyebrows in the direction of the door, where two bundled-up figures are stamping snow off their boots and unwinding long scarves.
Elena, and her bestie Claire.
They’re laughing about something, chatting and glancing at the menu board until finally my presence seems to catch Claire’s eye. She does a literal, Hanna-Barbera-level double-take andgrabs Elena’s arm. Elena notices, follows her gaze, and widens her eyes at me.
My heart catches in my chest. Somehow, in the thick of everything this afternoon, I’d already forgotten one of the major, existential drawbacks to being here again.
Peoplehateme.
Having sufficiently gawked, Elena and Claire proceed to order, their heads practically glued together as they whisper.
“Nothing happened to them?” I say, my voice as low and steady as I can make it.
Morgan frowns. “Happened to them?” She glances over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“For the…” I don’t even want to say the word. “For what happened in the library,” I manage. “They’re just off scot-free?”
Morgan’s brows stay knit as she angles her head, thinking. “They…oh. Gwenna.” She blinks a few times. “They didn’t…it wasn’t…”
Behind us, a sharp crack of laughter rings against the brick walls.
“You seriously think the fucking…campus Heathers burned down an entire library archive? Yes, I mean you two,” he adds to Elena and Claire, who, now with their coffees, have the bad luck of having to sit at the only open table just a few feet away from him. He sits up a little straighter, leaning on an elbow. “Please.”
I’m lost. I’m…I don’t understand. “But my room,” I start. “Our room. They…”
“What, that kiddie arson shit?” Kai laughs coldly, like I’m stupid to even suggest it. “Do you know how often things catch fire in dorm rooms? Every semester some idiot torches up their shit up trying to microwave their Easy Mac. You’d have to trynotto light a fire in there.” He throws a glance at Elena and Claire. “No offense to the criminal masterminds over there.”
“Fuck you, Kai,” Elena says, her cheeks pink. She glares at him, then atme, for some reason, and then glances at Claire. “You know what? Let’s?—”
“Yeah.”
Claire nods hurriedly, and they scoop up their stuff and rush out, not even bothering to take their coffee.
I sit like a statue, lost for words. Lost for thoughts, even.
It wasn’t Elena.
But then?—
“I’m sorry, Gwenna,” Morgan says. “I thought you…knew. I didn’t even?—”
“Who did it?” The words fly out of my mouth. “I’ve…forweeks, I thought it was them. I assumed…” I rub my temples, which are suddenly pounding. “If it wasn’t them, then who?”
More snickering from behind us.
Heart thudding, I look back to Kai. His arms are folded, expression chillingly blank despite his laughter.
“Who do you think?” He leans forward, uncrossing his arms so he can rest his elbows on his knees. “Let’s really puzzle it out, shall we? Because apparently this one was the brainteaser of the fucking century.”
“Kai—” Morgan starts.
“Oh, fuck off.” He rolls his eyes at her. “You didn’t figure it out. You didn’t even tell her.” He glances at me. “Moroslav. Alexei Moroslav set that fire, Gwenna.”
My heart plunges to my stomach.
“Mystery solved,” Kai says. “Case closed. You’re welcome. Not than anyone’s bothered to thank me for that.”
