Page 60 of Camera Stays On

I looked up at her. There was a quiet expression of sadness, exhaustion, and fear on her face.

“Can we go down there?” I shifted upright some more. “I can’t just stay here.”

Bea shook her head. “We don’t have crutches.”

Clenching my jaw, I tensed my body and shifted, turning so that my feet could touch the floor. Bea stood, holding onto my arm as I did.

“This is a bad idea,” she warned.

“I saw the wound. I’ll be fine. If I’m not getting to a hospital anytime soon, then I need to get on my feet. Otherwise, I’m just a sitting duck.”

Bea knew I was right. She didn’t argue.

Blinding pain shot through my body and up my spine the moment I tried to stand. Instantly, the room began to spin, and my stomach flipped so violently bile rolled up my windpipe. I dropped to my knees and vomited on the carpet. My face grew warm as the new pain hit me. Bea collapsed beside me, grabbing my hair.

“Andi—”

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and sat up. Forcing my breathing to slow, I stood carefully, holding on to Bea as I went. I shifted my weight to the other side instead of trying to balance evenly. This was better.

“I can do this,” I said, more to myself than her. Something in me had flipped, like a light switch. This perfect Purdy shit was over. I wasn’t sure who killed Lux, but I do know who shot me, and I refused to let myself be the next victim. Fuck Sawyer’s ten-thousand-dollar check. My life and sanity were worth more than any amount he could offer me. I was getting out alive.

Clutching Bea’s arm, I stepped around the vomit pile, and began to walk, flinching and trying not to burst into tears with each step.

Slowly, we made it out of my room, down the stairs, and outside. Sweat poured from me, having to take so many sets of stairs, but I refused to stop or make a sound as we crept up to the group standing around a bonfire. The sun was just setting as Bea and I joined them. Moving to stand between Asher and Gavin, I looked around the circle. Darius stood near Asher and Mick, while Juliet and Sawyer stood on the other side, scowling in our direction.

Sawyer cleared his throat. “Burning is the best way. It’ll stop the dogs from digging her up later.” His gaze flicked to me, but he quickly looked away. No one acknowledged our entrance and instead continued speaking.

“There will be pieces left—tiny bone fragments, stuff people can find,” Mick argued. The circle went around, discussing what to do with Lux, who was lying beside the fire. They spoke so matter-of-factly over Lux’s body, as if she hadn’t been breathing and laughing just twenty-four hours ago.

Had it been Mick who killed Lux? He was so cold.

I studied each person, trying to guess a motive. Jealousy, distraction, accident. I was able to find some kind of loose reason until I reached Asher. The question of motive crossed my mind, but I shoved it away. How absurd. Asher wouldn’t...

But he could.

Because he did.

Memories of that night ten-plus years ago at the movies thrust into my brain. The night my mom’s boyfriend, Ray, was murdered in our house. Both men definitely could kill if they’d wanted to, but I saw no reason why Asher would want Lux dead.

“Well, if it isn’t Miss Gunshot Victim, gracing us with her face,” Juliet mocked from the other side of the bonfire.

I stared, my mouth hanging open for a beat as everyone turned to look at me. “I was literally shot, so I don’t know what this is.”

“Hey, come on now. It’s been a long day.” Sawyer sighed, his face finally expressing some sort of emotion—exhaustion. “I just want to get this over with so I can shower and sleep.”

“You really think you can sleep with your room right next to hers?” Juliet scoffed. She shared a look with Gavin, who snickered and shot me a dirty look.

I furrowed my brow. What was that about?

“Will you cut it?” Sawyer snapped. “I don’t feel like listening to your shit.”

“I don’t know man, she’s got a point,” Gavin said, nodding to Juliet.

What point? I was confused by their intentional vagueness. I glanced around the circle, checking everyone else’s reactions. Mick, Darius, and Bea all looked panicked, Juliet and Ash looked angry, Sawyer was still unreadable, and… What was I?

Suddenly, Juliet stood and walked around the circle. She stopped directly in front of me and crouched to my eye level, her eyes so cold another chill ran down my spine.

“Tell us, Purdy. Why’d you do it?”