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“He didn’t say and I really can’t tell you much more. I suggest reaching out to Mr. Saint.”
There’s no sense in arguing this with Tammy because I know it’s not her fault, but I will definitely be arguing with someone about it.
I end the call with a heavy heart. No matter how much Neo hates me or how much my mom hates Sebastian, they know how close Maddie and me are. Not to mention, my dad and Sebastian are like brothers.
It just doesn’t make any sense, but I’m certainly going to make sure someone explains what the hell is going on.
* * *
“You do realizeit’s forty degrees and snowing out,” I say to Riley as she buttons her jean skirt.
She bends over and comes back up with a pair of white leggings in her hand. “That’s why I have these. They match the snow.” She bunches a leg of the fabric and steps one foot in, then the other, pulling them up beneath her skirt.
“Well, at least you’ll match nature.” The sarcasm in my voice is apparent as I pull a black oversized garbage band hoodie over my head. It hangs down, touching the thigh rip in my blue jeans.
Riley adds the finishing touch of a black leather jacket over her white-cropped turtleneck. She looks cute as hell with her hair in double French braids and I’m going for the all-down frizzy look. She puts on a pair of knee-high leather boots while I opt for black canvas shoes. We really are polar opposites, but it works well for us. Riley has been such a saving grace at this place and I never thought I’d be grateful she was chosen as my roommate, but I am.
We leave the room and Riley locks up. As he said he would be, Elias is waiting outside for us. I never mentioned to Jagger that I was bringing friends, so hopefully he doesn't mind. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m doing anything with Jagger that doesn’t involve me giving him lip.
“Look at you two beautiful ladies.” Elias beams as we come down the steps toward him.
Riley blushes. “You’re so sweet, Elias.”
I’m terrible with compliments, but I add, “Yes. So sweet.”
The snow has really accumulated over the last couple hours, but there’s a shoveled path, which is good, considering I’m wearing shoes and not boots.
The roar of a motor, or maybe a couple motors, has me looking around the area. I can’t imagine the guys are on their dirt bikes in this weather. “Snowplows?” I ask Elias when he catches my darting gaze.
“That, and snowmobiles. The Lawless broke out their sleds, and they’ve been tearing up the trails.”
Oh joy. More means of transportation for them. If we could all be so lucky. Instead, we’ll trek through the frigid temperatures on foot, just to get where we want to go.
Elias reaches into the hood of his hefty winter jacket and pulls out a pint of liquor. He unscrews the top, tips it back, and takes a swig. His mouth draws back as he swallows it down in one gulp.
When he passes it to Riley, she takes a shot, then it comes to me. I really should keep a level head tonight, but what the hell. The stench of cinnamon burns my nostrils, and I hold my breath as I press it to my lips and take a small amount. It burns going down, but the feeling quickly subsides. “Not bad,” I say, handing it back to Elias. “Where’d you get that anyways?”
“There’s a student here who outsources from locals, and she can get us pretty much anything we want.”
“Ah, Melody?”
“Yep. That’s her name.”
“Do you know her well?”
It’s hard to imagine Melody and Elias having anything in common, other than booze and blunts. Not that I ever saw him smoke, but I take him to be a closet pothead. One who gets stoned and reads books in the dark with a flashlight. Actually, that used to be me. But Elias and I have so much in common, it wouldn’t surprise me.
“Not at all, actually. I was talking to this guy who knew a guy who banged her and he hooked me up with a few bottles.”
“Neo?” I laugh, knowing that Melody is obsessed with Neo.
“Nah. I don’t think so. Neo Saint wouldn’t help anyone if there wasn’t something in it for him.”
That is true.
We come off the trail and the athletic center is in view. I immediately look atthe rooftop, where Jagger said he’d be, but it’s too dark to see much of anything outside of the bright lights on the field and the lampposts on the sidewalk.
“Who’d you say we’re meeting here?” Elias asks.
