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I haven’t heardfrom Elias since he stood me up yesterday, but Riley is supposed to stop over at some point, so I’m hopeful she can tell me why he never showed.
My eyes lift from the textbook in my hand when Crew walks in my room.
“Last one?” I ask him as he drops a box onto the floor beside me. Sweat drips down his forehead, and if looks could kill, I’d be dead.
“No, Scar. It’s not the last one.”
He turns and leaves the room—my room—and I crack a smile. He’s the one who told me to order whatever I needed for my new room. I only got the necessities—a new mattress, a dresser, a desk, and maybe a couple new outfits. I lean over the box he just brought in. It looks like this might be my clothes. I should probably hide this one before he opens it and realizes I used Blue Blood money to fund a new wardrobe.
I argued hard on my stay here until I had no fight left in me. In the end, I gave in. They’re convinced an outsider is after me. They think this person wants to harm the entire Society, with the intention of using me as their weapon. Up until yesterday, I would have argued that I wasn’t in danger anymore. Now, I know I’m still being watched.
Regardless, it wasn’t my choice to move in here, so I used whatever I could as a bargaining chip. I told them there was no way in hell I was sleeping on the used mattress of a former Lawless member, and Crew handed me a credit card and told me to get what I needed. So I did. I also told them that I want my privacy and a phone. I lost on the phone, but they ensured my privacy—not that they give it to me, anyway. Living with three guys is going to be hell enough. One of them being Neo is straight-up torture. Sometimes I wonder what would be easier on my sanity: giving up and letting my stalker destroy me or allowing Neo to break me down piece by piece, day after day.
“Hey, girl,” Riley says, entering with a broad smile on her face.
I close my biology book and push it into my school bag. “And why are you so happy?”
“I shouldn’t be, right?” She looks around the room, cringing. “This place is creepy as hell. It’s like a gazillion years old. You think anyone’s died in this house?”
“There’s a very good possibility, Ry. But it’s the living we need to fear, not the dead.” I push my bag to the side of me. “So, if it’s not my phantom room that has you all giddy, what is it?”
She folds her hands together, pressing them to her chest, and beams. “Elias asked me to be his date for the Halloween dance.” Her eyes light up with excitement, and it’s impossible not to be happy for her.And at least I know Elias is alive after standing me up.
“That’s so awesome, Ry. I’m really happy you got a date to a stupid dance, where we’re supposed to dress up in ridiculous costumes. Though, I’ll pass. Not really my thing. But congrats to you.” I’m hoping I didn’t sound too pessimistic, but Riley is used to my bitterness, and she does a pretty good job at ignoring it.
“Oh, you’re going.”
She’s also good at talking me into doing things I really don’t want to do. Such as this dance. Chances are, she’ll dress me up like her little dead doll and put an arm around me while smirking devilishly over her win the entire night.
Doesn’t mean I won’t argue it. “Nope. Not this time, Ry. I’ll do your stupid parties, but dances are a big no.”
“You don’t have to actually dance—”
“The answer is no.”
She falls back on the bare mattress, her feet practically touching my face. “We’ll see about that.”
I push her feet away and say, “You know how many people have fucked on that bed?” When she jumps off it like it’s contaminated—which it is—I laugh.
“Ugh. That’s gross.” She wipes herself down, snarling grotesquely.
Pushing myself up, I kick the box Crew just brought in until it’s against the far wall beneath the window. The blinds are still open, and I look out at the accumulated snow. It’s still fall, but winter is well on its way here. It’s unfortunate that our autumn season doesn’t last long, but it’s the price you pay for this gorgeous mountain view.
“Well,” Riley begins, “if I can’t convince you to attend the dance, how much coaxing will it take for you to come with me to a party at The Ruins tomorrow? There’s no school Thursday, so we can get drunk tomorrow night and sleep in.”
I scoff. “It’s like thirty degrees outside.”
“There’ll be a big-ass fire. Besides, we were sort of hoping…” Riley puts on her pouty face, which means she’s about to ask for a favor. “…maybe you could convince the almighty Neo Saint to move tonight’s festivities underground. Say, The Gathering room?”
That warrants a hefty laugh. “You’re kidding, right?” Her stoic expression says she is most definitely not kidding. “You do realize me living in this house doesn’t change the fact that Neo hates me, right?”
“You have to have some sort of pull. After all, they’ve taken you under their wing.”
I tug my ear lobe, shaking my head. “No. I’ve got absolutely no pull when it comes to Neo. If anything, being around him so much is the equivalent of digging my own grave.”
Riley doesn't know about my stalker. As far as she’s concerned, everything that happened to me was part of The Ladder Games. I never gave her details or told her any different. It’s best she doesn’t get involved.
“There’s some sick truth to that statement, so I’ll stop you there.”
