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Somewhere, someone in this room knows the truth about my brother.
I was worried that whatever had happened, the students involved had left: graduated. My brother, if he wasn’t in prison, would have also graduated. That narrowed the pool of suspects down considerably. I doubt there are many students who have ever repeated a year.
But in a place like this, there has to be rumors and gossip. With these people, everyone knows each other’s business. It’s just a matter of finding the right person.
I’m busy staring at a girl on the other side of the room, Bernadette Westcott, committing her name and face to memory, when Penny says a name, snapping my attention back to her.
“Royal Davenport?”
Turning, I fully expect him to be on the other side of the room. Not right in front of me. “Royal?”
He flashes me a smile—a smirk. “If it isn’t my little stalker.”
“I don’t think it’s stalking when we’re expected to be in the same place,” I tell him, dryly, although my heart is pounding for reasons I can’t quite explain.
“You two have met?” Penny asks, her eyes wide.
“I tested out Tori’s bed this afternoon.”
As Penny’s mouth falls open, I roll my eyes. “If that was testing out the bed, you know how to leave a girl disappointed.”
Royal clutches a fist to his heart. “Ooof.” He leans forward, diverting his head at the last moment to my ear furthest from Penny. “I never leave a girl disappointed.” As he leans back, he gives Penny a wink before walking away.
“What the hell did Royal Davenport thethirdmean when he said he was testing out your bed?” Penny grabs my arm and pulls me back towards an alcove as though everyone around us is trying to listen in on the gossip.
As I move back with her, I realize that there are suddenly a lot more eyes on me than there had been before Royal spoke to us.
“He carried one of my cases to my room—”
“Slap my ass and call me Daisy—Royal knows how to domanual labor?”
From the look on her face, I might as well have told her I had a pet dinosaur.
“I don’t know about manual labor, but maybe chivalry isn’t dead?”
Penny snorts. “I have a friend who went to high school with Royal, and let me tell you, his reputation is still spoken of in that building. Tori, if Royal is carrying a bag for you, he’s one hundred percent interested in that.” She points a hot pink manicured finger at my crotch.
I glance over in the direction he walked off to. He’s nowhere to be seen. “And that’s a bad thing?”
The question is rhetorical. Honestly, I don’t give a crap about who fucks who and whether or not that relationship lasts longer than that one encounter. If anything, a random hookup is the most of what I wanted right now. And if Royal was interested in my pussy, with no strings attached, I’d be happy to put my bed through the paces.
Pursing her lips, Penny shrugs. “I mean, I’m not going to be the one to judge who you fuck but…” She frowns. “No, that’s a lie. There’s a list of guys at this place I would judge on, and while Royal isn’t one of them, you can do better.” She lifts the glass of the rose and cucumber infused gin she’s been holding onto and finishes what’s left of the glass. “I think I have time for one more, and then I’m heading back for a video call with Jake and Nicole. I’d invite you but…” she winks. “Three-way video sex.”
Plucking my near empty glass from my hands, she turns and heads towards the bar. As I watch her leave, a small smile on my face, a strange but familiar feeling settles over me.
Friendship.
When your brother is arrested for murder, not many friends stick around. And the few that did disappeared when we lost everything else. I suck in a deep breath and try to push the longing feeling away.
Penny actually seems like a decent person, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready to tell her about Cole.
Just like she said, Penny stays for one more drink. Instead of heading back to the dorm with her, I decide to stay. There’s so much money walking around this place, that I’m sure the dorms are soundproof, but after getting the lowdown on a lot of the students, I want to stay and see what else I can find out.
By this point, a murder on campus would have been some form of urban legend. At the very least, there has to be someone who knows something. It’s just a case of finding the right person.
I’ve only had a couple of drinks, but it’s enough to let that warm, buzzed feeling settle on my shoulders like a jacket on a cool summer evening. I wander through the crowds, enjoying the beat of the music, and for another moment, it’s like I’m back in my old life.
Which reminds me of why I’m here.
