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I feel safer with a door between us, since he’s not trying to break it down this time. “Malek is coming upstairs to get you.”
“You sure you don’t want to call the cops on me again?”
“Maybe later.”
Hannah must have grabbed Malek and sprinted up the stairs because before another word can be said, I hear the low rumble of Malek’s voice asking Landon if he wants to get his dumb ass arrested chasing this pussy again.
A charmer, that Malek.
I wait for Hannah to say, “He’s gone,” then I unlock the door and let her in.
Her shoulders drop with relief when she sees me all in one piece, but she quickly looks me over just to make sure. “Are you all right?”
I nod, feeling… I don’t actually know how I’m feeling. A little amped up, definitely embarrassed. “Sorry to drag you into it. I just didn’t want things to escalate.”
“You never have to apologize for asking for my help with these troublesome Baymont boys. There must be something in the water here, I swear.”
I crack a smile. “Troublesome is a word. I might have gone for a stronger one.”
“We shouldn’t have invited him.”
I shrug. “We had to. Not inviting him would have… If I work too hard to keep him off Anae’s radar, that will just put himonher radar. Knowing him, he’d hook up with her just to piss me off, not fully realizing or caring that she’s an unhinged lunatic. I may not like Brittany, but I prefer her to Anae ten out of ten times.”
“That’s true,” Hannah murmurs. “After Dare, I’m not sure Anae has the patience for competition, either. I can’t handle her trying to killallof my friends.”
I crack a smile. “Yeah, and I don’t think I have the temperament to escape a kidnapping unscathed. If she comes for me, it was nice knowing you.”
“I’ll plant some flowers in the garden in your honor,” she promises.
I shake my head, but then I catch Hannah’s gaze drifting to my mouth and jaw in a weird way, and I realize this is a lipstick party. “There’s lipstick all over my face, isn’t there?”
Hannah nods. “You look like a Smurf.”
“Great.” I walk over to her old dresser and cringe at the blue smeared along my jawline and down my neck. My lips have turned from yellow to green.
So much evidence of Landon’s mauling.
Hannah follows me, inspecting the damage. “They’re novelty lipsticks so they’re not exactly high-quality. It smeared everywhere.”
“I cannot go home like this. I need some makeup remover.”
“I can grab you some.”
“Landon is supposed to be going home after the party. Mom will wait up for me, but once I’m home, she’ll go to bed. If he doesn’t come home until later…”
I need to put a deadbolt on my door.
… Or not go home.
I turn around, looking at the lonely bed on the other side of the room.
When Hannah slept in here, the room was full of her stuff, but since her stepmom unceremoniously kicked her out of it last year and sold most of Hannah’s stuff, it’s barren now. Just a big, fancy bed in the middle of a huge, empty room.
The bedding is still on it, though.
I look back at Hannah. “Do you think Jackie would freak if I stayed over tonight?”
“There’s not really room on my twin bed in the attic,” she says, also glancing at her old bed. Her gaze is more haunted than mine, though. I suppose it must be odd to look at the place that used to be hers and not be allowed to occupy it anymore.
