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Abel stared at me while I watched his mind working. It always worked strategically. I noticed it more since the Gatsby party. It never shut off. “Why not?”
There was no anger in his tone, only confusion, nothing more, but I expected a controlling comment.
“How’d you feel if I answered your phone?”
Abel took a bite of his meal, shrugged, chewed, and then answered. “Now that you know about the society, I don’t care. I have nothing else to hide.”
The response took me by total surprise. Again, I expected him to say something like, ‘That’s different,’ but no, he was okay with me answering his phone, which made me think differently about him answering mine.
The idea of Blake calling or texting about the kiss worried me. I needed to tell Abel what happened, but he was calm and happy. I didn’t want to spoil it.
“Okay, I didn’t think you’d say that.” The fight deflated out of me, and Abel smirked and clasped his hand at the nape of my neck. He always had to touch me, and I shivered every time he did.
Abel laughed and resumed eating like everything was good, and I guess it was. I wouldn’t harp over it if it were a two-way street. Kailey had stayed on my mind since last weekend, and it was a close call.
“Do you have any idea on who or why Kailey was roofied at the Gatsby party? I keep trying to wrap my head around it, but I can’t come up with anything. Especially there. It’d be more common at a frat or sorority party but not at the elite gathering.”
Abel sobered at the topic change and moved his plate away when he finished. “I’ve been thinking about it too, and I’m working on some theories, but nothing concrete. From now on, though, I want you to watch where you get your drinks. If you’re not getting it directly yourself from the bar or from me, don’t drink it.”
“Why? I mean I know, but why when it was Kailey who got drugged?”
Abel played with some of my hair that had fallen out of my clip. “You two are always together, and she only took the champagne from a server, so it was on a tray. Anybody could have drunk it.”
The situation made a clump form in my stomach. I didn’t think of that and stressed about who else could’ve been roofied.
“So, babe, it’s best to be extra cautious, okay?”
Agreeing, I pushed my plate away, no longer hungry. Once Abel confirmed I finished, he helped me out of my seat and escorted me to Kailey’s sorority house. The conversation faded as we enjoyed the fall weather and walked like young lovers, and I relished in the moment.
Chapter 11
Chantilla
The girls and I were happy to get ready together. We didn’t spend as much time alone together now that I had Abel, and I had guilt about it. I knew Kailey understood. Ella was a different story.
Kailey jumped in and styled my hair while Ella worked on her makeup. Music played, and Kailey danced around me like a fairy as she curled my hair and gossiped a mile a minute about anything and everything. She was bubbly all the time, but this seemed to be a little more extra than usual.
Ella and I eyed each other in the mirror as we worried about her. She was drugged only last weekend and hadn’t discussed it so far.
Recently, everything else had been going great and appeared to be heading in an upward direction, and I couldn’t be any happier. Abel turned into the boyfriend of my dreams and softened around me. I was doing great in school. Even though I worried about my education for a bit there, I no longer needed to. The only thing hanging over my head happened to be the incident with Blake and then Kailey’s drugging. I wanted her to be okay.
Hesitating for a second, I grabbed Kailey’s hand, and she paused and looked in the mirror.
“Kailey, are you okay?”
Kailey paused briefly and shook it off with a bright smile not quite reaching her eyes. “I’m great. Are you okay?”
Ella sighed and maintained her gaze on Kailey through the mirror. “We’re worried about you.”
“Yeah, it’s okay to be upset, but you’ve been really happy lately.”
“Of course I’m happy. Okay, sure, I got drugged, but I had my best friend come to my rescue before anything else happened. I’m not drinking anything either you two or I don’t pour ourselves, but I won’t let this incident stop me.”
Turning in my seat, I gazed at Kailey. “It scared me finding you like that. I’ve never been so afraid in my life.” It didn’t help little flashes of the images on the SD card flared in my mind ever since I found Kailey, and thank the heavens I’d found her when I did. “It would be understandable if you needed to take a breath for a beat.”
“I agree with Chan. We’re here for you with whatever you need.”
Emotions flickered all over Kailey’s face, and her eyes welled, but she put the curling iron on the vanity and fanned her eyes to stop the mascara from running. “You guys, I love you both and appreciate you caring for me. If I need to talk or to take a minute, I will, I promise, but really, I’m okay.”
