Malice (13 page)

He wasn’t smiling now though. He looked concerned.

My gaze slid to Finola. She was watching me warily, as if she expected me to say something insulting. When we’d first walked in, I had felt a little hurt that she’d kept her date with Alex a secret. Looking back, I couldn’t really blame her. Guilt trickled through my veins. I was a horrible friend if Finola felt as though she couldn’t confide in me. Somehow, I needed to make this right.

After talking to him the last few minutes, it seemed like he was genuinely concerned for Bree’s safety.

Finola’s hand rested on the table. Alex reached for it, lacing his fingers through hers. She turned to him and gave him a soft smile.

“At least Bree left a note,” Finola said. “So wherever she is, she must’ve gone willingly.”

Alex nodded but he didn’t look convinced. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Well I think,” Daphne said, “that if the police and The Council aren’t concerned, we shouldn’t be either. Although I’m not convinced that Levi Devane isn’t somehow involved. I’ve seen them together. They looked…cozy. She’ll probably come back as soon as she runs out of money. Or gets bored. Or whatever.”

Now that she had realized the story wasn’t nearly as scandalous as she’d hoped, she was losing interest.

She kicked me under the table. I turned to her and she winked, a devilish smile appeared on her face. She was clearly up to something and I felt instantly concerned for Finola. Daphne would never purposefully do anything to hurt Fin, but sometimes she accidentally got carried away.

“You two on the other hand, have some explaining to do,” Daphne started as she swung a teasing glare between Finola and Alex. Finola’s cheeks turned red and she gave Daphne a pleading look, which she ignored. “So come on, spill. Just how long have you two lovebirds been sneaking around?”

Finola started to sputter an embarrassed response. I cut her off.

“We’re only asking because it’s so nice to see the two of you together,” I said as I tried to diffuse the situation.

Finola blinked at me and Daphne set free her usual carefree laugh.

“Right, that’s why I’m asking.”

“This is actually the first time we’ve gotten together. We were just meeting for coffee…cappuccinos, actually. It’s not really a date,” Finola rushed to say.

Alex frowned and I was sure I saw a moment of hurt flutter across his face.

“Well, that’s too bad,” I said as I gave Daphne a nudge. “But maybe if Daph and I get out of here, you can turn it into one.”

“Um…?” Daphne said as her gaze swung from Alex to me.

He gave me an appreciative smile. “Well, if you two really don’t mind…”

“Nope,” Daphne said as she caught on.

I jumped up from the booth and tugged her along with me. “We’ll see the two of you later.”

It was impossible to miss the grateful smile that Finola blasted our way.

Daphne was right. Anyone who could make Finola that happy couldn’t possibly be all that bad.

“I’m really sorry,” Finola said as she appeared next to my locker.

I flipped the door shut and turned to her with a smile. “For what?”

“I should’ve told you that I’ve been talking to Alex. I just wanted to see for myself what he was really like. I thought if you were right, that he wasn’t a nice guy, then I’d know. I wouldn’t see him again and you wouldn’t…” She winced as she faded off.

“I’d never have to know,” I finished for her. She nodded. “I get it. I’m sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me.”

“It’s not like we’ve been talking all that long. The day after Daph gave him my phone number, we happened to be in The Rush at the same time. I was getting a smoothie after school. I’d planned on getting it to go. He walked in behind me and asked if I wanted to get a table with him.” Her cheeks glowed with a pink tinge. “Since then, we’ve been talking almost every night but yesterday was the first time we actually met up somewhere. On purpose, I mean.”

“But now that you’ve apparently been getting to know him, what do you think?”

Her eyes lit up with a happy sparkle. “He’s perfect. He’s sweet and he’s funny when he wants to be. He’s so polite.”

I nodded. “Good. I’m happy for you then. I was wrong about him and I can admit that. From here on out, you have my full support.”

“Really?” She gave me a tentative yet hopeful look.

“Not that you need it, but yes, really. I feel bad for making judgments about him before. I had no right to do that. It was wrong.” I felt better for having said it. “How did your
date
go?”

She smiled as she hugged her arms to her body. “After we left The Rush we went for a walk on the beach. We ended up talking for hours.”

“So are there more dates in your future?”

“Nothing is planned for sure, but I think so,” she said happily. “His family owns a house boat and he asked if I’d like to check it out some time.”

“Did you hear the latest?” Daphne asked as she hurried up to us. She clamped a hand on each of our shoulders.

I hadn’t heard anything interesting since leaving The Rush yesterday so I shook my head.

“No, now what?” Finola asked.

“Jude is gone too!” Daphne said. Her cheeks were rosy from excitement. “He also wrote a note. His said that he and Bree were running off together. But her friends insist there is no way that could be true.”

Finola and I exchanged raised eyebrow looks.

“Wow.” Those simple sentences held a lot of information. I could absolutely not imagine Bree and Jude together. The two didn’t seem quite compatible. They weren’t at complete opposite ends of the high school social structure but they were far enough apart that I just couldn’t imagine them as a couple.

“Why would they have to run away to be together?” I asked.

“They wouldn’t,” Finola said as we shared looks of confusion. “There’s no reason they’d have to hide it from anyone. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“So that’s why,” Daphne said dramatically, “people are wondering if there’s more to the story.” She paused for added affect.

I rolled my eyes at her melodrama and despite myself, I asked, “Such as…?”

Daphne leaned in. “A few people are thinking that maybe he kidnapped her.”

I felt my eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. “No.”

Daphne nodded in answer. “That’s the story going round.”

“The
story
,” Finola stressed. “Or more like
gossip
. If she was kidnapped, why would she leave a note? Why would she bother with any of her clothes?”

Daphne pouted when her theory was shot down.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Jude? I can’t even picture the two of them together. He’s always so quiet.” In fact, he kind of reminded me of Tristan in that way. A misfit that just seemed to be putting in his time, waiting for high school to be done so he could get on to the important part of his life.

“You know what they say,” Daphne said cryptically. “It’s the quiet ones you have to worry about.”

Finola gave her shoulder a hard nudge. She was scowling. Both Alex and Tristan could fit into that category. “
No one
says that.” She turned to me with a frown. “Do they?”

I shook my head, more out of confusion than anything. “This is all too weird.”

“Well,” Finola said a bit haughtily, “I think you’re just disappointed that you can’t blame Levi. You can’t possibly believe that Jude ran off with him, too.”

Daphne raised her eyebrows and made a face that let us know she disagreed. She’d blame Levi if she felt like it. Whether there was proof to the contrary or not.

I let out an exasperated sigh. “Enough about Levi. He’s still here. Hasn’t gone anywhere. Hasn’t brought any secret guests up to his suite. I get that neither of you are at all crazy about him, but this is one thing you can’t blame on him.”

Bree was pretty enough even if she was quite a bit younger. I supposed he could be interested in her. It was possible I was completely naïve but I really didn’t think Jude was his type. But Bree, Jude, and Levi together? That equation just didn’t come out right.

“We’re missing something,” Daphne said.

Finola nodded. “I hate to encourage her but I do think she’s right about that.”

“Oh,” I ground out, “you two.”

“Don’t you think it’s strange that he was seen talking to both Jude
and
Bree?” Daphne asked.

“He’s also talked to you and me and Finola. We’re all still right here,” I pointed out. “In fact, if you think about it, he’s talked to a whole lot of people in town.”

Ignoring me, Daphne went on. “He’s been really interested in the Striga. What if he’s one of them?”

An unpleasant prickle broke out across my skin, even though I was sure she was being ridiculous. I was positive her accusation against Levi stemmed from being shunned by him. Daphne had never taken rejection lightly and he had, in his own subtle way, rejected her. I wasn’t about to point that out because she would never admit it and she’d probably never forgive me for it.

Instead, I tried a different tactic.

“Look, the night Xavier and I went out, I was walking home. Levi stopped to pick me up. No one knew where I was. There wasn’t another car in sight. But here I am, safe and sound.”

Daphne shrugged. “Maybe he’s just not interested in you.”

“
Maybe
Bree and Jude ran off together because they thought it would be romantic. Or maybe they just wanted the attention,” I guessed.

“Oh!” Daphne said and her eyes lit up again. “Maybe she’s pregnant. Maybe they knew their parents would never approve so they ran off to have the baby!”

“Yeah, I bet that’s it,” I stated flatly.

Daphne grinned back, either not catching my sarcasm or choosing to ignore it.

“Regardless, whatever happened is probably none of our business,” I pointed out.

I was sure Daphne was going to argue. Good gossip, she thought, was always her business. Instead, she seemed too preoccupied to hear me. Her eyes flicked down the hallway and a bemused smile flashed into place. Both Finola and I spun around to see what she found so amusing.

“Is that…?”

I grimaced and wanted to hang my head in embarrassment. Not for myself, but for Tristan.

“Is he wearing a sweater vest?” Finola asked with a giggle.

“I’m afraid so,” I grumbled. It wasn’t the first time we’d spotted him in one but it was the first time in awhile.

“Silly me, I thought sweater vests were extinct,” Daphne said with a snorting giggle. She clapped her hand over her mouth when several people looked her way.

“Maybe he’s trying to revive them,” Finola teased.

“Do you know what would look good with that ensemble? A pocket watch. Or maybe a pocket protector. Or both.” She nudged me. “There, now you have some birthday ideas for that boy.”

“He doesn’t look that bad,” I argued. Actually, he looked ridiculous but I’d never in a million years admit that to Daphne.

Daphne’s giggles erupted into full-blown laughter. “They say love is blind but really, love is
soooo
weird.”

“Says the girl who’s never been in love,” Finola cajoled.

The warning bell blared above our heads. It echoed through the hallway. Both of my friends made reluctant faces as they scurried off to their own lockers. I knelt down in front of mine, quickly organizing the books and notebooks that I’d need for my first few hours. I stood, cradling my books in one hand and slamming my locker door closed with the other.

When I spun around, I collided with a familiar chest.

“Sorry about that,” Tristan said quietly as I backed away. There really wasn’t anywhere for me to go with him blocking my path. My single step backward had me pressing my backside against my locker. My chest ached, suddenly it was hard to breath.

I hadn’t talked to Tristan since the night of my disastrous date with Xavier. Having him this close without warning sent my heartbeat off in a chaotic rhythm. To my horror, my palms began to sweat and my knees began to tingle, as if they planned on giving out on me.

“It’s fine,” I managed to mumble back.

He bit his lip, the gesture was endearing and it sent an unwanted ache coursing through me.

I missed him.

“I was just wondering if you needed any more help with your calc?” he asked. He shuffled his books from one arm to the other. He seemed as nervous as I felt.

Of course I needed help. I just wasn’t sure I could handle getting that help from Tristan right now. My ego was still badly battered and my emotions bruised from his fervent rejection. I couldn’t imagine sitting at my kitchen table, pretending that everything was fanfreakingtastic. I couldn’t pretend that I was only interested in homework and that I wasn’t aching to be with him. How was I supposed to sit there and pretend that I hadn’t completely humiliated myself? Or pretend that it didn’t hurt that he’d made it beyond clear that he didn’t want me?

For now, I thought the best thing for both of us—whether I wanted it or not—was some distance.

“Nope, I’m good,” I said without looking him in the eye. I sidestepped him and scurried off to class.

~*~*~

“Hi, Mom,” I said as my friends and I traipsed into the kitchen.

She glanced over her shoulder and greeted us as she slid a pan of rhubarb cake onto the kitchen counter.

“Good afternoon, girls. Would you like a piece?” she asked us as she turned around.

Daphne eyed up the cake but she shook her head regretfully. “No, thank you, Renee, but it smells amazing.”

I wasn’t surprised she turned it down. As much as she loved Mom’s baking, she loved drama more. It had been her idea to come over today. She had an agenda, I knew. Her agenda apparently didn’t include taking time out for cake. If she was looking for drama here, I was sure she was going to be disappointed. She’d probably be better off going after the cake.

“It’s quiet around here today,” Daphne said in her best off-handed tone.

Mom nodded. “Magnolia went to a friend’s house after school. We have three couples checking in this weekend but no one tonight.”

“Except for Levi,” Daphne corrected.

“Mr. Devane checked out this morning,” Mom replied. She didn’t seem to be surprised that Daphne was asking about the guests. She probably thought my friend was just trying to make polite small talk.

I bit back a grunt of pain as Daphne jabbed me in the back.

“Well that was rather unexpected,” Daphne said as she crossed the room and dropped down at the kitchen table.

Mom gave her a curious look. “Mr. Devane checking out? Not really. He told me a few days ago that he was leaving town soon.”

Daphne gave me a questioning look.

Mom caught it and she turned to me. “I did write it in the reservation book but I think I forgot to mention it to you. I guess I’ve been a bit distracted.”

Daphne blew out a frustrated sigh. I figured she was disappointed that she’d driven all the way out here in search of a scandal only to find none.

“Oh, sweetie,” Mom said as she turned to Daphne, “don’t you think he was a bit too old for you?”

Finola stifled a giggle.

Daphne’s eyes flew open wide in surprise. “What? No. That’s not—”

“I understand,” Mom said with a small smile. “I was your age once. I suppose a guy like him could hold a lot of appeal. A handsome, mysterious stranger in town. It’s rather intriguing.”

Daphne slumped slightly, deciding to just go with it. “You’re right. I guess I was just wishing I could tell him goodbye.”

Mom raised her eyebrows knowingly but chose not to comment.

Daphne shot up from the chair she’d just taken a seat in. “Why don’t we head up to your room?”

“Uh, sure.”

Finola and I followed her out of the kitchen, through the house and up the stairs. Instead of heading to my room, she headed to the Ash Suite. I shouldn’t have been surprised. She paused at the door and turned to me with a questioning look.