Page 103 of Vicious Desire (Fallen Royals 4)
She purses her lips. “She didn’t go to the hospital?”
“No.”
I don’t remember the last time she left the house.
We get to Skylar’s house, and Parker’s car is already there. Rather—her mom’s car. But she’s not in it, and she’s not on the porch.
“There,” Skylar says, pointing. Her voice has a little hitch in it.
I follow her finger across the sloping lawn to her neighbor’s house.
Parker and Jake Morrison are standing almost six feet apart, talking. Parker’s arms are crossed over her chest.
Jake lifts his hand and waves at us, and Parker whips around.
She says something to him, then comes in our direction.
Jake watches her for a long moment, then walks back to his house.
“Weird,” I mumble. “How was it, growing up next to Liam and Jake?”
Skylar snorts. “It wasn’t a walk in the park, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Parker reaches us and bounces over to me, throwing her arms around my shoulders. “You both did amazing! Second and third place!”
I grin. “We shouldn’t have let that Lion’s Head girl get past us. It was the end.”
“Oh, stop. We did fine.”
“Fine is only good if we don’t plan on going to State—”
“You won the meet, though,” Parker cuts in.
Cross-country scores teams by points, which means it is wholly dependent on how everyone on the team does—not just individually.
It’s a small condolence, but it also worries me. I don’t like relying on people.
“The best part is that we have tomorrow off,” Skylar says. “I’m going to stay in bed until noon watching movies.”
Parker giggles. “That sounds fantastic.”
“I…” I glance away. “I don’t know.”
I’ll probably play nursemaid to Noah, while Dad catches up on work from his missed Friday evening.
Who knows.
“I’ll call your phone, Ri. Is the volume on?”
I nod and circle around to where my bag is. I still haven’t managed to use the water bottle, so I have a plastic one shoved in with my spiked shoes and jersey.
No phone.
“It’s ringing,” she whispers.
But we don’t hear anything.
“Hello?” Skylar’s eyes widen. “Who is this?”