Page 43 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)
“How many days ’til Halloween?” I ask.
“Five!” Her quick grin slips away. “I hope things are back to normal by then.”
Someone chokes in the living room, and Taryn rushes out. I follow slower.
“Normal?” Whitney latches on to Taryn’s arm, eyes wild. There are dark circles under her eyes. “We won’t get a normal. We’ll either get a traumatized best friend back, or she’ll be—she’ll—”
“Dead,” I finish. I ignore their flinches. “Did they ask you about Amber?”
“What?”
“The detective,” I snap. “McAdams’s partner. Did he—”
“God, you’re like a bull in a china shop,” Whitney accuses. “They were asking me about Natalie. No one cares about a junkie who goes missing.”
I narrow my eyes. “Huh?”
Taryn tries to maneuver Whitney back toward her room. “Let’s not—”
“Amber Huck was a partier. A fan of molly. Big hit with the frat guys.” Whitney glares at me. “Were you not paying attention to the fact that her ex-boyfriend killed her? He wouldn’t then take Natalie.”
I resist the urge to shake her. “They’ve got to be related. Two Ashburn girls go missing, one right after the other?”
“I don’t see the connection,” Taryn confesses. “Whitney’s right. They were polar opposites. It’s just bad timing.”
I set down my mug. I can’t put my finger on why this is annoying me, but Whitney easily got under my skin, probably without even meaning to.
“Fine,” I say. “Bury your head in the sand. Might want to get your little black dresses laundered, though.”
Whitney gasps and lunges for me.
I barely evade her, pushing her hands away from me. We grapple for a second, her nails clawing at me. I’m trying to be nice—it isn’t like I want to hurt her—but she manages to scratch my forearm. I shove her, and Taryn grabs her arm. At least someone other than me thinks Whitney’s being a bit ridiculous.
It gives me time to slip down the hall. I run into my bedroom and slam the door, then quickly twist the lock. I step back, breathing hard. A second later, fists thump against the wood.
“You bitch!” Whitney screams. “Why the fuck do you think you’re any different from Amber, huh? You’re a loner. No one would miss you if you turned up dead!”
It doesn’t sting nearly as much as I thought it would.
“Go to hell,” I reply, turning away. “Maybe you’ll see Natalie there.”
They leave me alone after that, and I grudgingly pull out my books. I finish the homework I skimped out on last night and pack my bags, then slowly unlock the door.
I sort of expect Whitney to be staked out in the hallway, but she’s not. Her door is closed, and the apartment is silent. She might’ve left. Man, I hope she left, but I don’t plan on sticking around to find out.
I hurry to campus. The snow is already gone, and the cool wind snatches at my hair. I just need to survive a class, maybe skip the last one of the day and I can crawl into bed.
But instead of a semblance of normalcy at school, I discover chaos.
The dean of students stands with two detectives just outside the main administration building. There are uniformed police officers stationed nearby, seeming to be waiting for orders. I had literally just told Whitney there wouldn’t be a normal for her… I should’ve been thinking more broadly.
“Ah, Ms. Buckley!” The dean hurries toward me. “Can you show Detective McAdams—”
I glance over his shoulder at the woman. She’s already watching me, gaze hard. I don’t know what to make of her, but I get the distinct impression she doesn’t like me.
Or maybe she’s suspicious.
“Sorry, sir, I’m late.” I rush away, keeping my head ducked.