I started to smile. “Then what’s good?”
“Good is good.” He moved his lips over my cheek, and my breath caught. “See, I was kind of full of it a few seconds ago. You can behave or misbehave. I want a Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with you. Several of them, back to back and so on.”
A flash of guilt threatened to ruin the moment like an uninvited guest, trying to dig its claws in, but I opened my eyes. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”
“So it would seem.” His eyes glimmered.
“Well, I like the sound of that. Have for probably longer than I should admit.”
His lips parted, and his mouth lowered to mine. Air got hitched in my throat, and my pulse thrummed. This was it. He was going to kiss me. Finally. Every cell in my body waited in sweet anticipation because I knew that even though I didn’t remember all my other kisses, this one would so blow them out of the water.
Out of nowhere, Scott bumped into us. “I think there’s a rule about space between partners. Don’t make me enforce it.”
Julie hung her head in shame. “You’re so embarrassing.”
I scowled at my brother, but Carson chuckled. “Way to kill the mood, bro.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” He grinned cheekily, spinning Julie away from us.
Carson sighed. “Your brother...”
“Is a lovable idiot?” Mood ruined, I glanced around and cleared my throat. “I think I need to...”
He kissed my cheek. “I’ll get us something to drink.”
Reluctantly, I pulled free and headed toward the entrance. Our conversation had left me in a heady daze. My heart was doing little backflips, and I wanted to go find Julie and tell her that Carson and I were dating. There was definitely a squeal building up, demanding to be shared. Right now, it was a first for me and I floated as if I were walking on balloons.
I pushed on the bathroom door, and right away I wished I’d gone anywhere but there.
At the sink, Veronica grabbed a sheet of brown paper towel and scrubbed under her eyes, furiously wiping at the mascara. I started to hightail my butt out of there, but girl code demanded that I at least check on her.
Cursing myself under my breath, I let the bathroom door shut behind me. “Veronica, are you okay?”
Her lashes lifted. “What does it look like? I’m fantastic.”
And that was why I hated girl code. Shaking my head, I turned back for the door. There had to be other bathrooms around.
“I thought he actually liked me,” she said, voice cracking. “Wasn’t I stupid? I bet that just makes you so freaking happy.”
With a sinking feeling, I faced her. “Del?”
“Who else?” She laughed as she dabbed at the pink skin under her eyes. “He finally dumped you, and I had my chance. There wasn’t even Cassie to get in the way.”
I thought about correcting who broke up with whom but decided against it. “Seeing you cry doesn’t make me happy.”
She threw the towel on the floor and spun around, gripping the edge of the sink. The intricate curls atop her head bounced off her tear-stained cheeks. “All he’s done is talk about you. About how you guys were just taking a break—that you two will get back together. I’m so sick of it!”
I was dumbfounded. “We’re not getting back together.”
“You should try telling him that.” Veronica threw up her hands. Nails painted to match her bloodred dress. Dizziness crept up on me. “Not that it matters. He told me that your mothers are planning a trip for you to the Poconos to patch things up.”
My mouth dropped. Oh my god, I was going to strangle that woman. And here I thought she’d been making progress tonight. Ugh. “Del and I aren’t going on any trip.”
Veronica started to laugh, but then it choked off. She sniffed. “You’re not.”
“He’s all yours if you want him, but seriously, do you want him?”
She stared at me as if I’d suggested we go kick some puppies in the street. “Everyone wants him.”
“No, not everyone does.” Again, I started to turn but stopped. “You deserve better than some guy who spends his time talking about someone else.”
Snatching another paper towel, she blotted her face. “Why are you being nice to me?”
Good question. “Why not?”
She sniffed again, turning back to the mirror. “Whatever.”
I left the bathroom then and nearly plowed into Candy and a gaggle of girls. Oh, for the love of God...
Candy popped her hand on her hip. “How far have you fallen? Dating the help?”
“How desperate are you?” I shot back. “Dating your dead friend’s ex-boyfriend?”
Her eyes shot wide and then narrowed, but I pushed past the girls. They followed me back into the ballroom, talking crap the entire way. I deserved a medal for not turning around and hitting one of them.
“Are you going to cry?” Candy crooned.
“What?” I frowned but kept going. Almost to the ballroom...almost.
“Or are you going to freak out and need to see your therapist?”
I spun around. “Why don’t you try acting like a real friend and go check the bathroom instead of following me around like a pathetic puppy?”
Candy cocked her head to the side. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Your friend—Veronica? She could use you right now. She’s in the bathroom. Not having a very good time.”
Her nose scrunched up as if I’d just asked her to figure out the square root of three. “You’re probably seeing things again, huh? Veronica is having a great time. She’s going to be voted prom queen.”
I gave up at that point. “Whatever.”
“Insanity Sam!” Candy trilled, earning a few chuckles.
I rolled my eyes. “Clever, real clever.”
She bobbed her head at me like an ostrich and then turned on her heel, teetering away. A few girls were left, and I met their stares. Something in my eyes must’ve reminded them of the old Sammy because they scattered like cockroaches.
Refusing to let any of them ruin my one night of normalcy, I entered the ballroom and searched for Carson. Spotting him with my brother and a few other baseball players, I headed in his direction.
A tall, slender body suddenly appeared in front of me, dressed in red. In an instant, the dancing bodies, the music, and the dazzling lights all disappeared. The world turned gray.
Cassie was in front of me.
Her pretty dress was ragged and hung limply from her ghastly pale arms. A dark oily substance seeped down her face. I took a step forward. The side of her head... it was shaped wrong, sunken in.
Cracked. Shattered.
Bile rose in my throat. “Cassie,” I whispered.
And I realized then she wasn’t really standing. Her arms and legs sort of waved in a lazy rhythm, as if something carried her body. Part of me recognized what I was seeing—Cassie floating in the lake, which explained the doll-like vacancy in her eyes.
Another form appeared between us, scrambling through the air ... or over the boulders. Moonlight reflected off the slender body. Wind blew back long strands as she screamed out, “Cassie!”
My heart stuttered. It was me—me staring down at Cassie’s body.
From the darkness, someone appeared, reaching out to the gray version of me. I turned, horror and disbelief etched into my face. My face contorted as I stood, taking a step back.
The other person was taller, broader. Frustration boiled in me. I couldn’t see his face!
He reached for me, and I could taste the panic pulsating off both of us. My foot slipped on the rock; my arms flailed as I tried to keep my balance, to grab for something—for him. A silent scream parted my lips as my body bent in half.
And then I tumbled over backward—gone, falling as the dark void reached up and pulled me down. Gone.
I jerked out of the vision when a body bumped into mine. Dazed, I twisted around.
A face leered into mine. “What are you doing? Move out of the way, freak.”
Barely hearing the words, I stumbled toward the doors. Horrible as it sounded, excitement pulsed through me. It hadn’t been just Cassie and me. Someone else had been there with us.
And then a different scenario crept into my thoughts. The other person might not have pushed Cassie. I’d been the one on the edge of the cliff, screaming her name. He could’ve been there, witnessed it all. But that didn’t make sense. If there had been a third person and he had seen me, why hadn’t he gone to the police?
He would’ve, unless he had something to hide. I had to talk to Carson.
Pulling my cell out of the clutch, I sent Carson a quick text, telling him I was going outside for some air just in case he started looking for me. Leaving the ballroom behind, I stepped into the dimly lit hallway that led to the back parking lot. My heels clicked on the floor, a steady echo that kept me company. I placed my hand on the cooled glass of the door, stopping when goose bumps spread across my flesh. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose.
I looked over my shoulder, scanning the empty hall. No one was there, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. It swirled inside me, like dark ink spilled into water. Pushing open the door, I stepped out into the night air and refused to look behind me.
Ignore the feelings—they aren’t real. The memories were, but everything else was just me freaking myself out ... or trying to communicate with myself, which was odd and downright insane-sounding.
I clicked across the parking lot while every nerve seemed to be firing at once. Look back. You’ll see him. He’s there. Waiting and watching. My heart started racing as fast as it had when Carson had come so very close to kissing me while we danced. Only not as pleasant.
My cell phone chirped loudly from inside my clutch, causing me to jump and almost eat asphalt. Placing my hand over my slamming heart, I let out a shaky laugh. Scared to death by a text message. Jeez. Stopping beside a large tree, I dug out my cell. Carson’s name flashed across my screen.
Then I heard it, the equal, measured steps—heavy and foreboding, sending my pulse racing. Ice formed tight balls inside my stomach. It’s not real. It’s not real. One. Two. Three. The footsteps were closer. The back of my neck burned with awareness.
I couldn’t breathe.
Fingers shaking, I ran them across the screen of my cell, opening Carson’s text. b there in a sec. My lungs spasmed, working again. Carson was coming. I was okay. I would be—
The loose strands of hair on the back of my neck stirred. Warmth moved over my skin.
A hand circled my bare arm, and my heart lurched into my throat. I started to scream, but another hand clamped down on my mouth, smothering the sound.
“Don’t scream,” he said.