I almost screamed. After hearing Rob’s murderous plan, it almost looked like the man’s decapitated head was on a platter.
“Thanks, Eric,” Rob said and grabbed it from him. “Could we have something to drink too?”
“Already on top of it, sir.” The butler slid a tray of sodas into the treehouse with his gloved hand. “Will that be all?”
“Yup.”
“Will you be attending classes after lunch?” Eric asked.
“Nah. We need the whole day off. We’ve had a stressful weekend. Right, James?”
James nodded.
“Very well. Let me know if any of you need anything else. Good to see you again, Miss Sanders.”
“You too.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. Help me, Rob’s a murdering psychopath probably wouldn’t work with his butler.
Eric disappeared down the hole.
“Pizza?” Rob asked and lifted up a slice.
“We can’t kill Isabella,” I said. “I just meant…make her go away.” Twenty four hours ago, I’d wanted her dead. But after talking to Matt… I swallowed hard. I didn’t want him to ever think I was a monster too.
Rob laughed. “I know. I just wanted to see your face. I like it when you blush. It’s so freaking cute.”
What?
“Like you’re doing right now.”
“You’re both ridiculous,” I said and shoved his arm.
“Mhm. You’re the one that can’t keep your hands off me. Do you need me to call Mr. Hill to put a ruler between us again?” He smiled. “See…blushing.”
I shook my head. “Okay, this has been super fun. But I really should get back to Matt’s house.”
“After lunch,” James said. “You need to eat.” He picked up a slice and handed it to me before I could protest. “Come on. You’ve lost weight the last few weeks. You gotta eat something.”
I pressed my lips together. He’d noticed that I’d lost weight after my uncle passed away? I looked down at my pajama bottoms. I wanted to blame it on the baggy material, but that wasn’t it. I’d been sad. It was hard to eat when all I wanted to do was cry. And then everything that happened between Matt and me on top of it? I’d barely had an appetite at all. I never would have guessed James would notice though.
“Please?” James asked. “We won’t make any more murder jokes. We’ll just plan a prank veering on the edge of revenge that may or may not make Isabella run away from home. I promise.”
“Yeah,” Rob said. “We’re not going to kill anyone. We aren’t Pruitts.” He lifted his hand for a high-five, but I just stared at him. “Suit yourself,” he said and grabbed a soda.
I ate my slice of pizza as they went back to the pudding idea.
“Matt has a really big kitchen,” I said. “It would be the perfect place to make that much pudding.” I could still fix this.
Rob laughed. “We’re going to buy it, Sanders. Who has time to make pudding?”
“I don’t know…most people?”
“You’re not thinking big enough,” he said. “We need a lot of pudding. And maybe some dead frogs. That way Isabella can’t kill them.”
Gross. “Where do you plan on getting dead frogs from?”
“She’s super uncreative,” Rob said and looked over at James.
“No,” James said. “She’s just too sweet to think as evilly as us. One of the many reasons I like her.”
Rob laughed, but I didn’t.
Enough was enough. I’d come here for two reasons, and the second was more important than revenge. “Okay, here’s the deal,” I said. “I will help with whatever plan that the three of us come up with if you both swear to stop messing with me with all this silly flirting,” I said.
“We’re not…” James started, but I cut him off.
“And after I help you pull off the most epic prank on Isabella ever, you have to try to make up with the Caldwells.”
Rob laughed. “I’m not down with either of those conditions. Especially the first one, Sanders.” He winked at me.
“Me either,” James said.
God, they were both infuriating. “You need me in order to get access to Isabella’s room. There’s no prank without me. And those are my conditions.”
“Ugh.” Rob grabbed another slice of pizza.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked and put my hand out for James to shake. I trusted him more than I trusted Rob. Rob would shout “just kidding” or something. James would make the deal.
“Deal on the second contingency,” James said. “I can’t make any promises on the first.”
“Fine.”
He placed his hand on top of mine instead of shaking it. And then Rob threw his hand on top of James’.
“Operation Disappearing Troll on three,” Rob said.
I laughed as they both threw their hands up and yelled, “Operation Disappearing Troll!”
“And if Isabella dies in the process, all the better,” Rob said.
“That’s not funny,” I said. But I laughed anyway just because he looked so excited.
“We’re basically planning on giving her a heart attack, so it’s a possibility,” added Rob. “Oh, should we do it right after Thanksgiving? Isabella’s always so happy during Thanksgiving break because all her evil relatives are in town.”
Evil relatives? I hadn’t even thought about my new extended family. Would they all be so horrible?
“Good thinking,” James said. “Besides, it gives us more time to plan.”
I wasn’t so sure more time with the two of them was a good thing.
“What the hell! Are you trying to get Donnelley and me killed?” Miller’s head had just popped up through the floor of the treehouse. His face looked so beat up that for just a second, I didn’t recognize him.
I jumped, knocking over Rob’s soda.
“Shit,” Rob said under his breath as he grabbed a napkin. “Who the hell are you?”
“Out,” Miller said, ignoring Rob. “Now.”
“Miller…” my voice caught in my throat. This was not at all the way I wanted to start our conversation.