Paige huffed. “Don’t worry, he’ll pay.”
“I know you’re pissed at your dad for some reason, but he really is upset.” I thought of his expression when I’d met with him. How I’d seen all this emotion just under a thin, brittle layer of control. “You didn’t see him. He’s trying to be brave and tough, but he’s worried. Maybe he’s not paying the ransom because he thinks the kidnappers will kill you if they get their money.”
She rolled her eyes. “I think I know my dad better than you. People are way more complicated—?they’ve got an outside view and then the inside that almost no one knows. Take my friend Lindsey for example. Do you know why she dropped the debate team right before state finals?” I shook my head. I didn’t care what her BFF did. “C’mon, guess.”
“I heard she didn’t get along with the advisor.”
Paige nodded, smiling like I’d gotten a tricky question right. “That’s what everyone thinks. Truth is she’s terrified to fly, and they have to take a plane to get to nationals if they win. She doesn’t want anyone to know, so she came up with a stupid excuse to quit.”
“Who cares?”
“The point is, no one at school knows the truth; they know what she wants them to hear. My dad’s the same way, only about a million times better at playing the game.”
“Look, you don’t need me anymore.” My feet shuffled in the dirt. “They found the car. I did my part and—”
“Stop right there. You agreed to do this, which means seeing it out to the end. You can’t just decide you want to quit now.”
I’d demanded this meeting to get some answers, but I’d lost control. “You can’t make me do anything.”
Paige smiled, her teeth bright in the darkness. She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “You’re cute when you’re angry.”
I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand. It felt like she’d marked me. A wave of disgust rolled through my stomach. I wanted to push her to the ground then kick her until that stupid smug smile was off her face.
“Like it or not, we’re partners now. If you back out, you’ll be sorry.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’ll be sorry.” Paige patted my shoulder. “You don’t want to miss out on the ransom when it comes. And it will come, trust me. You just have to hang in during this rough patch. My dad will pay. I’d invite you in for tea and cookies, but we can’t take the chance that you’ll leave any hair or fingerprints inside. Remember, you will have only seen this place in your mind.” She winked.
I hadn’t even thought of the fact I might leave evidence behind. I hated that I’d missed that obvious point and hated even more that she knew it. Paige was one step ahead of me. She spun me around so I faced the path again.
“Remember to stay until the end of the movie. Just in case anyone remembers you being there if it comes up.” She gave me a tiny push. “Get going. Stick with me, and we’ll be just fine. You worry too much.”
I took a few shambling steps back into the dark. The damp smell of rotting pine needles and leaves filled my head. I was an idiot for getting messed up in this, but not so stupid that I didn’t hear the threat loud and clear. If I bailed on Paige, she’d make me pay. I had no idea how long she’d been planning this. Months at least. I’d been impressed with how she seemed to have thought of everything. I’d underestimated one very important point—?she must have also thought of how she’d get out of it if she got caught. She wasn’t going to be the one left holding the bag. I was willing to bet that was going to be my job.
Paige might be my partner in all of this—?but we were also enemies—?and I wasn’t going to forget that for another second.
Eighteen
I pressed my ear to the cold metal door of the theater. I couldn’t hear a thing. My heart clenched when it looked like the cardboard was gone, then I realized it had simply slid down. I cracked the door a tiny sliver, and when I didn’t see anyone in the hall, I yanked it open and slipped inside.
Someone reached out and clutched my upper arm as soon as my foot hit the carpet. I froze.
“What were you doing out there?”
The guy who held me had dark curly hair and looked like one of those Greek statues we studied in art history. He also looked pissed.
I forced out a stilted laugh. “Funny thing. I had to pee so bad that I wasn’t paying attention and I pushed open this door instead of the bathroom.” I smacked my forehead like I couldn’t believe what an idiot I was.
His glance slid over to the giant orange and yellow sign in the center of the door that declared EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY.
The guy’s dark blue eyes held me in place as firmly as his hand. His fingers dug into the flesh of my upper arms. He was going to leave bruises. “If you were just going to the bathroom, why did you prop the door open?”
Oh shit. I was so busted. “I have a ticket,” I mumbled. “I’m not sneaking in or anything.” Did movie theaters call the cops for this kind of thing? How the hell was I going to explain what I was doing? That was when I noticed he wasn’t wearing a uniform.
I pulled back on my arm trying to free myself. “Do you even work here?”
He ignored my question. “You’re Skye Thorn.”
I blinked. My tongue seemed to have swollen, filling my mouth and making talking impossible.
He knew my name.
I made myself focus and look at him more carefully. I’d seen him before. My mind scrambled to remember why I knew him. Then it hit me. He was Paige’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Ryan Denton. I’d seen his picture on the news. He was a couple years older than us, but I couldn’t remember if he had graduated or dropped out.
Great. Just my luck that Paige’s ex-boyfriend was some kind of Hardy Boy wannabe.
I tucked some of my hair behind my ear, trying to look casual. “The cops told me about you. The last thing you need is more trouble. You shouldn’t be following anyone—?that’s harassment.”
Ryan blinked quickly. “What did they tell you about me?”
I shrugged. “Not much.” I didn’t tell him that the only reason I knew his name at all was that Paige’s dad asked the police about him when I was at his house.
His jaw was tight. “They want to blame me for this.”
“Why?”
He laughed, but it was bitter and brittle. “Why not? Isn’t it always the boyfriend? We have a fight, I lose my temper, and before you know it, there’s a missing girl. I’ve got a record and no alibi for the afternoon she dropped off the planet. For cops I might as well have a neon sign over my head saying guilty.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans.