Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Pretty sure she’s dead.” The woman is slumped over in a small boat. Blood is matted in the blond hair covering most her face, but it’s the eyes that are wide open and lifeless that let you know she’s past saving.
I pull Madeline into me, my hand going over her mouth when I hear a rustling outside. I flip off my light. Madeline presses her face into my chest. I know it’s the fear that is driving her, but for the first time in my life, I don’t have an urge to pull away. In fact, I hold her tighter.
Chapter Thirteen
MADELINE
The sight of the dead body sobered me up, or I thought it had. Now sitting across a table from Grant, I’m doubting everything. We’d rushed back up to the house and told Grant what we’d seen.
Grant suggested that maybe it was Halloween decorations. That we’d had a few drinks and it was dark. We gathered Georgia and the four of us went back down to the boathouse. Nobody was there. We couldn’t see traces of blood left either, which seems impossible. It has me questioning myself.
“Are you messing with me?” I ask Luke. He was the one to take me down there. “This is some prank, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t do it.” He runs a hand down his face. Luke has been oddly quiet but as pushy as ever.
After we checked the boathouse, we’d all gone back to his brother’s house and not the dorms. Seniors don’t have to stay in the dorms on the weekends, but there is a time you have to be checked back in before the door locks for the night. It’s how they try to push a curfew on us.
We didn’t know what the hell to do. Call the police to the party, and there isn’t even a body. They’d call us crazy. I’m calling us crazy.
“I don’t believe you.” I stand, pulling out my phone. That’s what this is. All a giant prank, and I took the bait.
“Who are you calling?”
“My sister so she can come and get us.” Luke plucks the phone out of my hand.
“I didn’t trick you. How would I have gotten rid of the body?”
“I don’t know. One of your friends.”
“Friends.” Georgia snorts a laugh. “Sorry.”
“No, you’re not,” I say for her.
“That body was real,” Luke pushes back. “In fact, when I think back, I recognized her.” Is he really going to drag this out? But if this is a prank, it’s not that great of one. Not to draw out this long.
“Look at me,” I order Luke, and he actually follows my request. “All messing around aside.”
“She was there.” Luke’s shoulders drop, and I find I’m believing him at this point. The body did appear so real. He walks over to the fridge, grabbing a drink. “It might have been Caleb’s sister.” It wasn’t easy to tell with all that blood covering the face paired with the darkness.
“Lisa?” Georgia asks. “Didn’t you date her too?”
“And you’re just now recognizing her?” He should have known instantly. Right? Holy crap, how many girls has he been with? I kissed him. No, he kissed me. I’ll die on that hill.
“I don’t date.” Luke shakes his head like that’s a ridiculous notion.
“I do.” Grant gives Georgia a charming smile. Her face scrunches up, and she shakes her head no. I don’t believe she’s aware of how much she’s giving away with her expression. After a few drinks, Georgia is out here telling people how she feels. “You wound me.” He puts his hand over his chest.
“We don’t date hockey players,” I fill in for Grant.
“What about Nick?” I shoot my best friend a look. “Sorry, my mouth won’t stay closed.”
“Who’s Nick?” Luke is quick to ask.
“Nick isn’t your business,” I tell him. Nick is a boy I went out on a few dates with. There was no chemistry, but we had fun together. We became friends. “Thanks.” I grab the beer out of his hand and take a long pull on it. I doubly need it at this point.
“Can we call a truce?” Luke offers.
“No.” What kind of stupid question is that? First off, he’s a dick, and second, he’s blackmailing me. He hasn’t gotten anything from the blackmailing, but it’s still there hanging over my head.
“The kiss didn’t change anything for you?” Luke the snitch says.
“You kissed him?” Georgia gasps. Shit. I haven’t had time to tell her yet! The dead body got in the way. Besides, it never should have happened. Luke was one of the people that messed with her.
“It was an accident.” An accident that I can’t stop thinking about, which is messed up because there is a missing dead body I should be focused on.
“We can make out if you want,” Grant tells her while flashing a smile that has dimples. He’s got that whole golden boy vibe. Georgia’s cheeks flush.