Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Erica tries to argue through the tape, but all that comes out is a muffled grumble. Knowing her parents are bound to come back at some point, we get to work. I rush down to Erica’s room, finding a bunch of markers and her phone.
I hand a marker to Addison and together, we scribble words across her skin, covering her clothes and every available bit of flesh. We tell the story on her skin, writing down her shame for everyone to see.
Betrayal.
Backstabber.
Cheater.
Liar.
Fraud.
GUILTY.
The list goes on and on and by the time we’re done, tears are welling in Erica’s eyes. It’s almost hard to look at as the years of friendship claw at something inside of me, but she doesn’t deserve my pity. She doesn’t deserve to be let off the hook. Addison needs justice to be able to move on in this world, and I won’t stop until she gets it.
Addison and I look over her before glancing at one another. “Umm,” I say, my gaze narrowing. “What are we supposed to do with her now?”
Addison shrugs, neither of us really thinking this part through. “I mean, we could lock her up in the school for everyone to find in the morning.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know,” I tell her. “Security got pretty tight there after someone brought a knife to school a few years ago. There are too many cameras. Oh—” I say, grabbing her phone and entering the passcode that still hasn’t changed. I scroll through her recent texts before a wide grin stretches across my face. I turn the screen to show Addison. “She was getting ready to go out before we got here,” I remind her. “Fancy a visit to Hope Falls’ local hangout?”
A wicked grin pulls at Addie’s lips. “Today just keeps getting better.”
Scanning over her texts, it looks like all the Hope Falls rejects are partying at the basketball courts tonight. The text says to show up just after eight, and seeing as though it’s already after five, we start getting a move on. After all, we don’t want anyone to spot us and the longer Erica has to sit there alone and vulnerable, the better.
Fuck, that makes me sound like a bitch, but I can’t find it in me to feel bad about it.
“Ummmm, question,” Addison says, scanning her sharp gaze over Erica. “How are we supposed to get her in the car?”
“Hmm,” I mutter, clearly not having thought this part through either. I walk around the back of her and yank the chair toward me, tipping it back. “You think we could carry her?”
Addison shrugs and moves into position, her hands curling around the legs of the chair. “Remember,” she smirks. “Lift with your knees.”
I bark out a laugh and just as we’re about to lift, the sound of a roaring motorbike cuts through the house, loud enough to hear over Erica’s ridiculous music. My back stiffens and I meet Addison’s stare. “Oh shit.”
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” Tanner’s booming tone rattles my fucking eardrums, and I glance over my shoulder to where he hovers in the doorway, his hands balled into fists, freshly showered after football training.
Busted.
Addison releases the chair and straightens up, crossing her arms over her chest and fixing Tanner with a nasty stare. “I think the better question is what the fuck are you doing? And how the hell did you know where to find us?”
“Yeah,” I agree, pushing the chair back up and fixing him with a stare. “We didn’t breathe a word to anyone about where we were going. How did you—OH HELL NO,” I blurt. “You put a tracker on our phones.”
A guilty expression crosses his stupid, lovable face, and I want to strangle him. “Can you blame me? Every time I turn my back, one of you ends up in the hospital.”
My mouth drops, gaping at him in horror. “So you put a fucking tracker on us? Not cool, Tanner. That’s such an asshole move.”
He shrugs, the guilt quickly slipping away and morphing into indifference. “Yeah, well, considering you’re halfway through kidnapping that bitch, I’d say it was time well spent. Now, back to my original question. What the fuck are you two doing? Do you have any idea how messed up this looks?”
“It’s not how it looks,” Addison says, shrugging it off.
“Oh really? You didn’t break in, then bind and gag the bitch who had a part in your attack?”
Addison grins. “Okay, well maybe it is how it looks, but for the record, we didn’t gag her, just taped her mouth shut. But in our defense, she’s a mouthy bitch and had a little too much to say. We were just problem solving.”
“Look,” I say. “We can stand here and argue about this, or you can shut the fuck up and help us carry this bitch out of here. We need to move on to stage two of this plan, and if you’re going to stand around looking pretty, you might as well be helpful.”