Co-Ed(53)

“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say, and the longer I didn’t hear from Shawn the more worried I got. Something didn’t feel right.

“Me, too.” He stared down at his phone and froze while his entire body went stiff.

“What? She calling?”

My Twitter notification popped up with a picture of Alexa and Shawn with Jessica in the background watching them.



Trouble in paradise, @KnoxT. Your girl seems to be partying solo.



@UWGossip had also been tagged, meaning it had gone to the entire school who followed the stupid feed.

“She’s at a party.” I stood and tossed the peas on the counter.

Slater kept staring at his phone like he’d seen a ghost.

“I’ll find out where and— Are you even listening to me?”

Slater shook his head and, with shaking hands, pulled up the text he’d just received right along with another picture. It was eerily similar, actually taken from the same spot, in that same house, with Jessica in the background, a soft smile on her face.

And Slater’s sister with a friend, smiling at the camera.

“What. The. Fuck.” Slater was shaking so hard I had to grab his hand to stare at the picture again.

They were identical except for the people front and center.

“It’s a sick joke.” I gave my head a shake.

“Right.” Slater’s voice shook. “And if it’s not?”

Fear trickled down my spine. “Leo! Finn! Get your asses in here. We’re going to a party.”

“Do you really think now’s the time? I’ve hacked all the cameras.” Finn rubbed his eyes.

I tossed him both our phones.

He looked back and forth between the two of them then ran back into his room. Within seconds, he was back. “It’s the sorority Jessica’s in.”

“It’s the same fucking house!” I roared.

Leo was already making his way toward the door.

“We need to call the authorities,” I said in a numb voice. “We need to call the police right now.”





Chapter Thirty-Seven


Shawn

I knew something was wrong the minute I had the first sip of my drink, and it wasn’t because it tasted funny; it was because Jessica was the one who’d handed it to me. But she was friends with Alexa, not super close, but I figured if Alexa at least trusted her not to poison her, I should too, even though I wanted to rip her black hair from her head.

“Sorry about today.” Jessica tapped her cup to mine. “I just— He makes me crazy. It’s not you. It’s me. Trust me. I used to crush on him really hard, and it kind of sucks being led on for three straight years.”

Three. Years.

There it was again.

I tucked my hair behind my ear then took another sip while Alexa left me to dance with some guy in a baseball cap. “Three years?”

She smiled. “Yeah, three long years. He broke up with his girlfriend then she died in this tragic overdose that kind of shook the school. I mean, you don’t expect a girl like that to fall prey to drugs, but I guess it could just happen to anyone.”

“You mean she wasn’t a druggie?”

“Recreational user.” Jessica shrugged. “Like most college kids, her biggest drug was the fact that she had three of the hottest guys on campus panting after her, Knox especially. When that guy falls, he falls so hard he ignores everything around him. Important things.”

“Like you?” My eyes narrowed as the room started spinning.

“No, silly.” She rolled her eyes. “Like class. I think he almost failed his freshman year because of her.”

“Oh.” I grabbed her for support when a pretty brunette bumped into me from the side, causing the rest of my drink to fall to the ground.

“Sorry.” The girl winked.

“Bitch!” Jessica yelled and steadied me on my feet.

I had beer dripping down the blouse I’d borrowed from Alexa.

“Hey, you all right?”

I briefly saw two of her and slowly shook my head no. “I need… I think I need air or something. I don’t feel right. I don’t have my… phone…” Wait, what had happened to my phone? It wasn’t funny, but I wanted to laugh and cry all at once. And now my clothes were ruined and smelled like beer.

Jessica grabbed my hand. “I’ll take you upstairs. You can borrow a shirt before you search for Alexa to take you home.”

“Yeah…” I went with her and was suddenly thankful she was stronger than she looked as I leaned on her. The stairs felt taller than normal stairs, my body heavier. Was it the alcohol? I hadn’t eaten much that day, and I’d been practicing a lot. I frowned as my brain worked ten times slower than normal.

We walked down the long hall and into Jessica’s room. The lights were off and the moment she flicked them on and shut the door behind her, I felt like I was going to puke.

“Oh no, you don’t.” She shoved me toward the bed. “You puke, and the drugs go out of your system.”

“Drugs?” I slurred. “Why are you drugging me? Where’s Alexa? Knox!” I started screaming as tears ran down my face.

“Shut up, or I’ll make this painful rather than peaceful, bitch.” She grabbed something in a bottle then a needle.