Mad Boys (Blue Ivy Prep, #2)(80)

The Douchebags Three flashed across my mind’s eye. Although, Jonas didn’t really qualify as a douchebag as much now out of the three of them. Not anymore.

“Attraction is just weird.” It was my turn to sigh. “But for what it’s worth, if she’s not someone you consider a friend and you’re not enjoying the time with her—then maybe just tell her the truth. I don’t know if there is a nice way to break up with anyone. In my experience, break-ups are usually loud and involve copious amounts of alcohol and shouting—sometimes we burn their clothes.”

Bronson sputtered. “When did you burn someone’s clothes?”

“I was seven?” I was trying to remember. “Might have been eight. It was during pilot season ‘cause the guy she was dating was up for a pilot and apparently banging his co-star on the project. I think we pretty much burned all of his clothes ‘cause Mom was pissed…”

It was such an odd memory to dredge up. Like I had the feel for the texture of the situation, but not the details.

“Oh, he was banging his co-star in our pool house.” I’d walked in on them. Damn. How did I forget that?

“You know, that’s some weird shit, right?” His droll delivery just made me smile.

“Yep, I do. But hey—love me, love my weird shit and damage.”

“Deal,” he said with a sigh. “All right, I’m gonna call Diane and see if she wants to get food. Then I’ll talk to her.”

“Good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, breaking up over the phone or text is shitty. Granted, my experience is all second-hand, but…I think it’s shitty. So go you for being a good guy.”

“Shh,” he said, chuckling. “I have a rep to protect.”

“Pfft.”

“Shut up,” he said, still laughing. “I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yep. Good luck and give Pen a hug for me.”

“Will do. You gonna be free for a video call this weekend?”

“I’ll make time.”

“Sounds good.” Then he was gone and I sighed as I stared out at the rain. The new course of treatment had been going well… that’s what they said. Well. We couldn’t expect changes overnight and she was still spending more time in the hospital than out of it.

Everyone sent me updates, Davina, Jackie, Bronson, and even Dix. He’d gone to take her some toys for me, because her favorite sloth toy had gotten nearly ruined when she’d been sick. It took time to hunt it down, but we found one exactly like it.

We got a dozen to make sure we had a backup if we had the same problem. Dix had sent me a picture of her cradling the new sloth.

I scrolled to that image on my phone and grinned at her happy little face. Some of her hair had begun to fall out. Not a lot, but it was noticeable how it had thinned around her pigtails. Jackie discussed getting it cut just to make it easier for her while she was in the hospital. It was hard to get her hair braided properly with everything else.

Tracing my fingers over her face, I sighed, then closed out of that and glanced at the gray, gloomy, rapidly darkening sky. Yeah, I was gonna go take a shower and then order takeout unless we had leftovers to heat up.

Oh, we might.

The walk to the dorms left me soaked despite my hurry. Aubrey and I had used an umbrella earlier, but I left it with her. No biggie. I was cold, but I could warm up in the shower. Inside, I got the wet off my shoes and shuddered before I jogged up the steps.

I didn’t know if it was the rain or talking to Bronson about break-ups or thinking about Pen, but the whole day just seemed—darker somehow. Shaking off the melancholy, I shifted my backpack before I unlocked the door to let myself in.

The light in the kitchenette was on, but we always left it on. The whole suite felt quiet and shadowed—empty. Maybe Jonas had stuff to do after classes, too. I checked my phone to see if I had any messages from Aubrey before I set my backpack down.

A faintly funky smell tickled my nostrils. I frowned. Did we forget to take out the trash? I diverted to the little kitchen area. I never had to remember it ‘cause Jonas took it out like clockwork almost every day.

Honestly, it was a really nice thing to do and after a while I stopped thinking about it. When I opened the drawer with the little trash can in it though, it was empty with a fresh trash bag in it.

What the hell was that smell?

I checked me, just to be sure, then loosened the tie of my uniform. It wasn’t laundry, that had been picked up, so whatever it was, I’d find it after I showered. Hopefully we didn’t shove a food package under the sofa or something.

That happened to me once and I didn’t think I’d ever get over finding the fuzzy, desiccated remains of what I thought had been a microwavable burrito.

Just nope.

I went to unlock my door and it pushed right in. I flipped on the light and stared.

The room was—trashed.

The funky smell hit me full force. There were shredded books on the floor. All of my clothes had been dragged out of the closet and they were in tatters…it looked like someone had just got scissor happy. There were pictures scattered along with papers amongst the ripped books.

The smell? It was coming from the bed. The pillows had been ripped up. The sheets and the comforter had been ripped and the stuffing flung everywhere.