Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
My nostrils flare. “I hope the one who spread it dies a miserable death.”
She rubs her lips and shivers a little. “You know what? I think you need some ice cream to cheer you up.”
“Ice cream?” I parrot as she gets up.
She pulls me off my bed and drags me out the door. “Yeah, let’s go. Before you turn into a pile of mush.”
Crystal takes me to Ice, Cookies, & Cream down in Crescent Vale City in her car and gets me two flavors on her. Chocolate and strawberry, my favorite. We sit on a park bench and watch the animals casually stroll by, looking for a nibble.
I take a bite and almost moan. “God, it’s so good!”
“I know, right? This shop’s my fav.”
“I get why you wanted to come here now,” I muse, taking another bite.
“Yeah, they’re far better than the one on campus. I mean, no offense if that’s your fav.”
“None taken. I don’t have a fav, but this one might just be it,” I reply, and we both smile.
“You know what? We should grab some food after,” she says, winking.
I snort. “We’re literally eating ice cream, and you want more?”
“Yeah, it’s almost dinnertime.” She points at the large outdoor clock hanging from the park entry. “I’m more of a ‘have dessert first, then food’ girl.”
“That’s actually a great idea,” I reply. I guess we could. I mean, it’s not like I have anything else to do now that the boys are out of the picture. “All right, let’s do it.”
“If you want, you can invite over those boys you’ve been seeing.”
I almost choke on some of my ice cream. “Ah…”
“What? You four are an item, right?” she says, taking a bite out of her ice cream.
I take another bite from my ice cream, determined to get brainfreeze before I have to answer, but a peculiar van outside the park catches my attention and I forget what I was about to say. I don’t know why, but it feels familiar, somehow. I just can’t put my finger on it. It definitely doesn’t belong to Kai, Milo, or Nathan, though.
“Hi, ladies,” someone behind us says.
I turn my head.
CLICK.
I know that sound.
The safety has been pulled off a gun aimed directly at my back.
“Don’t turn. Don’t make a sound.”
“Lana …” Crystal peeps.
I shush her.
“That’s right, you’re gonna be real quiet, and you’re gonna get up and walk to that van,” a voice growls behind me.
“And what if I don’t?” I say.
From the corner of my eye, I see the gun being pushed into Crystal’s head instead. “You really wanna try me out?”
Fuck.
I gulp and look at Crystal as a tear trickles down her cheek.
I would’ve fought him off if he only threatened me.
But now that Crystal’s involved, I don’t want to risk her life too.
“Move,” the voice behind me growls.
I get up and grab her hand, mouthing, “It’s gonna be okay.”
We walk stiffly toward the park gates, the guy tailing us, his gun hidden behind his coat as it pushes into my back.
He pushes me, and my ice cream drops to the ground.
The van pulls up to the gates, and the back doors open. Two guys wearing a hat and fake hair grab us by the arms and drag us inside, sealing us in.
“Please, don’t kill us,” Crystal mutters as the men hold us down.
“Shut up,” one of them tells her, and he directs his attention toward the guy in front of the wheel. “Drive.”
The van’s engine roars as it races off, veering from side to side like they’re in a hurry.
In the dark, Crystal’s fingers find mine, and I squeeze and hold on tight to the last semblance of hope I can offer her in this nightmare. A nightmare she got dragged into because of me.
NATHAN
“This whole thing with Lana is your fucking fault,” Kai grits while I throw my bag on the first table I find inside the Phantom Society building. “If you hadn’t taken those pictures, no one would’ve ever seen them.”
“I didn’t fucking share them,” I say, my voice booming through the hallway.
“Bullshit, who else could’ve done it? You?” Kai points his finger at Milo now, who just stares at him sheepishly.
“Who me? Of course not, why would I?” he replies.
Kai marches at him and grabs him by the shirt. “Did you share them with anyone?”
Milo shakes his head. “No. They’re on Nathan’s laptop, that’s it.”
“I haven’t kept them anywhere else. I swear,” I say.
Kai’s eyes narrow. “How the fuck did those pictures get out then?”
I rub my forehead. “I don’t fucking know.”
“Was it even safe? What if someone broke in, huh?” Kai growls. “This is all on you.” He paces around. “If I lose her because of this, I swear to God …”
“You’ll what?” I retort, standing my ground. “Kill me?”
He marches to me but stops mere inches away from my face. “Don’t give me a reason, Nathan.”