Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
He snorted out a laugh and turned the corner.
I rode back, riding his bike right inside my house in case I needed it a second time, and then started to make cookies.
I had several batches chilling in the fridge for tomorrow’s dinner with Searcy and the family when I looked at my watch and realized that Jasper would be coming through a second time fairly soon.
I grabbed my blanket off the couch and headed outside and rejoined my seat that was, luckily, not covered in snow. The weather was significantly warmer than it had been two hours ago, so I didn’t bother turning on the heated seat part.
Sure enough, within ten minutes Jasper came shuffling up to me.
Instead of continuing to run past, however, he stopped and reached for the bottle of water I had sitting at my feet.
He drained it in half a minute and tossed the crushed-up bottle into my lap.
I handed him the banana, which he ate.
Then the Christmas Tree Cake.
He ate it all in silence, his eyes looking sunken.
“How many more miles do you have?” I asked once he was done with the second bottle.
I had a lap full of his trash, and I wasn’t bothered by that at all.
What was wrong with me?
“Four,” he grumbled darkly. “Fucking Cutter.”
My lips curved up into a small smile. “Get going. You’re almost done.”
He swiped at his face, turned forward to face the road, then said, “I’m going to have rhabdo when I’m done with this.”
He left, and I quickly searched up what rhabdo was on my phone.
According to Doctor Google, it was a breakdown of protein in the body that released dangerous contents into the bloodstream and damaged kidneys. It happened a lot when people had a very hard intensity exercise and didn’t take care of themselves after.
I went inside and pulled six bottles of water from my fridge then walked them over to his doorstep. At least this way, he would see the water and maybe it would remind him to drink.
I’d just picked up my chair from the front yard where it lay with my discarded blanket when Jasper’s phone, still in my hoodie pocket, rang.
I contemplated not answering it for a half of a ring before I decided…fuck it.
“Hello?” I answered.
There was a hitch in the person’s breath on the other end of the line, and I pulled my phone away from my face to see that it was his best friend, Harlow.
Why I hadn’t checked that in the first place, I didn’t know. If I had, though, I probably wouldn’t have answered it at all.
Their relationship was entirely weird to me.
Boys and girls couldn’t be best friends.
“Harlow?” I asked. “Are you okay?”
There was another hitch and then, “No.”
I immediately stiffened. “Where are you?”
She made a sound in her throat that was close to a sob and said, “I’m three hours away.”
I did not care.
“Never mind that,” I said. “Where. Are. You?”
Her breath hitched. “I let Jasper follow my location on an app called Life 360.” She swallowed, and it sounded painful. “I’m at my boyfriend’s house.” Her throat started to sound funny. “Hurry.”
I didn’t blink.
Didn’t even hesitate.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Fifteen
My hobbies include long scrolls on my phone and eating until I hate myself.
—Calliope to Jasper
CALLIOPE
After breaking into Jasper’s phone—I’d seen him type the code in several times while he was working on my truck the week before—to get Harlow’s address, I left the phone on the doorstep with the waters and took off.
The drive that should’ve taken me three hours took less than two and a half. Which was, honestly, saying something seeing as everyone and their brother was out either visiting family or buying last-minute gifts for Christmas.
I pulled into Paris, Texas, like a stereotypical bad driver would—on two wheels.
I took the very last turn that would take me to where Harlow was at, cutting off a car to do it.
I raced down the street and parked, bailing out of my truck as soon as the wheels came to a rocking stop in the middle of the yard.
I didn’t bother with knocking. I walked right into that house and immediately started calling Harlow’s name, knowing that what I was going to find wouldn’t be pretty.
I was right.
I rounded the corner of the hallway and came to a sudden, bone-jarring halt.
What I saw had my insides literally setting on fire.
Harlow, the beautiful woman of a few days ago when she was visiting her good friend, was no more.
She was sitting in the corner of what looked like a child’s bedroom, huddled in on herself, beaten to a pulp.
“Holy fuck,” I said, staring at the woman. “What the hell happened?”
Harlow’s breath hitched. “I…”
I dropped down to my knees and pulled my phone out of my pocket to dial 9-1-1, when she put her hand over mine.