Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
There’s too much to unpack there, so for now, I send him a thank you text. In return, he sends me a shark GIF, and I’m a little bummed that’s his only response. There was no wake-up text from him today, or anything else. But he did come here to give me the plushy, so I guess he hasn’t written me off completely.
It does make me wonder, though. Abella suspected he could be Mafia, but it seems unlikely the Cosa Nostra would send one of their own to study biology. In this case, IVI seems more plausible to me than anything, since some Society members attend school here. But truthfully, I don’t want to know who or what he is. Things are already too messy, and that will only complicate them further.
I close my cubby and head into the studio. Julian checks the room, and once it’s clear, he steps out into the hall to wait for me.
After a brief with Professor Harlow, we’re given the rest of the class to work. I’m eager to get started on finalizing my material selections, but before I even get a chance, a shadow falls over my table.
I blink up at my classmate Bethany, who’s hovering over me with a strained smile. She’s never spoken to me unless it’s required, and even then, it’s only been to lob harsh insults at my work during peer critiques. I know a few things about her—namely that she’s popular on campus, she thinks she’s better than everyone else, and she’s dating one of Nate’s friends.
“Hey, you left your measurements on the cutting table last week.” She slides a piece of paper toward me. “I wanted to make sure you got them back.”
I glance down to find an address I don’t recognize, along with a time to meet up tomorrow.
“We know you were with Nate that night.” Bethany lowers her voice, losing all pretense of friendliness. “This is your one chance to explain yourself. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”
Before I can even say anything, she heads back to her table. There’s no name on the note, but after what happened on break, there isn’t a need for one.
If the members of Imperium think I’m going to meet them in private, they’re out of their minds. I crumple the paper and throw it in the trash, trying to push it from my thoughts as I get to work. But it stays with me for the rest of the afternoon, and when I get home, I go straight to my room and start googling.
Hopefully Abella will have an update from Romeo soon about what he’s found on Imperium. In the meantime, I need to figure out who to watch out for.
I know some of Nate’s friends were interviewed by the local news after the students went missing. Those are the clips I’m searching for, but a different headline pops up from this morning.
Anonymous Tip Sparks Drug Sting, Leading to Arrests of Two Laurelhaven Students.
I read through the piece, which doesn’t provide much information. It states that the arrests took place at a Belltown nightclub, and the men are noted to be sons of prominent university alumni. There’s no mention of what substances they had in their possession, but I wonder if it’s related to whatever Nate dumped in my drink that night. I spend some time watching interviews and reading through a few articles before it all starts to blur together.
With a sigh, I close my computer and flop down on the bed, letting Beppe do zoomies around my head while I text Eros.
BiteSizedGabi: Are you coming over tonight?
I hesitate before I press send, wondering if that sounds too not-casual. But at the same time, I really want to see him and smooth over any lingering tension. After overthinking it for a full two minutes, I decide to go for it, then hold my breath until he replies.
Eros415: Can’t. I’m busy tonight.
He sends me a selfie in the Ghostface mask, reading a very familiar copy of Pride and Prejudice. When I glance at the missing space on my bookshelf, I gasp.
BiteSizedGabi: You stole my book?
Eros415: Stole implies permanence. I’ll return it once I figure out what’s so great about this Mr. Darcy character you’re obsessed with.
BiteSizedGabi: I’m not obsessed.
Eros415: You have five copies.
Okay, well, I can’t argue that.
BiteSizedGabi: Are you really going to stay home and read?
Eros415: Missing me already?
I stare at those words, trying to identify if that’s what this feeling is. But the longer I think about it, the more confused I get.
BiteSizedGabi: I’m just surprised you’d rather have a night in with Mr. Darcy than me.
Eros415: Show me what we’d do if I were there right now.
A warm flush spreads over me as I consider it. We haven’t played this game in a while. The send-each-other-spicy-GIFs game. I type a few keywords in the search box and scroll until I find one that I’ve been thinking about for a while. It’s a clip of a masked man taking a woman from behind while he snaps a picture. I was inspired by the selfie Eros left on my phone.