It hits me.
He’s not upset because he feels betrayed. He’s upset because he’s part of it. This whole thing with Vincent. It’s a setup. A play.
He’s getting something out of this whole thing with Vincent.
I shove him. Hard.
He lunges, fists swinging, and I meet him halfway. We crash into the pavement. I pin him, my fist cocked, my knee in his ribs. He taps out.
"Your sister’s right. I think you threw that rock last night," I don’t loosen my hold on him, because he hasn’t treated Lilac right and he doesn’t deserve any mercy.
"I didn’t fucking do that," he spits, wheezing.
I stare at him, trying to read the truth in his face. I believe him. That scares the shit out of me because it means someone else did it.
I let him go, wiping the blood from my knuckles. I grab Lilac’s hand, pulling her away with me.
"Dad is fucking pissed," her brother shouts after us. "Be prepared for a fucking bad time."
I kiss the side of her head.
"It’s going to be fine. We’ll figure it out."
I want to tell her everything. That I’ve loved her in several different ways in the long time that I’ve known her. That I’ve spent every day pretending I didn’t want her while I was dying to claim her.
But I don’t get the chance.
Fucking Tara runs up to us, breathless, panicked. "Ryan... he’s dead. They found him in his car. In the parking lot with his throat slit open."
My blood runs cold.
"There were lilac flowers everywhere. Inside the car. All over,” Tara says. “Lexi found him, and she told me everything, but she said the school had someone come in and clean it up already. His car’s been towed. They’re acting like nothing even happened.” Tara is a mess, but I believe her. This school is shady and all about how they look to the public. It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that they’d sweep this under the rug so they don’t end up on the news.
Lilac’s face doesn’t change. But I see it. The way her throat moves when she swallows hard. The way her hands shake.
"I gotta go. I can’t miss another class," Tara says, then bolts.
I turn to Lilac. "It’s okay to be scared. It doesn’t make you weak. We’re going to figure this out."
Her voice is barely a whisper. "It can’t be whoever killed Mina, right? I mean, the flowers? That has to be someone specifically trying to scare me. And why Ryan? I don’t even know him."
I reach out, palm up, and she knows exactly what I want. She places her hand in mine, and nothing has felt more right.
"I don’t know," I tell her. "But I’m going to figure it out. You’re safe with me. And we’re going to talk to your parents. Together."
I walk her up to the building and kiss her gently. It’s so sweet and slow like she deserves and when it’s over, I stay there and watch her disappear inside.
She has no idea I’ve been tracking her location for a long time, but if I wasn’t already, I sure as fuck would be now. No one can hurt her if I know where she is every second of the day.
I sit on the bench across from her classroom because until I can put a plan in place to have physical eyes on her at all times, I’m not leaving her alone.
LILAC
The chill of the ice cuts through my tights as I glide backward across the rink, breath puffing in soft clouds around me. The grand arena is quiet except for the sharp slice of blades and the soft hum of the overhead lights. Or is that the air conditioner? Some of our figure skating team stayed late after practice. We just need to be out before the Zamboni makes an appearance and before the hockey boys storm the place like the deviants they are. It's peaceful for now. Controlled. Like I need it to be.
I angle my body and launch into a triple axel, something I’ve never been able to land clean. My toe pick digs in, I spin, but I wobble on the landing, arms flailing, and crash into the boards with a groan. I can’t get out of my head. Or more exact…I can’t get Callum out of my head.
"You’re getting closer," Tara calls from across the rink.
