Definitely not okay.
Madi leans over and kisses him quickly, smearing her lip gloss across his lips with a kiss. He blinks, stunned, then glares into the rearview mirror at me when I say, "Promise no killing Justin tonight."
"Or anyone, maybe?" Madi adds.
Hayden exhales through his nose. "Promise," he mutters to Madi. Then he adds, "But I’m not going to be nice to him."
"Me either," Callum says.
I turn to look at him. "Seriously?"
Callum just shrugs, like it’s obvious. "Ramsey likes Reese. And we’re friends with Ramsey. Therefore, Justin is dead to me until Ramsey decides to kill him. And then he’s dead to everyone."
I let out an exasperated sigh. "You guys really are too much."
When we pull up to the karaoke place, Callum helps me out of the car and I glance up at him. “So what did your friend Elijah say?”
Callum’s jaw ticks as he closes the door behind me. “He’s looking into it. Nothing is really adding up because the guy who lives in the old Whittaker mansion wouldn’t be able to pull off the shit that’s happening on campus. But all signs point to him.”
I blink. “Then what does that mean?”
He reaches down, threading his fingers through mine, and lifts my hand to his mouth, brushing his lips across my knuckles. “Ramsey looked into texts sent to the girls who’ve been killed. He seems to think you’re the target.”
My breath catches. “But… why haven’t they come after me?”
Callum’s expression darkens. “That’s what doesn’t make sense. If it’s you they want, why wait?”
I lean into him, trying to chase away the chill that crawls up my spine. “I don’t know. But I’m glad they didn’t.”
His grip tightens around my hand. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, baby.”
I rest my head against his shoulder. “I know you won’t.”
We’re hand in hand, walking across the parking lot when a loud, black lifted truck comes roaring up, engine snarling like a beast. I let out a squeal and grip Callum tighter.
“What the fuck?” Hayden bellows, yanking Madi behind him.
The window rolls down and I feel Callum instantly relax beside me.
A man with a flannel shirt rolled up to his forearms and a black cowboy hat sticks his head out the window. His eyes land on our joined hands and he smirks.
Caiden Grey.
I recognize him immediately. Callum’s cousin. The infamous bull rider from Castlebrook Falls.
“Jumpy?” Caiden asks lazily, looking directly at Hayden and Callum.
I can’t help it, I laugh. Madi tugs on Hayden’s arm like she knows Caiden would happily wrestle and hogtie a hockey player just for the fun of it. If you ask me, it might do Hayden some good.
“What are you doing here?” Callum asks, and then scans the side of the truck saying, “Who’s truck is this?”
Caiden leans an elbow on the window frame. “Got a little situation going on.”
“Don’t we all. What can I do?” Callum asks, clearly instantly ready to help him.
“I need you to meet me at the Gilmore dorm at two am. Bring your ragey friend,” He gestures his thumb toward where Hayden had been standing when he first pulled up. “Don’t be fucking late,” he demands as he rolls up the window and peels off with a growl of tires.
“My old dorm?” I ask Callum. But before he can answer, it clicks. “Chapel? They hate each other. What’s he want with her?”
