I stare at my reflection as Ryder’s words echo through me like a scratched vinyl—looping over and over, bleeding through every crack.
“I told you exactly what this was from day one…”
Before I dissolve any further, I hit the lights and head downstairs.
Kylie is rummaging through my parents’ cabinets, shaking her head.
“You don’t have any waffle mix,” she says. “Want to make a quick trip to Gayle’s?”
I nod, zombie-walking outside and to her car.
As she starts the engine, I notice the glint of a pink and coral keychain swaying from her ignition. The same shade she once pressed into my palm.
“Put it on your keychain and never let it out of your sight…”
I swallow hard.
Thankfully, she doesn’t try to force a conversation as we ride, and by the time we arrive, I’m in a slightly better mood.
We order the same loaded waffle, and when she’s done filling me in on celebrity gossip that I’ll never remember, I brace myself for chaos.
“What did you mean when you said ‘I’m alright for life now?’”
“That you don’t have to worry about disappearing or dying anytime soon.”
“Can you be clearer?”
“Edward Rochester.” She places her hand over mine.
I flinch.
“You mean Ryder?”
She shrugs. “Whatever name he goes by.”
I still.
“He was arrested last week,” she says. “He’s going to prison for a very long time.”
“What?” My fork clatters against the plate.
“You hadn’t heard?”
“No…” My heart drops. “How would I have known?”
She tilts her head to the side. “Don’t you still—Never mind. It hasn’t hit the news yet, but it will this week. They went in stealth and got him outside a warehouse near his estate. Apparently, they needed to make sure they got a few more people quietly before anyone else he’s tied to could get away.”
I stare at her, stunned. Something about her tone feels too smooth.
“How do you know all this?” I ask. “Could you be wrong?”
She shakes her head. “I’ve been quietly keeping tabs on him through some back-end databases since you told me—Sorry.”
“You’ve been watching him?”
“Just monitoring,” she says too casually. “Checking in through old systems, a few off-the-books ones I still have access to. Just in case.”
I nod slowly, but something inside me is starting to shift.
