Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
I search his face, startled by his strange behavior. He’s normally so chill. At least with me. Air gets clogged at the back of my throat, and it takes effort to force the word from my lips.
“Okay.”
“Are you absolutely positive that you don’t remember anything from the party?”
A heavy silence settles over us. I don’t understand where these questions are coming from.
Or what they mean.
“No matter what happened, I won’t judge you.” He studies me as if it’s possible for him to discern the answers without me giving voice to them. “You understand that, right?”
A sick knot blooms in the pit of my belly. The growing nausea no longer has anything to do with the pounding in my head.
“Yeah, but I still don’t remember anything.” There’s a part of me that wants to shut down this bizarre conversation so I can stay blissfully ignorant, but the more rational part understands I need to know what’s going on.
No matter how terrible it turns out to be.
A steady puff of air escapes from him as he glances away with a frown. “There are photos going around,” he mutters, gaze reluctantly settling on mine. “They’re…pretty bad.”
My mouth dries as I force myself to remain calm. “Okay. I don’t understand what that has to do with me.”
There’s another moment of oppressive silence as tension crackles in the atmosphere. “They’re of you, Delilah.”
Shock crashes over me, knocking me off balance. Out of all the things I expected him to say, that wasn’t it. My hand flutters to my chest in confusion. “Me?”
“Yeah.” His gaze drops to the slim silver device in his hand before he reluctantly passes it over. “They’re of you and…” His voice trails off.
My teeth sink into my lower lip, worrying it as I key in my passcode and stare at the home screen. I wince at the slew of text messages from Mom along with a half dozen missed calls that pop up.
Yup. Definitely grounded for the rest of my life. She’s probably checking out convents as we speak.
What I notice next are a bunch of unopened messages from people I don’t really talk to.
Like Sloane.
And Aubrey.
And dozens of guys.
More than that, actually.
Why would any of them bother to text me?
Or even talk to me?
Let alone acknowledge my existence?
There’s a distant tickle in the far recesses of my brain as I stare at Aubrey’s name. As soon as I try to bring forth the memory, it vanishes like a curl of smoke. Dismissing the strange thought, I click on the first message.
Half a dozen photographs pop up.
Of me.
And Jasper.
Ones of us kissing.
Disbelief sets in as I continue to scroll.
The last one is the worst.
It looks like…
Like…
I’m blowing him.
Oh god.
No.
These can’t be real.
My brain whirls as I drag the phone closer to my face and scrutinize the girl on the screen. She has the same thick blonde hair and is wearing the same thin sweater I still have on. This girl bears an uncanny resemblance to me because it’s…me.
There’s no mistaking it.
My face is as clear as can be. Almost as if someone went to the trouble to make sure it was captured for posterity. I clap a hand to my mouth as the acidic taste of bile rises in my throat. Any moment it’s going to spew all over the place.
“You don’t remember any of this?” Duke asks cautiously as if he realizes that I’m teetering on the brink.
As I continue to stare at the images, I force myself to think about the previous twenty-four hours, but like before, everything remains blank. There aren’t any memories. It’s like staring at a stranger’s antics.
“No, nothing,” I choke out as my bewildered gaze lifts to his. “I don’t understand how I could have done all this but have no recollection.”
“Me neither,” he says carefully, brows lowered. “I know that you usually don’t drink, but maybe you did last night?” There’s a pause. “I mean, Austin had a great game yesterday and everyone was celebrating.”
I shake my head. “No, I didn’t.”
Another heavy silence falls over us before he clears his throat and drops another bomb. “The pictures were blasted out to everyone.”
I can only stare as those words sink in.
Everyone at Hawthorne Prep is what Duke is alluding to.
Austin is going to—
My eyes widen.
Austin.
He’ll assume I betrayed him.
Again.
With shaking fingers, I hit the messaging app on my cell and scroll down the list to find his name. As soon as I pull up our convo, I catch sight of the photos. Air gets knocked from my lungs, making it impossible to breathe.
I sent them to him from my phone.
Why would I do that?
My mind cartwheels, painfully trying to piece everything together so that it will make sense.
But it doesn’t. I’m at a total loss.
I scroll upward and find the messages he sent.
Where are you?
You need to answer me, Delilah.