Page 68 of Satan's Spawn

The conversation ended rather quickly, Rebecca insisting she needed to shower while Alexis and her group of “twats” so she called them, were still busy at cheer practice and couldn’t mess with her.

Fast forward twenty minutes and it brings us here, to the female bathrooms, ignoring my best friend on the phone as he continues to talk up the girl I’m trying to bring down.

“I’ll admit man, I expected Bex to fold like a cheap corner hoe when Beaumont showed up.” Saint continues rambling. “And you’re lucky she didn’t. I don’t think your pops would’ve been able to get you out of that one.”

I lean my shoulder against the overpriced tile wall, listening to the running water behind the glass, rolling my eyes to whatever pop song Rebecca is blasting on her phone.

I keep my voice low, just enough for Saint to hear me say, “Isn’t she just full of surprises.”

The sound of the bathroom door opening comes from behind me, followed by a surprised feminine voice. “Excuse me, you can’t—” Whoever it is starts, but when I look over my shoulder, the girl clamps her mouth shut and turns to rush out of the bathroom, towel in hand.

“So, did you convince the guy to tell you where your dad took the car?” Saint asks on top of the shouts from his teammates in the locker room.

I look down at my flexed knuckles. “Oh, yeah, he told me.”

“So you know where it is?”

I say nothing, annoyed with how clever my father’s gotten since he decided to attempt the upper hand.

When I arrived at the shop, it took less than five minutes for his mechanic to confirm Raven was picked up. He even showed me the receipt where my father wrote down the name of the place he’d be taking her for repair.

Which, turns out, closed down in May.

He knew exactly what he was doing lying on that paper.

“No. I don’t.”

“But…you just said—”

“I got it under control, Lavell,” I mutter. “Stop with all the fucking questions.”

Rebecca starts humming along with the music from where she’s hidden in the stall, her silhouette through the frosted glass clear enough for me to know she’s busy washing her hair. It’s also clear enough to outline her petite frame.

So. Easily. Breakable.

I watch as her body sways to the beat, the lyrics to “Entertain You” by Within Temptation rising above the sound of the water.

I don’t know what’s got her spirits so high, especially since the Riverside bathrooms haven’t been a sanctum to her.

“Bex confirmed she’ll be at the party tomorrow.” The slam of a locker follows Saint’s statement.

I hate how excited he sounds about this. As if the two of them are asshole buddies and he can’t wait to shoot the shit. The idea brings forth a wave of anger I’m barely able to contain.

Is Saint the reason she’s so cheery all of a sudden?

“Why are you so determined to be her fucking friend?”

“Why are you so determinednotto be?” he counters, right before the shower water stops, along with the music.

Hanging up on his annoying ass, I shove my cell into the back pocket of my jeans and wait.

There’s movement behind the door, and I watch as my Little Ghost’s silhouette gets covered up with what looks like a huge towel.

When the glass finally opens, Rebecca is holding a shower caddy, wearing hideous flip flops on her feet that match a pink robe twice her size. Her hair hangs long and soaked by her sides as she squeezes the strands with a towel, still unaware of my presence until I clear my throat.

Rebecca jumps, dropping the towel and caddy. “What the shit?” She clutches her chest. “What the hell are you doing in here, Crayton?” Looking around frantically, she adds, “Seriously? You have a thing with bathrooms or something?”

I stay watching her, unable to deny how absolutely stunning this girl is.