Page 35

It almost made me feel like I had my life together.

My phone rang as I was cleaning up my mess, Roxxi’s ringtone singing to me.

I answered, expecting a quick check-in, instantly knowing this was going to be something else when her flawless face filled the screen.

Her long red waves caught the morning light, wind barely rustling the ends as she stood in front of what looked like the athletic center’s gym.

She wore her Crowsfell jacket over whatever outfit she’d decided on, like it was couture. Her expression told me she was pissed.

“That dumb bitch didn’t wait for you to leave,” she snapped, zero preamble.

I almost spoke with smoothie filling my mouth. “What?”

“Layla,” she damn near hissed.

“I saw Ari’s text. Maybe she couldn’t get me up?” I wasn’t sure why I posed this as a question, or why I was trying to stick up for her. I knew she hadn’t attempted to wake me.

“Then one of us would have. Did you honestly believe we’d go along with your plan to catch a stalker in action by yourself? I don’t understand why she volunteered and assured us she’d stick with you, and then turn around and leave. A grey pick-up dropped her off.”

“That would be her stepdad.”

“I don’t give a fuck if it was the Pope.” She looked around and then lowered her voice. “I swear that girl has the intelligence of a half-inflated balloon. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted her with you.”

I swallowed and rolled my lips together.

It wasn’t unreasonable to me that Layla needed to speak with her stepfather sooner or later. I couldn’t tell Roxxi that, though. Layla wouldn’t have either. “I’m sure she had a reason for it.”

“Don’t try and defend her.” Roxxi’s glare sharpened. “Jesus, Sanj, you’d give roaches a second chance to invade if they looked sad enough.”

My nose wrinkled. “Ew, no. You know I hate bugs. I’d burn this whole house down the second I spotted one.”

Behind her, I saw Nick and Xander exiting the gym, freshly showered and laughing about something.

“Come on, Vixen,” Nick called out as he passed her, flashing a grin.

“What were you three doing?”

“Working out,” Roxxi replied sweetly—too sweetly. Then her smile faded. “Listen, Sanj. I don’t know what her deal is, but she’s rubbed me the wrong way for weeks now.”

“Rox, she’s dealing with a lot.”

“Busting it wide open for her father figure can’t be her excuse for everything.”

“Roxxi!” I gasped. How did she know about that?

From behind her, Xander laughed louder. “Woah. Who’s fucking their dad?”

“Look, it’s fine, okay?” I cut in quickly, gathering the rest of my things. “I’m getting ready to go now. I can be there in five.”

“Is that our Sanj?” Nick’s face appeared over her shoulder, and he leaned closer to the screen. “Sanj! Where are you?”

“I’m on my way,” I muttered, sliding into my shoes.

Roxxi turned her head to address the boys. “Where’d Ryder go?” Then to me: “Text when you get here.”

She ended our connection, and the screen switched back to my lock screen, a photo of our entire friend group when we went on our haunted house spree last fall.

Xander had been the one holding the phone out, but his arm wasn’t even in the shot.

I sighed, shoved my cell into my bag, and headed for the door.

The moment I stepped outside, the cold nipped at my face.

I tugged my sweater tighter around me after I turned both locks and then descended the front steps.

Cloe’s Range was gone. Ari’s Lexus sat next to my car, and I could just make out the silver curve of Roxxi’s Benz through the garage door, parked beside her bike that was out of sight.

I would’ve ridden with them if not for my brilliant plan that I was now second-guessing.

I climbed into my car, tossed my bag into the passenger seat, and tapped the push-start.

The engine hummed to life, and I immediately regretted not letting it warm up first. The cold leather sent a shock straight through my sweatpants.

My dad used to warm the car up for me before school when I lived at home. Such a small thing, but God, I missed it. I missed my whole family. I couldn’t wait to see everyone that weekend. I’d still be in Hemlock Heights, but far enough from campus to feel like I could breathe and think.

I buckled my seatbelt and glanced at the dashboard out of habit.

Gas: full. Tire pressure: perfect. Not a single light was on, and there was a sticker dating from the day Ryder took care of the oil change.

He had a spare key that was meant to be “just in case,” but from the beginning, he’d made use of it.

He rotated the tires, kept the tank topped off, and made sure everything stayed working as it should. He never brought it up afterward.

It was this kind of stuff that would be the hardest to let go of. All the small, steady ways he showed he cared without asking for a thing in return. I checked my mirrors and backed out of the driveway, tires rolling over the smooth, paved slope.

Our neighborhood was still frozen in its usual morning hush.

There were no joggers, dog walkers, or people out on bikes like they tended to be in the afternoons.

I reached the end of the street and flicked on my turn signal, half-lost in thought, when something in my peripheral caught my eye.

I turned my head to see what it was and nearly drove onto the sidewalk.

Someone was standing beneath one of the larger trees, half-concealed in the dappled shade and amber-tinged leaves.

Clad in all black, motionless, and wearing a mask that looked like a demonic take on Ghostface.

The thing was blood-red and horned, the expression twisted into a permanent scream.

Just like at Ashton’s apartment, whoever this asshole was raised a hand and waved.

“What the hell…?” I whispered. Were they trying to scare people in general?

Or had they been waiting for me? They couldn’t have been out here when the girls left.

I corrected the wheel and pressed the gas a little harder, the car surging forward.

I didn’t let up until the figure was swallowed by distance.

In the rearview mirror, I caught one last glimpse of them staring after my car.

It had been my idea to see how closely we were being watched.

Now I knew.

Crowsfell Campus wasn’t far, but every second of the remaining drive felt like a marathon.

I kept scanning sidewalks and front lawns.

I was convinced that at every corner, I’d see another Huntsman hiding in plain sight.

It was only mildly comforting that I hadn’t attracted a random stalker, that this wasn’t spontaneous.

Instead, I’d been assigned one. Or if the note from the night prior was to be trusted, a few.

I hated not knowing who.

I didn’t know the rules of this game beyond what me and the girls had started reading up on at dinner.

Last year, The Hunt seemed like nothing more than a glorified dare.

A twisted tradition that happened to other people.

I hadn’t taken it seriously. None of us had, and now it was going to bite us in the ass.

Not soon enough, I pulled into the student lot and parked in my assigned space, which seemed especially far this morning.

I shut the car off and grabbed my phone, opening my and the girls’ group chat, typing out what I saw, and letting them know that I was there.

I would’ve called them, but seeing the time, the first bell had rung, and they would be on their way to class.

I was mid-sentence describing the mask when a new message lit up my screen from an odd number I didn’t recognize.

1031

The least you could do was wave back.

You can't deny we could have something special.

My stomach dropped. These people could text us? Watching wasn’t enough; we had to deal with them trying to converse, too? I swallowed and stared at the message, heart thudding. I typed back, fingers tight over the screen.

Should probably tell me who you are under that mask of yours first.

It was dumb, but I needed to say something.

The reply came back fast.

1031

Don't bother trying to guess who's behind the mask.

All that matters is how I'm going to make you feel.

Yeah… I hadn’t expected that to work, but I wasn’t expecting a response like this either.

I screenshot the message, then blocked the number and marked it as spam.

No way in hell was I leaving an open line of communication between me and some anonymous guy whose sole purpose was to Hunt me.

I forwarded the screenshot to the girls, then elbowed the car door open and stepped out.

The cold wrapped around me again, worse than earlier, after being in the heat for a few minutes.

I tugged my sweater sleeves down, trying to shake off the lingering chill, and leaned back in to grab my bag from the passenger seat.

“Morning, Sassy.”

I jumped, slamming my head against the car’s roof with a loud thud as my heart fell into my stomach. “Ow!” I hissed, clutching the spot with one hand.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Ryder laughed. He stepped in without hesitation, arms circling me. His fingers brushed through my hair until they found the sore spot. He rubbed it gently, soothing the sting. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

My exhale had a chilled puff forming in the air. “You always sneak up on me.”

“Just keeping you on your toes,” he joked, looking down at me. His eyes held more warmth than the sun ever managed.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days.” I rubbed my head again, more out of embarrassment than pain. I hated how jumpy I was.

He let go of me and stepped back, but his eyes never left my face, his grin fading. “What’s wrong?”

I should have known he’d key into something being off the second he saw me.