Page 16 of Deadly Secrets

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I didn’t know why I was so nervous. I’d changed my outfit twice before deciding on a sleek black knit dress with an open back that snugly embraced my figure, featuring a straight neckline and delicate straps. My hair was down with loose, beachy waves. I finished my look with natural but glossy makeup, my favorite Gucci T-Strap block heel sandals in black, and a small black leather hobo handbag. First impressions were always important, and I wanted to look my best to feel extra confident tonight.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but notice how much I looked like my mother. I guessed I had never stopped to think about it too much, but after my parents’ tragic death, all I could think about was the many moments like this one that I would have loved to share with her and get her advice. I stopped my train of thought, or I would otherwise ruin my makeup.

I left my apartment around ten-thirty with the goal of being fashionably late. It was a fifteen-minute walk from Aster Hall to Banbury Hall, so I took my AirPods out of my bag and played music from one of my Spotify playlists. “Beg for You” by Charli XCX feat. Rina Sawayama was playing when I arrived at the party—that song always put me in the right mood.

The place looked amazing, and it was packed. Balloons were everywhere, and disco lights illuminated the space. I could feel the music in my chest. The dance floor was full of students, and a huge sign said, “Welcome to Stanford.” Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

I wasn’t going to text Noah yet because I didn’t want to look desperate, so my best option was to get a drink. I made my way through the crowd and hit the bar, but as much as I tried to get the attention of any of the servers, none of them looked my way while I stood there waving my hand like an idiot. It looked like all of them ignored me on purpose.

“I think they proactively ignore you unless you have a dick between your legs. I’ve been standing here for five minutes longer than you, and nothing. That guy arrived one minute ago and is already holding a whiskey and Coke.”

The voice came from the girl standing to my right. She was slightly taller than me, with long blond hair, bright baby-blue eyes, and a doll’s face. She was stunning—showstopping pretty.

“HEY PRINCESS, CAN WE ORDER OUR DRINKS NOW?” she called out to a brunette server flirting with two guys. She was loud and reminded me of Sarah. I liked her already.

“I’m Sienna Moore. What’s your name?”

“Maggie Towerby. Nice to meet you, Sienna.” We shook hands.

When Maggie finally got our drinks—gin and tonic for me, of course, and rum and Coke for her—we headed to a place at the back of the party where we could talk.

“Are you a freshman, too?” Maggie asked.

“Yes. I arrived a few days ago. I haven’t done much aside from decorating my dorm. I’m staying at Aster Hall. And you?”

“I arrived two days ago. I’m at Greenhill Hall, which is the only one I could afford with my budget because I’m on a scholarship. It’s across campus, but it’s super nice and clean.”

“Wow! A scholarship. You must be super smart. That’s awesome,” I beamed.

We spent a good forty-five minutes talking about Stanford and the lives we just left behind. I didn’t tell her much because I didn’t want to kill the vibe with my drama, but I told her that I was from New York, that I was currently living at Aster Hall, and my major. Maggie mentioned that she was actually from Queens and a freshman pursuing a major in chemical engineering. Although we had different schedules with only one lecture in common, it was a relief to have at least a familiar face around on Wednesdays. The more we talked, the more I realized we had a lot of things in common. She was very easy to talk to. She was telling me all about her first couple of days at Stanford when I saw Noah approaching us. He wore blue jeans and a military green shirt; the sleeves were rolled up just below his elbows, showing off some muscle. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, and as he got closer to us, all I could think about was how much I wanted to thread my fingers through his just-got-fucked hair.

“Should I feel offended that you didn’t text me?” he mocked, placing his right hand on my exposed lower back and bringing his mouth to my ear. “You look fantastic, Sienna. I have been thinking about you the whole day.”

I felt my cheeks flush.

I didn’t know how to respond, so I opted for the easiest way out.

“This is Maggie; we’ve just met. Maggie, this is Noah…we met this morning at Bluebird Book Shop. He invited me to the party.”

From the moment I made the introduction, Maggie unleashed an unstoppable torrent of questions upon Noah. I knew nothing about him, so witnessing her intense questioning was an unexpected delight.

“So you’re originally from Chicago, but your mother was born and raised in Washington, and your dad is from Tokyo?” Maggie was on a mission.

“Yes, your honor,” Noah replied.

It seemed that love had blossomed between his parents during one of his father’s business trips to the United States, and the rest, as they say, was history. Noah, a sophomore, aspired to graduate with a political science major.

I smothered a few giggles at his uncomfortable expression. Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated such a thorough interrogation. Noah was funny and charming, cracking jokes and answering all of Maggie’s questions.

“Do you want to ask me about my favorite sex position too?”

I snorted, spitting out half of my drink through my nose.

Noah leaned in closer and whispered, “Do you find the question funny, princess? I hope you’re not too attached to this dress because before the night is over, I’m ripping it off you and bending you over. So yes, you’ve guessed right. Doggy style is my favorite position.”

My heart began to beat like crazy inside my chest, and all the blood from my body rushed to my face. The room suddenly felt too hot. Maggie noticed and frowned. I prayed she hadn’t heard what he’d said to me, but the subtle smirk beginning to form on her lips hinted that she might have an inkling. The three of us kept talking for about half an hour when Noah suddenly yelled at someone behind me.

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