Page 60 of The Lies We Tell Ourselves

I had stuff I needed to do, like find my phone, check on Ava and Mal, and finish a calculus assignment. And where was Dillon? I called out his name, but there was no answer. I pushed the sheet down my legs and gingerly slid out of bed. “Dil?” Doubt crept in when I was met by silence. He wouldn’t take my virginity and leave me, would he? I shook my head. He was a top athlete, so was probably doing athletic stuff. I shuddered at the thought.

A nice hot shower would be the best thing to do while I waited for him to come back. I waddled to his bathroom, the ache in my ass only growing more and more apparent, but I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I stepped into the cubicle and turned the water on.

The shower worked its magic. My skin might have been as red as a strawberry, but my muscles were liquefied. I felt lighter as I searched through Dillon’s closet and helped myself to a clean pair of sweats. I had to roll up the waistband so I didn’t trip over them or have a wardrobe malfunction, and they still ended up pooled around my feet. I grabbed a shirt off the floor by his side of the bed, because I wanted to be wrapped in his scent. It made me feel closer to him.

I found my bag discarded on his desk. I don’t remember bringing it with me from the party house, but my world began and ended with Dillon so I’m not surprised. A bomb could have gone off, and I wouldn’t have noticed. As I pulled my phone out, it buzzed in my hand, and the screen lit up.“Oh shit.” Twelve missed calls and twenty texts from Mal and Ava made my good mood plummet.

I clicked into our group chat and died.

Mal

Jamie, where are you?

Mal

Seriously, Jamie, call me!

Mal

Where the hell are you???

Mal

Please. Please call me, Jamie. I’m worried about you.

Ava

FFS angel, let us know you’re alive!

Mal

He’s not at the hospitals or police stations.

Ava

JAMIE!!!!

Hey guys, sorry, my phone died. I will see you soon.

Mal

You better come home soon.

Ava

Thank fuck you’re ok.

It wouldn’t be long until I was back; they could wait a few minutes. I turned my phone off and dropped it in my bag. My gaze snagged on the little black box I’d all but forgotten about. I don’t know what made me do it, but I pulled it out and looked at the USB stick.

“It’s now or never,” I muttered to myself.

I pulled it out and slipped it into Dillon’s laptop on his desk and turned it on. The silver laptop looked brand new, like he’d barely touched it. The screen flashed to life without any password security. I clicked through the menu until I found the right program to assess the USB and clicked on the folder.

It took a couple of minutes until it loaded, and I wondered if we’d go for breakfast or lunch when he got back. That thought died a thousand deaths as my eyes locked on the grainy image on the screen. It was me lying in bed in my dorm. I sucked in a shuddering breath and pressed play. My stomach churned as the minutes ticked by. Ice sheeted my skin, and I was cold to the marrow of my bones as I watched myself and Mal come and go from our room.

My stomach churned when the camera angle changed to one in a different corner of my room, showing me dressing, doing my homework, and playing on my phone. “Oh god. Oh god. Oh—” Vomit surged up my throat. I broke into a run and managed to get the toilet seat up before it rocketed from my mouth. The words “I FOUND YOU!” flashed in red behind my closed eyes, and the world spun off its axis as I flushed hot and cold before another wave of nausea hit.

“Jamie? Where are you, baby?” Dillon’s voice pulled me from unconsciousness. I groaned and pulled myself up from the chilly tile floor where I must have passed out. Why does my mouth taste like ass? Memories hit me, and I stumbled toward the sink. I couldn’t stay here. The USB stick was still in Dillon’s laptop, and I had to go search my room for cameras. With my heart pounding against my ribs like a herd of elephants, I quickly brushed my teeth and slipped out into his room, purposefully keeping my back to him.

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