Page 116 of Wicked Dreams

Just a theory, though. Amelie is seventeen and on the cusp of graduating high school. Surely her parents wouldn’t do anything before the end of the school year.

Either way, it’s not my fucking problem. I crouch and meet her tear-filled gaze. “Who found me?”

Amelie pushes to her feet, glaring at me. “Who do you think?”

I shake my head. There’s only one person who Amelie would know about… one person with whom Amelie would know I don’t want involvement.

“Get out,” I snap.

“But—”

“No buts, Amelie.” Anger floods through me, and I shift to make sure I’m not blocking her exit. I don’t want her to touch me when she rushes out of here. “If you don’t leave right now, you’re going to wish you never set foot in here.”

Ever the high-society princess, she turns up her nose at me. “Don’t worry, Caleb. I already wish that.”

She stomps past me, up the stairs, and slams the front door shut behind her. It resounds through the house, and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

What the fuck is her problem?

Eli comes down a split second later, whistling. “Wow. You doing Amelie behind Margo’s back?”

I grunt. “Fuck, no.”

“Then what did she want?”

I shake out my limbs. I need to go to the gym, work off some of this sudden anxious energy.She could ruin everything.

“Caleb.” Eli waves his hand in front of my face. “What did Amelie want?”

“To warn me,” I reply dryly. “Pretty sure she was looking for any excuse to come down here.”

Eli laughs. “Yeah, man. Sure. Warn you about what?”

I heave a sigh. May as well tell him. After all, I pretty much owe him for the rest of my life. Oh, but he’s going to freak out.

“If you say a word of this to anyone, I’ll kill you.”

He nods. He’s used to my threats—takes them in stride and thinks something is off when I don’t threaten him.

“Margo’s mom is back in town,” I say.

She’s been gone for so long… Almost as long as her daughter.

Eli pales. He knows the history. He got the story from me, in bits and pieces as I learned it over time. I never keep anything from him.

“She’s going to get in the way.” I shake out my hand to keep from punching the wall. “I told her?—”

“Doesn’t matter what you told her, man,” he interrupts. “You’re going to find out what she wants and escort her the fuck back out of Rose Hill.”

Yeah. Because it’sthateasy.

If she finds out about Margo…

Game over.

Chapter 27

Margo

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