Page 40 of Wicked Games

He makes it to my doorway before he pauses. He holds something up, but I can’t make it out in the darkness.

“I know you don’t remember, but if you want to… You know where I’ll be.” He tosses it onto my dresser. The object hits with aclunkof metal. The sound is loud enough to travel. He watches me a moment longer, then disappears into the hallway.

No window exits for him, I guess.

My breath catches in my chest. I almost expect the stairs to creak, the front door to slam—something to alert the Bryans of his presence. But he’s a ghost. Here one minute, gone the next.

Tears burn the backs of my eyes, and I touch my chest. The two wet spots left by his saliva. My breasts ache, even when I scrape my nail over my nipple. It sends little zaps straight down to my pussy.

I can’t do this.

I flop backward, mindful of the object taunting me from my dresser.

My hand has a mind of its own. It goes through the mess he left on the lower half of my shirt, my exposed abdomen, between my legs. It eases the path my fingers take, slipping along my clit.

Working myself up again.

One hand over my mouth, the other thrumming between my legs, I tip myself over the edge again, with the memory of Caleb’s mouth on my breast burning in my mind.

I breathe slowly, my muscles trembling, and finally get up from the bed. I close my door and flick the light on. If there’s one thing that must be true, it’s how Caleb Asher knowsexactlyhow to get in my head.

My bracelet sits on the dresser.

He knew where to find it.

He went there for it.

I run my finger over the web of metal, shaking my head. I can’t do this right now. I can’t forgive him.

I leave it where it is and crawl back into bed. I don’t have the energy to try to deal with Caleb’s mental games. After everything that’s happened today, my mind hasn’t stopped spinning.

My conversation with Amelie about Caleb’s meddling… she thinks I shouldn’t let him get away with it. Well, I won’t.

And then the more devastating piece of news: Savannah texted him the picture.

My eyes pop open again. I can’t believe that I forgot about it.Savannah is Unknown.

I should’ve suspected her sooner.

I sit up and grab my phone, scrolling through past messages with Unknown. I linger on the picture of Ian and me. Is it true? Does Savannah have that big of a vendetta against me that she’d try to ruin my life—and threaten me to stay away from Caleb?

She was at the party where the video was taken. And while she had some noticeable absences from school, I’m pretty sure shewasthere the day Ian dragged me into the woods.

It makes sense, too. She didn’t like that I came back and never hid the fact. She could’ve driven by and seen me arriving at the Bryans’ house.

How she got my number would be another question, though.

And how she’s kept up the façade in school.

But has she? She’s never hidden the fact that she doesn’t like me.

I put my phone on the nightstand, flopping back.

The suspects include: Amelie, Savannah, and Ian.

Yes, Ian, even though he was the oneinthe picture. He could’ve paid someone to take it and send it to Caleb. He could’ve paid Savannah.

Caleb should be included, too. His whole friend group is on my suspect list. Any of them could want me to stay away from him for his own sake. For his sanity.

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