Page 74 of Wicked Games

She smiles and goes through the synopsis of each one. On the last book, she confesses she hasn’t read it and reads the blurb on the back aloud. When she recites that the heroine has cancer, Riley’s face goes carefully blank for a moment. She keeps reading, then clears her throat and sets it down.

“What was that?” I ask.

“What?”

“The book mentioned cancer, and you reacted weird.”

She chews her lower lip. “Oh, that? Mom had it. But she’s fine now. In remission.” She forces a smile. “She has six-month checkups, but for a while it was a big thing.”

I sit next to her. “The school knew?”

“I missed a lot of school my freshmen year. Someone found out and spread it around that Mom was going to die.”

She pauses.

“Eli, actually.”

I wince. “He told people…?”

“He wasn’t very nice. But she didn’t die, and that humiliating moment faded.”

“Still,” I say under my breath.

“I’m not feeling any of these books. How about a movie and popcorn?”

“Deal.”

And that’s just what we do. We finish off a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream with Robert. Lenora comes home and joins us, murmuring how glad she was to finally be back, and catches the end of the rom-com.

Riley goes to the bathroom, and I step into my room. The curtains are closed, the window firmly shut.

Unexpected disappointment coasts through me, and then relief a moment later.

He had texted me that something came up. Don’t go to the scrimmage game, he said, and then promised we’d do something fun. Then, hissomething.

Hissee you Monday.

Did he do that just so I would die of curiosity? Not knowing where he is or what he’s doing tugs at my brain. It has sinceFriday afternoon. A full twenty-four hours of Caleb being off the radar.

Me

Are you okay?

A single text. Just to check.

He can’t sneak in tonight, not with Riley sharing my bed. Unfortunately, this won’t be the first time I’ve been let down by himnotbreaking into my room.

Stupid heart. Stupid childhood.

Stupid bracelet, glaring at me from my dresser.

I pick it up, intending to put it in my drawer.Out of sight, out of mind. But once it’s in my hand, I can’t let it go. He really did find someone to do a good job. The threads are protected by the cage. For the first time, I think of the irony.

Did he get it?

That we’ve imprisoned each other in a life sentence of heartache.

I keep the bracelet in my fist when Riley finishes in the bathroom, and we trade places. I carefully set it down to brush my teeth and wash my face, but it’s right back in my grip again when I head to bed.

---