Page 49 of Wicked Games

Anyway.

We survive—rather,Isurvive—first period. Although as soon as students from that class get released into the halls, it seems like the gossip mill once again churns.

Riley meets me at her locker before lunch, and I clutch her hands.

“Where were you this morning?” I ask.

She wrinkles her nose. “Caleb made a convincing argument.”

“He took the coffee from you, didn’t he?” I smack my forehead. Coffee that, in the end, I didn’t get to drink.

My stomach rumbles, but I was planning on talking to Riley on the way to school. Now, my dream comes roaring back to the forefront of my mind.

“I had a weird dream,” I tell her. “And I can’t figure out what’s real and what’s my imagination.”

“What was it about?”

“My mom and an older Caleb arguing, then Caleb and I were in a field, and then I was in my room…” I shake my head. “I feel like I’m misremembering.”

That’s how dreams work. Let them sit in your brain long enough, and the finer details slip away.

We pause at the doors to the library.

“What were they arguing about?” she asks.

“I couldn’t hear.”

“An older Caleb—like his dad?”

I flinch. Why didn’t I think of that? “Oh my God.”

She bounces on her heels. “Okay, okay, so your mom and Caleb’s dad probably argued at some point. Maybe you overheard it or saw them and didn’t really understand? Or maybe you did understand and it scared you.”

I hesitate. She wasreallyangry in the dream. Angry when she burst into my room, too.

“You’re having memory issues surrounding why you left, right?” Riley presses.

I don’t want to think about that.

“Caleb stopped by last night.”

And I left the bracelet on the dresser. Didn’t even think about grabbing it this morning, even though my wrist feels shockingly bare without it. He didn’t mention anything about it in the car.

“He wanted me to forgive him,” I add.

Riley snorts. “Don’t.”

“I’m not going to.” Even if he knows exactly how to touch me.

“And what did Amelie want? I’m sorry I didn’t go with you, I just… I don’t trust that girl. You didn’t agree to do anything with her, right?”

“Um, no.” I make a face. “She was encouraging me to dump Caleb and tell her what I remember. And… you know those texts I showed you at the beginning of the school year?”

She tilts her head. “The creepy ones from the blocked number.”

“Yeah. Well, they didn’t stop.”

“Margo Wolfe! You never said.”

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