Page 27 of Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets

“Are you eavesdropping?” I ask.

He stands, the hood of his black sweatshirt falling back to reveal messy black hair, and shuffles over, taking a seat in the dirt beside me. “Sorry, couldn’t help it. I’m a fixer by nature, and you look upset.”

My face heats. “I-I’m not upset,” I stammer as the rest of the group bursts into laughter. “Now, can you pipe down? We’re missing the story. How are we supposed to kill off whatever characters they’ve created if we don’t even knowwhothey’ve created?”

Tyler smirks. “Fair enough.” But he adds, “Sure you’re okay?”

“Well, now that you mention itagain…” I shake my head. “I’m not talking to you.”

He crosses his arms, head tilted thoughtfully. “You’re not a talks-about-feelings kind of gal, I gather.”

“You’re not a super quick gatherer, I gather.”

He glances around like he’s searching for something in the dirt. “It’s fine. I have time. I just need the notebook where I pretend to write insights about my patients when I’m actually drawing what I think they’d look like as a cat.”

I restrain my smile. “How about you invest all that energy into setting someone’s things on fire? I have the perfect target. First syllablej, second syllablec.”

“Ah,” he says, looking pleased with himself. “Now we’re getting somewhere. You don’t like Jacey.”

“I’m not doing this with you, stranger.”

He rests his chin on a fist. “Tell me more about that.”

“Stranger danger.”

“I’m sensing an age-old grudge. Likely involving a feud over property, perhaps oil.” His brows lift in mock hope.

“You have the gift.”

He grins.

“Let’s just say I’d rather stay up all night and tell myself ghost stories than get in a tent with her.”

He sobers slightly. “She did something pretty terrible to you, huh?”

My insides twist, that sliver of amusement I’d felt a moment ago shredded. If only I felt this way about Jacey because of somethingshe’ddone tome.

“Changed my mind,” I say, turning away. “I’d rather brave the tent than stay here with Mr. Chatty Pants.”

“Hey, I didn’t—”

But I’m already yards away, grabbing my pack off the ground beside Grant’s tent.

I lug it over to Jacey’s tent and unzip the door. Inside, I aim my flashlight at the ground, where her things are spread over the entire floor.

I shove them all to one side and start to pull out my sleeping bag.

“Hey!” comes a shrill voice from behind me. When I turn, a light shines straight into my eyes. “What are you doing?”

I bat the beam of light like it’s a fly. “The better question is, why the hell didn’t you leave me any space?”

“Because I never thought you’d come in here.”

“Where was I supposed to sleep? The fire ring?” I blink until the blurriness fades.

“I mean, I just figured you’d—”

“Defy school policy and sleep in my boyfriend’s tent?”

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