Page 140 of Brutal Prince

She tried calling, and sent two messages while I was in the kitchen helping Marigold.

I listen to her voice mail first.

“Hey, where are you?” Her words are almost illegible over the bass thump-thump-thumping in the background. “Call me!”

The first message came in a few minutes after her voice mail, and reads:

Where are you?

The second, about thirty minutes later.

?

Shit. Well, I’m kinda glad she decided to turn on her phone again, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. When I try and phone her… her phone’s off again.

I hesitate for a second, and then send a message back to whoever sent me the image for the invitation to Dylan’s party.

I’m running late - Indi.

I send it before I can second guess myself and squeeze my hand around the key buried in my palm.

That’s when the stairs start creaking. My eyes go wide.

Marigold’s coming to check on me.

I rush over to my bed and jump under the covers. I manage to tug them up to my neck just as my bedroom door opens.

“Indi?” Marigold whispers. “You still awake?”

I remain motionless, and force my chest to rise and fall like a sleeping person’s would.

Marigold stays at the doorway for a few seconds before she closes the door and leaves. From the sound of her footsteps, she’s headed for her room.

Holy hell, that was close.

I sit up, and jerk in surprise when my phone starts ringing.

Addy.

“Hey,” I whisper, hunkering down beside my bed as if Marigold’s suddenly developed super-human hearing.

“Indi?” Addison yells in my ear. “Can you hear me?”

I cringe, and hurriedly end the call. I’m still busy typing out a message when Addy tries to call again, but I end her call without pausing.

Can’t talk. Just text.

I send the message and wait, my lip getting another round of nibbles as time stretches out like taffy.

Addy: You still coming?

Indi: Have to sneak out. No dress, no makeup, no shoes.

Addy: What size?

But I already know Addy’s twice my size, bust wise, height wise — practically everything wise. I send her my measurements anyway — for all I know, she has a baby sister that likes glitzy ball gowns.

Addy: Makeup, yes. Shoes, yes. Dress - no.

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