Page 52 of Theirs to Ruin

“What if it’s both?” I challenged.

Slowly, she smiled. “Well, I’d say milk him for all he has. Literally.”

“Eww. Gross,” I said, but I said it with a smile on my face. Which I immediately felt guilty about. How could I banter and joke with Bianca when Ava was dead? Shaking my head, I said, “Besides, it’s not like that. He already told me we can’t go there.”

“Then he’s fooling himself.” She paused, her expression turning serious. “Cami…you didn’t fool the cops. Dante came from a direction different from the rest of us, didn’t he?”

I just looked at her, saying nothing.

She sighed. “Don’t worry. I don’t think he did it, either. Killing Ava and leaving her body in the river wouldn’t be his style. He’d bury her someplace no one would ever find her.”

I frowned at my sister.That was so not helpful.

“So how long before Kage brings you a get-well gift?”

“Don’t joke about that. His sister just died and I’m probably Kage’s number one suspect. If he visits me, it will be for answers or to kill me.” Worse than the threat of death, the thought that Kage might blame me for Ava made me feel nauseous.

She shrugged. “If he wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already. That tells me he doesn’t think you did it.”

God, I hoped she was right.

“Can we stop talking about him?”

Bianca sighed. “Okay. So what crappy show do you want to watch on television?”

“You don’t need to stay,” I told her. “You should get some rest.”

“Don’t be silly. This chair is perfectly comfortable to sleep in.”

I snorted. “Liar. You did not sleep in a nasty chair all night.”

Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. “I did. I couldn’t leave you. I was so scared, Cami.”

I reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. “I was scared, too. So scared. Does Elise?—”

Bianca shook her head. “Dad and I decided not to tell her until we knew more.”

I thought of my sweet younger sister, relieved to know she had no idea what had happened. “We don’t need to tell her at all.”

“I agree. Do you want to talk more about what happened?”

Nightmarish images flashed through my head, and panic coursed through me. Part of me wanted to tell her everything, including that I’d seen Ty, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak his name. I’d been wrong before when I thought I’d seen him on campus. Would Bianca even believe I saw him or would she think I was going crazy? Hell, maybe I was…

“Can we talk about it tomorrow?”

“Of course.” She planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Do you really want me to go?”

“I’ll worry if you stay. And besides, I’m just going to sleep. But come back early?”

“I will. Promise. Love you.” She hugged me, her arms tight and warm and solid around me, and after I told her I loved her too, she was gone.

The hum of the hospital’s central heating and the muted sounds from the corridor outside did little to fill the thick silence engulfing me. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I reached for the silver gift bag I’d set aside when the police were here. Taking a steadying breath, I looked inside. There were several objects, including a couple of crystals, a high-end coloring book and pens, and one perfect Krispy Kreme donut in a box.

They were all things that my mother would bring me when I was sick.

I’d told Dante this during one of our sessions last year, and he’d obviously remembered.

With shaky hands, I pulled out the crystals. I immediately recognized what they were. A piece of crystal quartz sometimes called the “Master Healer.” There was also a black tourmaline, a crystal believed to absorb negative energy and offer grounding and protection to the person who possessed it.

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