Page 84 of You're To Blame 2

She was telling the truth. The snake almost nipped her. Thank goodness the snake trainer was present.

“Sir, she asked me to meet her somewhere so we could talk.” I walked toward Principal Wade.

“I said meet me in the gym, because I knew it was empty today.”

I glared at her. “Do you hear that? Empty.” I shook my head in disgust.

“Then next thing I knew she was hollering snakes. I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t persuade her to come down so I called you.”

“Good job, Tate.”

“No, he’s lying,” she spewed.

“A man took the snakes away.”

“Sir, there was no one else here.” I motioned my finger in a circle pointing it at my head.

“I am not crazy,” she yelled.

“We’ll view the surveillance footage.”

The principle finally persuaded her to climb down the rope. We sat in his office fifteen minutes later. Rocco was amazing with visual effects. We never saw the snakes in the footage that slithered all over the floor. The trainer removed the snakes in record time. They wouldn’t ever catch him leaving the premises.

Principal Wade found the voodoo doll and the journal detailing a plan to kill Chelsea. Inside the journal that was similar to the one the girls planted in her bedroom, Regina wrote, ‘the voices told me to kill Chelsea so I can have Tate all to myself.’

Who knew Megan had mad skills mimicking others’ handwriting?

Hands stuffed in my navy slacks, I stood off to the side. A doctor from the local mental hospital and two orderlies carried Regina out the principal’s office kicking and screaming.

“You’ll pay for this Tate Forrester. You will pay,” she warned.

A tiny smile tipped at one end of my lips.

I hoped she never saw the light of day. This was the perfect gift. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

∞

Saturday night, Chelsea sat across from me in a tall oversized booth in an exquisite five-star restaurant in Alpharetta. It was the safest place for us to spend time together outside of our condo. We had one less thorn in our sides. Mr. Finch still drove Chelsea around. We didn’t know what Marisa and Mason would try next.

“You look stunning tonight, Chelsea Culver.”

She blushed. “Don’t you look dapper in your gray suit, Tate Forrester.”

“Raise your glass. I’d like to propose a toast.”

She did as I requested. “We have three months remaining then our new life together begins after graduation.”

We clinked our glasses together.

“I can’t wait.”

The waiter placed our meals before us. We thanked him before he stepped away.

“The herbed chicken smells amazing.” She slid her knife through the tender meat then slipped a sliver between her lips. Her eyes closed, and she savored the taste.

My tongue ran over my lips. “Two weeks.”

Her eyes popped open.

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