Page 25 of Deceit

Laughing at my amazingly sexual friend I turn to step away from the fire, already sweating from the direct heat. Maybe a sweater actually wasn’t the best idea for a bonfire. I’m moving through a crowd of people when a familiar face pops-up in front of me. Her sleek black hair and bright blue eyes are nearly unforgettable, as well as the mental image of her naked body lying on my bed with Asher on top of her.

“Hey! You’re Skyla, right?” she slurs slightly, swaying a bit as she holds her drink a little higher like it will somehow counter her center of gravity.

I nod, but don’t say anything, and that’s okay because her drunken rambling continues.

“I’m Bridgetteee,” she exaggerates, before giggling to herself. “We met earlier this week.”

I give her a tight smile as I nod again. “I remember, you were bent over my bed.”

She snickers at that, covering her mouth as she nods.

“Sorry about that. You know how it is, when Asher Putnam asks you to jump, you fling yourself right off the bridge.”

I actually can’t relate to that statement, at all. I’m not sure I would willingly do a single thing for Asher Putnam. I give her a polite nod but take a step to the side, ready to be done with whatever this is. Her hand whips out, those long nails digging into my forearm as she holds me back.

“Wait, I wanted to say I’m sorry and hopefully we can start fresh. I swear, I’m not the bitch I seem to be. I just like him,” she says softly, a hint of vulnerability peeking through the drunken haze.

I shrug at that. “Well, you can have him. Honestly, I have zero interest.”

She laughs, like I just told the most hilarious joke, before she stares at me like I’ve grown a second head. It looks like she’s about to say something before she shakes her head.

“Have you been to the spot yet?”

“The spot?” I question with a shake of my head.

She rolls her eyes before practically squealing. “Oh my godddd. C’mon. You have to come check it out, it’s like a tradition for new students.”

I frown at that and look over my shoulder to see Maggie making out with the girl she was just dancing with. Damn, she moves fast.

Bridgette’s hold on me is practically iron clad and her coordination isn’t all that bad considering we are walking through grass and she’s wearing heels, obviously drunk off her ass. We quickly round a corner behind a building before coming up to an iron gate. There is a sign above it that says, ‘Gallows Hill Cemetery’.

A chill runs down my spine as we cross the threshold, goosebumps immediately erupting over my skin. My feet begin to drag, suddenly not as willing to follow this drunk girl into a wooded cemetery.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“I told yous,” she slurs. “The spot!”

I want to shake her stupid drunk self and tell her she didn’t answer my question, as we weave around the graves surrounding us. My eyes catch on a few of the dates from the headstones.

1692, 1693, 1695.

My god, these graves have been here for over three hundred years. Part of me is completely fascinated that this cemetery is so old, especially considering its nearly immaculate condition. A bigger part of me is completely creeped out by the fact that the college has a three-hundred-year-old cemetery on campus.

We walk a little further before I see a tiny bright red light in the middle of the darkness, at least that’s what it looks like. As we get closer my eyes adjust, and I realize it’s the end of a cigarette. The owner of said cigarette is instantly recognizable, and I don’t even try to hide my irritation.

“What are you doing out here, Princess?” Asher draws out lazily, taking a large inhale as Liam smiles at me beside him.

“She was showing me the spot,” I say as Bridgette pulls us to a stop, giving Asher unashamed goo-goo eyes.

Asher nods, as he pushes off the headstone he was leaning up against, unfolding himself to his full height as he looks at the ground in front of him. He pulls the cigarette from his mouth and grabs a beer bottle from the floor, twisting the cap open before he speaks.

“Looks like you found it.”

I frown at that, looking down at what I can now tell is an empty grave. It looks to be the size for a coffin, but appears to have been dug years ago based on the dirt and surrounding grass. Asher closes the distance between us, stopping inches before me as he rests his free hand on my shoulder.

“Wha—”

My words are cut off as Asher shoves my shoulder– hard. The ground literally slips out from underneath my feet as my body falls right into the hole, landing with a rough smack into the dirt. Cackling comes from above, and I have to push the dirt away from my eyes to look up and see Bridgette smiling down at me with an evil smirk.

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