Page 28 of Ink & Stardust

“Wouldn’t miss it,” I promise.

“Miss cheering on our favorite Cavalier. Not a chance,” Char agrees.

“Speaking of games, are you planning on going to the football game next Saturday?” Maisie asks, looking between the two of us.

“I wasn’t planning on it. Why?”

“I just... thought it might be fun.” Maisie shrugs.

“You thought it might be fun, or you want to go see Macallan?” Char turns, giving her a pointed look.

“Macallan?” I arch a brow in Maisie’s direction. “The guy you hooked up with a few weeks ago? I didn’t realize you two were a thing.”

“We aren’t.”

“But she wants them to be,” Char teases.

“Will you shut up?” Maisie fires back, crinkling her nose at Charlotte.

“I’m just saying what you don’t want to admit,” she singsongs.

“I’m going to suffocate you with your pillow while you sleep,” she warns, humor lacing her words.

“Well, that just got dark.” I laugh, grabbing my phone when it starts vibrating against my desk.

I can feel every ounce of color drain from my face when the all-too-familiar number stares back at me. I deleted his contact, but that doesn’t keep me from knowing exactly who it is.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

My brain struggles to keep up withwhyhe, of all people, would be calling me.

I stare at the phone like it’s a snake rearing back, ready to strike.

“Lyric?”

I glance up to see concern tugging at Maisie’s features.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” I decline the call, then drop the phone face down on my desk as I try to breathe through the sudden wave of panic clawing at my back.

“You sure?” Charlotte asks. “Because you don’t look okay.”

“Just... Someone I wasn’t expecting to hear from. It’s fine.”

My roommates exchange a look.

“It was Leo, wasn’t it?” Maisie guesses right.

I nod only once, swallowing hard.

They both know about Leo, obviously. Though I’ve only ever given them a condensed version of what happened.

“What can we do?” Char is quick to jump into action. “North Carolina isn’tthatfar. We could be there and back before anyone even knows we’re gone. I’ve never buried a body before, but there’s a lot of ground to work with between here and there.”

Laughter gurgles in my throat.

“I’m in,” Maisie agrees. “I’ve watched enough true crime to get away with murder.”

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