Page 63 of Keeping The Virgin

“I don’t understand. It’s not funny.”

She continues. “My mind is never going to recover from those pictures of all the panting people going at it with each other on that site. Voyeurism so isn’t my scene.”

Is shejoking?

I’m too stunned to cry now. “I said those things because they’re true, Lacey. Did you actually click on the links I gave you?”

“Of course. At first. Then I couldn’t help looking around at the rest until I wanted to gag.”

“Try those links again.”

There’s silence, and I’m pretty sure Lacey is doing what I asked.

“Nope,” she says. “The links themselves don’t work. Don’t you think the joke’s getting old, Kar?”

“Wait. Tell me what you mean by ‘they don’t work.’”

“All they do is lead to pages that say ‘content unavailable.’”

What?

My pulse patters as I review my texts then click on the first link I sent to Lacey.

And my sister isn’t kidding. The links aren’t functioning.

My head spins. Maybe this is only temporary and life is playing its own sick joke on me by extending this nightmare. Or can it be that Liam sent me fake links to screw with me?

So why did they work when I first tried them?

“Karini?” Lacey asks.

I don’t know what to do, so I start to laugh.

“Karini!” she scolds. “This is so lame!” But she’s starting to laugh anyway, as if I’ve really pulled one over on her.

I go with it…at least for now.

“Gotcha,” I say.

“Wow, you had me going. Are you drinking or something? Because there is some warped stuff on there.”

As I wipe the last of the tears and snot from my face with a tissue, I try clicking on those links again and again, but each time, they don’t work.

Then I get angry, because Liam obviously did do something to mess with me. But if he thinks it’s going to get me to pay him more money, he’s sadly mistaken.

I collapse on my bed and sleep the sleep of the damned for the rest of the night. I wake up only a few times after having the same nightmare featuring my naked pictures flashing on the infamously massive Times Square marquee while Cage stands below it.

And, every time, his face is blank and emotionless until he turns his back on me.

* * *

I rise earlyand go straight to the computer, testing the links again.

Huh. They’re still not working, and Liam hasn’t texted or called me. Should I fall into his trap and text him to see what the hell he was trying to do?

I know that I’m not going to be able to get anything done with my class work or attend school itself unless I know.

What’s going on? The links don’t work.

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