Page 72 of Darling Beasts

He’d reached the end of the list, deleting every missive from Gabby along the way. Ozzie wondered how long it’d taken her to notice he was gone.Just as you wanted, sis. Enjoy!

Tomorrow he’d list the apartment. Ozzie didn’t know how much to expect, not even ballpark, because he’d never paid attention to real estate prices, or the price of anything, really. With any luck, the sale would cover the mortgage and the loan he took out to redecorate, with a chunk left over for the IRS. If worse came to worst, he’d take his lumps and bunk with Uncle Doug. Ozzie survived Canyonside, and honestly, Otisville seemed better. Their shoes probably weren’t hidden. Inmates probably weren’t thrown down concrete stairs.

After blindly scrolling through his phone, Ozzie opened Instagram. He bypassed the notifications (only five), went into Accounts Center, and clicked around to Deactivation and Deletion. Ozzie hovered, reconsidering for a moment before hitting Delete.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Gabby

A muffled yelp startled me awake. I sprang up in bed, heart thundering, a blanket held against my chest. Talia laughed, and I exhaled in relief.Talking to Spencer, I thought, checking the time. Or not. It was past four o’clock in the morning on the East Coast.

I wiggled back under the sheets, careful not to disturb the loudly snoring dog beside me. It’d taken me forever to fall asleep and here I was again, thinking about Ozzie, doing impossible math in my head. Maybe I could come up with the money. I owned my home free and clear, and Sydney had mentioned a home equity loan before. Dad was always pressuring me to “develop a banking relationship,” and I wish I’d listened.

Talia cackled. I flipped onto my side with a huff. The problem with helping Ozzie get right with the Feds was that he wasn’t responding to any of my calls or texts. He must’ve also blocked me on social media because I couldn’t find any of his accounts.

Talia made another noise. I swung my feet onto the floor, ready to wake up that girl from her sleep-shrieking. As I stood, her voice crescendoedand oh my God that’s an orgasm, I suddenly realized, hurling myself back onto my bed. “Gross,” I cried, holding a pillow over my head. “Gross, gross, gross.” She was awake, and doing phone sex, apparently.

Five minutes passed. Ten. Carefully I lifted the pillow. The frolicking had ended, replaced by a dull murmur. As I closed my eyes, a second laugh rang out. A male’s, and I’d recognize that hesitant, Woody Woodpecker titter anywhere.Oh, God. It was Raj.

I scooted back under the sheets, as far as I could go, taking literal cover from this unnatural disaster. I’d suspected my sister harbored a small crush on Raj, but she was a flirt and got crushes on everybody because (sorry) she liked attention. When Talia had said they were going to the Padres game, I’d found it strange but said nothing because I was happy not to be asked. Did Talia get handsy after one too many beers? I hoped this wouldn’t constitute sexual harassment.

I sat up again, certain I was about to throw up. This couldn’t continue. I had to dosomething, though it was too late to do anything now. I lay back down and tried to sleep. Dawn could not come soon enough.

***

It was nine o’clock in New York. Too early, perhaps, but I had to try. Spencer picked up on the first ring.

“Gabby! Did something happen?” he said, audibly panicked. “Talia hasn’t responded to any of my texts. Don’t tell me there was another hot-air balloon fiasco?”

“No. I mean, yes.” I shook my head, angry at myself for not considering what it might feel like to look at your phone early on a Sunday morning and see the name of someone who’d never called you before. “Hot-air balloons are permanently off the table. And yes. Talia is okay. Everyone’s fine.”

Spencer exhaled. “Thank God. Sorry I was so freaked out. What’s up?”

I hesitated, weighing my words. I wasn’t going to rat out my sister but had to put a stop to this. Cheating was bad, and Iknew Talia was in it for the wrong reasons. Attention, mostly. Meanwhile, Raj probably couldn’t believe his luck.

Raj and Talia, I thought, mentally spitting. It was absolutely disgusting on both of their parts, but I was also confused by my own reaction. Why did I care so hard? It’s not as though I liked Spencer. I usually made it a point not to judge other people’s love interests—because who really knew?—but Spencer had the personality of a brick. All I’d gleaned about him over the past two years was that he adored a puffer vest and attended UVA. He referenced being “in Charlottesville” so often, I sometimes wondered if he meant at Charlottesville, as in the event, but there was no delicate way to ask one’s sister if the man she loved was a white supremacist.

In sum, I wasn’t a fan, so whynotRaj and Talia? Probably because I viewed Raj as a brother figure, so obviously the idea of him hooking up with my sister was vile. Also, Talia loved Spencer. This much I knew. I would therefore step in forherbenefit. Despite what Ozzie believed, Ididwant to help my siblings.

“This will seem random,” I began, my voice cracking. “But the campaign has been a real stress pit—”

“Yeah, Talia’s super grumpy.”

“Mmm-hmm. Yes. Totally. And I want to do something nice for her. She’s working so hard! I was thinking... Dad’s hosting a party a week from Friday, and it might be a fun surprise if you came out.”

Spencer coughed. He sputtered. “You’re asking. Me. To go to California. In less than two weeks?” I could practically hear him scratching his head. “Why? Why would I do that when lately it’s like she’s fallen off the face of the earth? I’ve sent her...” He paused to check. “Eight texts over the past twenty-four hours, and she hasn’t answered one of them.”

“Yikes.” I swallowed—hard—and cringed all the way to my bones. All the way to the marrow, in fact.Friggin’ Raj. “She wasat the Padres playoff game so maybe that explains it?” Thank God he couldn’t see my face.

“Okay but it’s deeper than that. She never picks up when I call and only answers one out of every five or six texts. Did you know we were supposed to be in Italy right now?”

“Um.” I cleared my throat. The situation was worsening by the minute. “No. She didn’t mention it? But don’t worry! My dad will be out of the race any day. I’m sure you can get to Italy by the end of the year.”

“I’d planned to propose,” he said, and the admission sucked all the wind from my lungs.God, Talia, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be the reliable one.“Had the ring and everything. Then she dropped the campaign on me and took off. I don’t know what to think. I do want to see her but are you sure she even wants me in San Diego?”

“Yes! Totally!” I sensed his convictions were faltering and pumped my fist in victory. This must’ve been how Ustenya felt when I agreed to join the campaign. “I swear she misses yousomuch,” I said. “Misses you like you wouldn’t believe.”

Spencer sighed. “Can I think about it?”

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