Page 16 of Written in the Stars
Brendon ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I should leave you two to your breakfast, but be on the lookout for a text from Darcy, okay? She said she’ll be in touch.”
For a moment, Elle’s chest swelled with a strange surge of something that felt suspiciously like hope. Hadsheread the situation wrong? Maybe—
No.
There was no way. It just wasn’t possible.
That didn’t mean Elle didn’t have questions. Darcy had some explaining to do. She owed Elle that much.
Elle pasted on a smile. “Not if I text her first.”
Chapter Four
Steam wafted off the top of Darcy’s mug, tickling her nose as she brought the ceramic to her lips. Her eyes shut as she sipped then let out a contented sigh, her body sinking deeper into the couch cushion.
Bliss. Her apartment was silent, her coffee just this side of scalding, and she had nowhere she needed to be for the entire weekend. Two whole days where she could do what she wanted, when she wanted. No pointless dates or Brendon complaining she was behaving like a homebody.
Darcy cracked open an eye and glared at the coffee table. At herphone, which was dancing its way across the surface of her coffee table, vibrating noisily.
UNKNOWN NUMBER (11:24 A.M.):you have some explaining to do
Darcy wrinkled her nose and swiped at the screen, quickly tapping in her passcode with her thumb.
DARCY (11:26 A.M.):I think you have the wrong number.
After pressing send, Darcy spared a moment to consider what sort of explaining this person who wascertainlynot her had to do and to whom. Was it a lovers’ spat? Some kid about to get a stern talking-to from a parent? Darcy set her phone down beside her. Not her problem.
Against her hip, her phone buzzed, the screen lighting up.
UNKNOWN NUMBER (11:29 A.M.):do i darcy?
What the hell?Darcy sat up, swiping at the screen.
DARCY (11:31 A.M.):Who is this?
She stared, watching those three little dots dance. In the meantime, she performed a quick mental inventory of who it could possibly be.
Brendon was saved into her phone alongside a truly awful photo of his sixteen-year-old self, crashed out on the couch, drooling, pizza sauce smeared on his chin. Her parents were saved, filed under their respective first names. She had Annie’s number, and her boss never texted.Never. Then there was... well, that was it. Mostly. Aside from acquaintances who may or may not have had her number. Her texting sphere was small, selective.Curated. Darcy’s lips tightened at the edges. Of course, there was always the chance it was— No. She’d blocked Natasha’s number a long time ago.
UNKNOWN NUMBER (11:36 A.M.):your worst nightmare
Her grip tightened, fingers accidentally smashing the volume button on the side of her phone making the thing beep loudly in her fist. Darcy’s pulse mimicked the surge, leaping in her throat.What the actual fuck?
Thumb trembling as it hovered over the keyboard, Darcy spared an instinctive glance at the front door, double-checking that it was locked. The dead bolt was bolted, the chain was latched, and she was apparently testing the limits of her ability to overreact. Between last night’s door-pounding debacle with Brendon and this, she needed to get a grip, even if that text was creepy as hell.
Primed to block the number and move on with her life, another message appeared before she could pull the trigger.
UNKNOWN NUMBER (11:39 A.M.):ok that sounded kinda serial killer-ish
UNKNOWN NUMBER (11:39 A.M.):which im not
Because that’s not exactly what some psycho with a butcher’s knife would say.
UNKNOWN NUMBER (11:40 A.M.):which is totally what a serial killer would say
UNKNOWN NUMBER (11:40 A.M.):oops
At least they were a self-aware psycho.
