Page 161 of Devil's Bargain

“I guess now we’ll never know what I look like with pink hair.”

“Trust me,” Dallas says, wrapping her arm around his waist in greeting. “She did you a favor.”

“Oh, she pops up like a jack in the box! Hello, my little one!” Josh puts her in a headlock and rubs his knuckles on her head, making her squeal with laughter.

I wish I could join in, but I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“Emily is waiting for us,” Dallas says to Ben, who nods and gives me a look.

“Meet me outside after school.”

“Sure.”

“I promise you!” he shouts over his shoulder as they walk off.

* * *

Rick.

Maddie clicks her fingers in my face. “Are you listening?”

I tear my gaze away from April’s empty seat. Her friends are all here in the lunch hall, but she’s missing again. “What?”

Maddie sighs. “You’re not eating. You’re not listening.”

Jamie gives me an amused look over Maddie’s shoulder.

I suppress a smile and look at Maddie again. “I’m not hungry.”

“My dad wants to meet you.”

Jamie shakes his head vigorously and slides his finger across his throat in a throat-slitting gesture.

“Why does he want to meet with me?”

Maddie rolls her eyes like I’m stupid and brings her bottle of water to her lips. “He knows we’re seeing each other.”

“But we’re not!”

She chokes on her drink, and Jamie laughs out loud.

Hailey looks up from her plate. “What’s funny, babe?”

Jamie presses his lips together, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Nothing, baby.”

“You don’t call me baby?” Maddie whines at me.

Jamie starts laughing again.

I look at her—really fucking look at her! “Do you need me to spell it out for you? We’re fucking. Nothing more!”

Jamie wipes tears off his lashes as he continues to chuckle.

Maddie glares at him and then brings her attention back to me. She flicks her hair and sniffs. “You’re a dick!”

“Oh, fuck!” Jamie’s whole body shakes with laughter.

“What?” Maddie hisses, looking at him. “What is your problem?”

---