Page 101 of Four for a Boy

“Josh is on the way over.”

“Tell him not to come. I don’t trust him.”

“Trustme, Romeo. Trust me when I say Josh is not the killer.”

Chad typed out a message, flicking a glare in Romeo’s direction. “He says he’s at the end of the road, he’s coming anyway.”

“Then I better make myself scarce, but I’ll be keeping an eye on him, and if he does anything suspicious I’ll come downstairs and strangle him over the back of the sofa.”

Romeo delivered one last icy glare and then retreated into the house. Chad stepped inside and listened to the floorboards creaking above.

They fell silent.

“Fuck.” Chad dropped his phone on the table beside the door and waited for Josh to arrive.

As soon as his car had squealed to a halt, Chad rushed outside, waving his hands, and shaking his head. “Josh, this isn’t a good time.”

“I know,” Josh said, getting out. “It’s a shit time. We’ve both been suspended.”

“I’m not in the mood—”

“I know.” Josh rushed to the back of the car and opened the trunk. “Neither am I.”

Chad twitched his nose at the smell of pizza. Josh grabbed a box and thrust it into Chad’s chest. He clutched it so it didn’t fall to the floor.

Hawaiian was scribbled in the corner, Chad’s favorite, not Josh’s who favored a meat feast. He winced and leaned into Josh’s eye line. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but I just want to be alone. I want to wallow in self-pity.”

“Me, too, so I thought we could do it together.”

Josh climbed into the back of his car and tugged out a huge black bag. He swung it over his shoulder, panting for breath. “I bought lunch.”

Chad lifted the box. “I noticed, but, I’m not…” He sighed. “It’s not a good time.”

Josh slammed the door shut. “I know you’re pissed at me.”

“I’m not pissed at you.”

“Yeah, you are, and I don’t blame you. I fucked up.”

“You didn’t—”

John raised his arm. His jacket slid down to reveal the red ring circling his wrist.

“I messed up, not you,” Chad said. “I knew last night was a bad idea, but I went along with it anyway … then I left. I left you there, and I thought you’d gotten home safe, but I didn’tknowyou had.”

Josh huffed. “I lied. Well, I didn’t lie, I just didn’t tell you I was going home with Olivia that night.”

“Why did you ignore my calls and then hang up on me?”

“I was kind of busy.” Josh wiped his hand down his face. “Fuck, everything would’ve been fine if we hadn’t lost the bloody key.”

“We still probably shouldn’t have gone.”

“We were having fun.” Josh looked at him. “You were having fun, and then… I scared you.”

“Only a little.”

“You looked like a ghost.”

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