Page 73 of All Bets Are Off

“Because something is up with Brielle and we need to get to the bottom of it,” Ashton snaps, just like I knew he would. He’s been on edge since the night of the undie run. Whatever Shelby meant by her words has struck him deeper than anything else.

He has been on edge all week, watching, waiting, just hoping Brielle would pop up somewhere and put us out of our shared misery. Not that we would ever admit to it, but I know we are all feeling her absence.

Ashton is still scowling at Hudson but settles as soon as Elias rests a hand on his shoulder and says, “Look we will just ask Shelby if Bri is okay and then go back to how things have been between the five of us.”

“And what about her reward?” I muse aloud. Halloween is next week and we have thought of the perfect treat to compensate Bri for completing the bet. I hate how much it feels like old times, how familiar it feels, but I can’t wait to see her face when she realizes what we’ve done.

“We’ll sort it out.” Elias nods down the hall. “Even if we have to go through her roommate to do it.”

I follow his gaze and note Shelby rounding the corner. If she’s surprised she doesn’t show it, just hikes her bag up higher on her shoulder and sets her face into a blank mask.

“Fancy seeing you here, Andrews.” My smile is fake as fuck and she knows it, but my tone just deepens her scowl.

She pretends we aren’t even here and goes to move past us until Elias steps in front of her and blocks her way. The look she gives him is nothing short of wishing him death as she snaps, “What?”

“Where’s Brielle?” Elias questions her. “She hasn’t been to class in over a week.”

“And? Why do you care? Got another little rumor you want to start or bet you want to place?” Damn I guess she isn’t gonna be letting us off the hook anytime soon. I don’t even know how to answer her. We shouldn't care where Brielle is, so why do we?

Elias smiles completely unaffected by her cool tone and accusing words. “We just want to know where she is, we still need to give her a reward for completing the bet.”

She snorts, “Yeah, well, she isn’t here.” She tries to move past him again but this time is Ash that stops her.

“Where is she?” Something in his tone must break through to her, he sounds desperate, and her face softens as she takes in the look on his. Her entire persona changes, her shoulders dropping, scowl disappearing, she almost looks like she feels sorry for him, for us.

We all watch her closely, waiting for her to say something, anything, but she takes a deep breath and schools her face back into a blank mask. “She isn’t on campus, she had a family emergency to deal with.”

A family emergency? What the fuck?

“What do you mean a family emergency?” I spit. “Is she okay? Are Sterling and Camilla okay?” Things might not be good with us right now, but that doesn’t mean I wish her any true harm, and I’ve always loved her parents. They are the best parents any of us have really. Kind, smart, great to Brielle, to us.

Shelby seems a little panicked as she rushes to say, “They’re fine!” Her voice startles us in the quiet corridor and a few people turn our way but she ignores them. “It’s nothing, she just had to go home for the week, she’ll be back soon.”

I’m not sure if she is being vague on purpose, or if Brielle just didn’t tell her all that much, but I nod at her response and look back to the others. Ashton is still staring at her fiercely, Hudson looks bored, and Elias has his thinking face on. It’s him that finally breaks the silence.

“Okay, thank you, Shelby.”

She turns to leave but he stops her once more and that panicked look on her face is back as Eli purrs, “We have Bri’s reward and we need it to get to her, are we okay to drop it off with you tonight?” Her face is wary, but eventually she nods and Eli releases her arm.

We all wait until she is in class before sharing a look that tells me none of us are convinced by Shelby’s words but there isn't much we can do about it now. We will just drop the halloween costume off at her dorm room and hope she is back in time for the party to enjoy her reward.

That should settle the thoughts inside of but only one remains.

Where the fuck is she?

ChapterTwenty-Nine

The stale smellof bacon is beginning to distract me. I should really call down to housekeeping and have them come and remove it, but I don’t want to be disturbed. They only brought me breakfast because drunk Brielle decided she would need food in the morning to curb the hangover. I was right, but still, the smell is making me regret my drunken life choices right now. The rest of the room is almost as bad, towels on the floor, clothes on the chair, binders and sheets of paper with my scribbles on it everywhere. The place is pure chaos and mess.

Just like me.

I spent Friday night after Shelby cleaned me up in bed feeling sorry for myself. I was in and out of sleep thanks to the pain, and every time I woke my cheeks were still damp with tears. By the time Saturday morning rolled around, I couldn’t take it anymore. That room, that place, Shelby’s hovering. I appreciate everything she did for me, the secrets she is keeping, but I could barely look at her without drowning in shame. I had to get out of there. She tried to stop me, wanted to keep me close by and make sure I was okay, but I couldn’t bear it.

She helped me pack my case with comfy clothes and multiple pairs of fuzzy llama socks and when she went into the bathroom to gather up some toiletries, I slipped the binders from under my bed into my bag. I have spent the last week memorizing every line, learning every detail, and stock piling every secret. There is a way out of this hell for me somewhere, I just have to be prepared for when I find it.

When I climb out of bed I kick one of the empty pill bottles that I sent out to get earlier in the week. I can still feel the judgmental look that the man behind the desk gave me when I handed over some cash and asked for them. He didn’t seem to care about the marks on my face, just took the money and said it would be sorted out. Money talks better than anything else, it’s one of the things I can still rely on.

It’s why I have been hiding out here all week. Better to be stowed away at the prestigious Sapphire Inn Hotel than sulking in my dorm waiting for Carson to find me again. I’ve already ignored so many messages from him, baseless apologizing ones that mean nothing to me. I only replied to one telling him that I needed a few days to myself, reminding him that I couldn’t be seen in public with a busted face and that I would be back to him soon. I don’t know why it placated him so easily but my guess is with the guys still roaming around campus, at least he knows I am not with them.

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