Cruel Kisses (It's Just High School #2) - Thandiwe Mpofu Page 0,54

all in the foyer, voices carry in here.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nicky denies, a hard look in her eyes.

“Oh, I think you do,” Courtney says. “Game recognizes game and you and the daughter you threw away…”

“Like I said, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, so now, after four days with the shitstorm going on with your family, you’re now realizing that she’s gone?” Liam starts, not bothering to look at his mother as he says that.

“Yes!” Nicky cries. “In case none of you have noticed, my sister is dead! The woman who practically raised me and Mia is dead. So, forgive me if I’ve been pre-occupied.”

Courtney doesn’t say anything to that, but she does back-off. “You’re right,” she says. “I’m sorry about Nancy.”

“You can keep your half-felt condolence to yourself,” Nicky says. “As a matter of fact, I think you can go…”

A loud, strange sound rings clear in the foyer, cutting off whatever insult Nicky wanted to say.

“What the hell is that?” Liam demands.

“Uh, it’s my phone,” Nicky admits, looking slightly uncomfortable, and doesn’t look anyone in the eye.

A phone? That rings like that?

It sounds like one of those old Nokia brick phones. Why does she have that? Nicky turns around and disappears up the stairs, the sound of the ringing phone fading. I’ve seen her phone though, it’s a smart phone. So why does she have that kind of phone?

“Uh,” Courtney starts, clearing her throat. “I think I’ll take my leave now.”

“Don’t let the door hit and abuse you on your way out,” Liam grits out, looking down at his phone.

“Liam…”

“Just go,” I say, cutting her off. It doesn’t take her long to get the message. She grabs her bag and leaves, the door closing softly behind her.

This is just fucking great.

“Fuck, we need to get to Route 66,” Liam says, jarring me back to reality. “We need to see that damn car.”

“I agree,” Cole says. “If the police are involved with this then it means they’re running an investigation.”

Oh, shit

“Which means there’s a missing person’s report,” I say, my mind racing. “The Matthews brothers?”

“It isn’t them,” Liam says. “I know you started with those assholes when you went out looking for Mia.”

“Yeah but the thing is, they now know that she’s gone. They might go after her,” Cole explains.

I don’t want to think about that. Not for my sake, but for those two shitheads and what I might do to them if they ever look at Mia.

“But also, what the hell just happened here?” Liam questions no one in particular.

Cole shakes his head. “There are secrets here that run deeper than still waters.”

I agree with that shit.

“What should we do about that?” Liam questions.

“I think we should…” I start but Liam cuts me off.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” he says, his eyes narrowed on me. “You’ve done enough.”

The way he looks at me, his eyes filled with hurt and accusation is like a punch to the gut that makes the throbbing of my jaw pale in comparison. I don’t know what to say here. Liam has never been this furious with me.

“Liam…” I start, needing to explain but I don’t know what to say. She left because of me, that much I’m sure, I put the final nail in the coffin. So, do I apologized for that? Do I apologize for loving her? For choosing her? For making her mine?

“That man was wrong for abandoning Mia and honestly, he’s a shitty father but he’s right about one thing, you should’ve never touched her! Now, you broke her enough that she ran.”

That makes me so fucking angry for some reason, but I clamp my jaw tight.

“You don’t fucking know what happened, Liam so mind your fucking business.”

Liam laughs, but it’s bitter and makes me cringe internally. “No, it’s my business because Mia, she’s different. She genuinely cared for me even when you discouraged her to.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah and I’ll find her.”

He says that like he knows something. Maybe he does.

“I know you were looking at the footage from the other night,” I start, my voice menacingly low. “I know you’re looking for her and I know you know something.”

“And if I do?” he counters. “You obviously don’t know anything.”

“Liam…”

“Apologize.”

“What the fuck for?”

“If you have to ask, then fuck you!” He shoulder-checks me and is out the door. Fuck this shit.

“That really could’ve gone better than that,” Cole says then whistles, following safter Liam. “I’m going to check this shit out and call you, then I’m