The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4 (Cursed #3-4) - Rebecca Donovan Page 0,113

in trouble.”

“I trust them.”

“Don’t be stupid, Lana.”

I balk at him. “Screw you!”

“I’m serious. Someone with that much power is dangerous. To all of us.”

I dismiss him, knowing Sophia would never … but then I remember how strung out she appeared the last time I saw her. She ran away from me. Maybe she was embarrassed to be seen all rumpled. We all have bad days. I could fill a trophy case with mine.

Except I can’t find Sophia after Grant walks me back to my dorm. I go directly to her room, but she doesn’t answer. I ask every girl I see in the hall, but no one’s seen her.

I knock on Ashton’s door.

“Where have you been?” she demands, pulling me in by my, well, Grant’s sister’s T-shirt. Arden is seated on the couch with her legs crossed, wearing a hot-pink tutu with black fishnet stockings and silver booty shorts. “We’ve been freaking out. I tried texting you all day.”

“Crap,” I exclaim, rushing out of the room. Ashton follows after me. “I forgot my phone in Grant’s car.”

My heart is racing when I reach the foyer, knowing I won’t catch him in time. We snuck back onto campus through the woods along the edge of the lawn since Brendan didn’t have his phone. I completely forgot to check back in with security. And I can’t get trapped on campus for another month. I will lose my mind.

“Lana, what’s going on?” Ashton asks, jogging alongside me as I cut through the Court. “Did you have anything to do with the fire?”

I stumble in my steps.

“Oh shit,” she mutters. “Please tell me you didn’t try to burn Brendan alive.”

“Uh, not me,” I reply evasively.

“Is he okay?” she asks in a panic, reading between my truths.

“He’s alive,” I say without enthusiasm. “But he’s not even close to my favorite person right now. I’d prefer a piece of chewing gum plucked off the sole of a shoe over him.”

Ashton makes a face. “That’s a weird thing to say.”

“Sorry, I’m all out of wit.” I brush a branch out of my face. “His fault.”

When we reach the administration building, I send Ashton in to see if Grant is there, trying to figure out how to arrive on campus from inside the building. When I hear her scream, I rush in, expecting to discover a body.

She’s on the far side of the foyer, pointing at the corner while shrieking at the top of her lungs. The security guards are surrounding her, trying to get her to speak coherently. When I’m halfway across the floor, a hand grabs my arm. I’m about to shove the palm of my hand into his Adam’s apple when I realize it’s Grant.

“Omigod. You scared me.”

“Here.” He shoves the phone in my hand as we pretend to rush to Ashton’s aid.

“Did you see it?” she asks, fanning herself. “I swear it was the biggest rat I’ve ever seen.” She finds me staring at her, confused. “Oh, get me away from here. I can’t. I just can’t. It’s so revolting.”

“Uh, I have to check in first,” I stammer. “Meet you outside?”

“Hurry,” she says, placing the back of her hand to her forehead like she’s about to swoon.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Grant coughs to hide a laugh.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow?” he says casually. His performance is much more convincing than Ashton’s.

We walk back to the guard’s desk at the entrance now that everyone’s back in position. He gives me a brief kiss on the cheek before taking off.

Ashton’s sitting on the swing in the birch forest when I walk outside. I sit next to her.

“Acting isn’t your thing,” I tell her, smiling.

“Overacting definitely is,” she remarks, winking. “Now what the hell happened today?”

I look down at the phone in my hand. Without saying anything, I walk to our tree and hide it in the jewelry box, holding my palm out to silently demand Ashton’s. She forfeits it with a loud sigh.

When we’re back on the swing, she says, “You’re as bad as Brendan.”

“Learned my lesson the hard way … again.”

Then I proceed to catch her up on the latest drama that is my life. The part that pertains to Vic’s homicidal tendencies anyway. I still don’t know how to tell her about Brendan’s involvement or the fact that he’s my dumbass brother. But I feel like I need to … if he won’t. When I assure her for the hundredth time that no one’s hurt, she hugs me fiercely, cursing