The High School Reunion From Hell - Saranna DeWylde Page 0,33

It was a batshit free for all, and there were so many bodies crammed into the space that it just couldn’t be sanitary. At least the kids had been relegated to the kids’ pool, so we didn’t have to worry about being “family-friendly.”

Thank fuck for that.

I didn’t like children, for the most part. Or maybe it wasn’t the children I didn’t like, but the parents. I should have to watch what I say because of their kids? Blood and violence were fine, but a couple “fucks” and the world was coming to an end. Oh, think of the children. Bah.

Yet, Ryder had been different. As soon as I’d seen her big eyes and chubby cheeks, I’d have done anything for her. It was like I knew I was supposed to take care of her.

I’d shared a moment with her mother, with Allison, before she’d died. I’d tried so goddamn hard to save her, but she’d lost too much blood and the vamps who’d attacked her had done it to cause maximum damage, not to Turn her. She’d motioned to where Ryder was hiding under some bags of trash, and the little girl had emerged, and she’d put Ryder’s small hand in mine.

That had been Allison’s last act on earth. To give the care and keeping of her child to me.

Every time I thought about it, I wondered if I was enough. If I loved Ryder hard enough, if I pushed her enough, if I sheltered her enough. I wondered if I had lived up to what Allison wanted for her.

I hoped so.

Just then, I saw Lila Jean, Brooke, Presley, and Sharice. Brooke waved me over and I spied a familiar purple bag on a chair. Lila Jean’s. So I dropped my cover-up on top of her bag and waded into the pool. She had a mimosa waiting for me.

“Poured it myself just for you,” she said.

I accepted it gratefully. “It’s been a morning already.” And I tried, and failed, not to eye-love Brooke in her red bikini. It was official. She was trying to kill me.

“How you doing?” I asked Presley.

“I’m okay.” She took another drink of her cocktail. “I haven’t heard from Dallas at all. They won’t let me file a missing persons’ report until tomorrow.”

“Lila Jean or I will go with you, if you want?”

“You probably shouldn’t,” Presley said. “They won’t give me anyone to talk to but that detective who has it out for you.”

“Eh, fuck her. What’s she gonna do? Be mad?”

“Call the Council and the Guild,” Presley replied quietly.

“I invited her to. It’s fine.” I looked around at my little crew and realized that I was pretty lucky. Cornflake drove me nuts, but she was worried about what this meant for me.

It was all so unexpected.

“Ladies,” Gabe said as he approached. “Can I get you anything? More cocktails? Chips and salsa?”

“No, we’re good, but thanks,” Lila Jean answered.

“May I join you?” he asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. He sat down on the ledge next to me.

“Oh, I see Marc,” Brooke said and waved her hand, motioning for him to come over.

He acknowledged her and began making his way over to us, cocktail in hand.

“You look good,” Brooke said and hugged him.

I didn’t have the feelings about that I’d expected to have. When we first spoke about the reunion, I’d thought he was coming because he wanted to see if the fires with Brooke still burned, and I’d been so jealous.

But now, I didn’t feel that. I was kind of numb, really. I didn’t feel anything at all.

“So do you,” Marc answered her. “Looks like the vamp life agrees with you.”

“I guess it does,” she answered. “So Margie has been entertaining me with tales of her exploits. She’s had quite the wild ride, huh?”

I had?

I took the opportunity to study his wrist and looked for the tattoo, but I didn’t see it. There was nothing there.

Lila Jean had been right. He probably hadn’t known it was there.

“Do you guys mind if I steal my ex away for a minute?” I grabbed his hand and led him toward a mostly empty corner away from the crowd. “Let’s hit that empty hot tub for a second, okay?”

He nodded. He knew me well enough to know it was important. Once we were in the hot water, and alone, he pulled the curtains around the tub closed.

“What’s going on, Marge?”

“First, I’m sorry I got so angry with you. It clouded my judgment.”

“You have every right to be angry