through my mind, like he knew I was full of it, but didn’t want to call me on it.
I frown in the dark. He was right. I’m not about casual dating and hooking up. Despite my no-nonsense demeanor, I’m looking for something more. All those happily ever after Disney movies that spoon feed little girls crap about true love and lifelong commitment and happy little forest animals that do your cooking and cleaning? My mom and stepdad have it. They’re super sweet together when they’re not so stressed out about his work. I’ve even caught them making out in the kitchen, which was gross, but reassuring. If anyone asks, I’ll deny it, but I want the fairytale. All of it. Maybe even the spontaneous singing.
Unlucky for me, finding a guy with the backbone to stand by my side while I conquer the world hasn’t been easy. It’s been basically impossible. High school guys aren’t ready for my intensity or my drive, which is why I don’t bother dating them.
With Kenneth, I thought I’d finally found a worthy partner. Turns out he doesn’t want a partner either. He just wanted someone to mess around with in the few hours he wasn’t nose-deep in sick people and bodily fluids.
No thanks.
Which is why I’m inclined not to answer the phone. I don’t care to hear what he has to say. No matter what it is, it won’t change anything. It’s not like he suddenly decided he misses me and he wants me back for a real relationship this time.
Did he?
A tiny seed of hope opens up in my chest, and I hate myself for it. “Hi,” I say, my voice softer than usual. Husky, even.
“Charlotte? Are you okay?” Kenneth’s voice is hushed, as if he’s trying to avoid being overheard. But there’s another quality there that is more unsettling. A crackle to the edges of his speech. Kenneth sounds like he’s freaking out.
Unease slinks in, making me pull my covers tighter around me with my free hand. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? Why are you calling me?”
His voice drops even lower. “Look, I can’t talk long, but I had to talk to you. I’m finishing up my rotation in the city morgue, remember?”
I shiver. Dead bodies gross me out. “Yeah, I remember.” So, not calling to get back together, then. I pinch my eyes shut. “I’m failing to see how your morgue rotation affects me. It’s 2 AM, Kenneth. What’s going on?”
He huffs, and I can almost see him shoving his hand through his hair. “They brought in a guy from your school. A professor? He was hit by a car. Killed instantly, they said.”
I sag, relieved. Professor Rook didn’t feel any pain, then. It’s not absolution, but it’s more than I ever thought I’d get. “I heard about it. The police were here this morning, taking photos of the scene. I saw the body bag.”
There’s murmuring on the other end of the line, as if Kenneth is covering his phone’s speaker to talk to someone else. Then he continues into the phone. “Look, I have to ask. Did you see him last night? This Rook guy?”
My stomach clenches as alarm bells go off in the general vicinity of my gut. He can’t know. It’s not possible. “No, why do you ask?”
A beat passes before he speaks again. When he does, his voice is tighter. He doesn’t believe me. “You didn’t see him at all? At your stepdad’s event? Afterward?”
My blood is gushing through my veins now, spiked with adrenaline. I push out of my bed and let the cold air sooth my flushed skin. Pacing to the window, I peek between my curtains at the spot where Professor Rook was killed. Take a deep breath. Kenneth doesn’t know. He’s got another reason for asking. He has to have. I can spin this.
I take the offensive, trying to throw him off guard. “Are you accusing me of lying? Seriously, Kenneth? After everything?”
He groans. “Charlotte, you might be in deep, here. I’m just trying to help you. You have to tell me the truth. Right now.”
It’s now or never. “I didn’t see Professor Rook at all yesterday. That’s the truth.” Technically, it’s true. I didn’t see Professor Rook.
“Listen. When they brought in his body, there was a box of his stuff. One of his shoes came off in the impact, and his watch was smashed. They also brought in… God, I can’t believe I’m saying this. You didn’t kill him, did you?” His