my fake relationship with Ricardo. I want to keep that to myself for a little while longer. Probably to make Kenneth even more jealous. Or something.
“So, are you going to tell the police you were the second driver?” My brother’s wide eyes make it clear that he thinks I should.
“Maybe. Probably.”
Cal shakes his head. “Shame, shame, I know your name.”
“Shut up and grab some pizza.”
The girl behind us bumps into me with her tray, and her apology is phonier than a politician who flip flops on issues every election cycle.
We get our food and walk toward our table. As I slide into the chair beside Ricardo, I realize that I feel lighter than I have in the two weeks since the accident. Confiding in Cal has loosened the knots in my chest. And so has knowing that he was the one who dented the car, not me.
Having a guy in my dorm room is weird. Ricardo wanted me to hang out in his room, but there was no way I was subjecting myself to the trolling that would happen if anyone saw me going into a guy’s room on the fifth floor and shutting the door, so here we are, in my room instead.
Ricardo circles the carpet, running his fingers over the faux fur blanket thrown over the end of my bed. “This is nice. I’m going to come down here more often. What’s that smell?”
“I don’t smell anything.” I shrug, feeling awkward, so I plop down into my desk chair.
Coming up behind me, Ricardo leans over and takes a whiff of my neck. “Are you wearing perfume? I like it.”
“I am, but not for you.” I can’t stop the flush of warmth that moves through me. He thinks I smell good? I wipe the smile off my face. I’ve been spending too much time with Adrienne, and she’s turning me into a sap. “Let’s just do homework, okay? Help me practice my conversational French for the test on Friday.”
“No problem, mon coeur.”
I shoot him a disapproving look, which he totally ignores.
Taking a large, fluffy pillow off my bed, he tosses it on the floor and stretches out on his back with his hands behind his head. “Ahh, that’s better. Now, what’s on the test on Friday?”
I goggle at him. “You don’t know? You’re in that class.”
He laughs. “I’m already fluent. I took it because it’s a bird course for me.”
“Yeah, yeah, well you may fly right through it, but I have to study.” I slide into the floor and arrange myself on one of my velvety floor poufs.
We go back and forth, reading passages to each other from our e-books and quizzing each other on word meanings and verb conjugations. I’ll never tell, but I’m actually enjoying speaking French with Ricardo. He’s good at it, like Genevieve, so we fall into an easy rhythm. It’s kind of nice having a peer to study with, even if he is exasperating half the time.
Outside my window, a car pulls into the parking lot. Grady gets out and circles around the hood to open the passenger door for Gul. Pressing her against the car, he kisses her breathless before taking her hand and walking her inside, where I can’t see.
A sharp pain in my chest grabs my focus. Not too long ago, he was doing the same thing, only with Rhiannon instead. If only she hadn’t gone to Professor Rook that first time. If only I had kept my mouth shut.
“Char? Hello?” Ricardo says, waving a hand in front of my face.
I start to shove him away, but my mind is already whirling. “What if the hit and run wasn’t an accident? What if someone had it out for Professor Rook, waited outside, and killed him?”
“What makes you say that?”
I chew my lip, not sure I want to divulge what I’m thinking. He might think I’m off my rocker. Actually, who cares what he thinks? I don’t. “I saw Grady and Gul outside, and it got me thinking. Professor Rook had to have made enemies. Hell, I wasn’t a fan of his, and I bought from him a few times. Someone like Grady, he might be pretty mad at Rook, especially after Rhiannon’s death. What if he, or someone else, decided to take matters into their own hands?”
Ricardo nods slowly, taking in everything I’ve said. “Okay, so who else might have it out for Rook? You, Grady…”
“Anyone who bought from him, maybe. Any parents, if they found out. I don’t know who