The Lying Game Complete Collection - Sara Shepard Page 0,233

empty house. In the dim moonlight, she could see cobwebs glistening in the corners. She turned to glance at Ethan. “Maybe they’re not here yet?”

“Maybe?” Ethan stepped back and gazed up the stairs.

Thwap.

Emma and Ethan wheeled around. The front door had slammed behind them.

Emma ran to the door and tried the knob. It wouldn’t budge. “Who’s there?” she cried. Something electric snapped along her body. There was no window facing out onto the front porch, so she couldn’t tell who’d just shut them inside.

Ethan yanked Emma closer to him. Scraaaaatch. A sound like fingernails down a windowpane echoed through the air. “What is that?” Emma screeched.

“Someone’s outside,” Ethan said. He pulled at the doorknob again, but it still wouldn’t give. “Who’s there?” he boomed. “Let us out!”

“Oh my God,” Emma whispered into Ethan’s chest, gripping the sides of his shirt. “What if it’s Thayer? What if he got out of jail early and followed us?”

A sinister feeling passed through my weightless form as a horrible idea occurred to me. Maybe it was Thayer. What if he’d found out that Emma had called his old hospital and was coming to shut her up for good?

“I won’t let him hurt you,” Ethan said, hugging Emma tight. “I promise.”

Another groan sounded from outside. Then there were scraping sounds, like someone was trying to get in. “We have to hide, Ethan!” Emma screamed, looking around at the bare rooms, the blank walls. She grabbed his hand and started up the stairs, but her heel caught on the first riser. She tumbled into Ethan, and he caught her around the waist. Another thud sounded from outside. More horrible scratches. A shadow passed across the back wall. And then, a scream.

Emma answered with a shriek, but when a second scream came, she stood up straighter. That wasn’t a guy’s voice, but the high-pitched wail of a girl. Giggles sounded from outside. And suddenly, Emma smelled the distinct fragrance of Chanel Chance.

Suddenly everything clicked into place. Of course.

Emma grabbed Ethan’s hand. “This is a prank. We’re the prank. Sutton’s friends are messing with us.”

Confusion settled across Ethan’s fingers. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

Ethan’s shoulders dropped with relief. He stepped closer to Emma and slipped his hands along Emma’s dress onto the smooth skin of her back. He pulled her close. “Well, then this is the best prank ever. I wouldn’t mind spending all night locked up alone with you in here.”

Emma felt her nerves spike for an entirely new reason. Her body was so close to Ethan’s she wondered if he could feel her heart beating through the thin silk of her dress. She looked up into Ethan’s face just as he tilted his chin to kiss her. She felt herself come alive as his lips met hers. She wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck and returned his kiss, wishing the moment never had to end.

The door flew open with a creak and a swell of cool night air pushed against Emma’s back. Madeline stomped into the house, flanked by Charlotte, Laurel, and the Twitter Twins, who were dressed in head-to-toe black and snapping pictures rapid-fire on their iPhones.

“Gotcha!” Madeline cried.

Charlotte clapped her hands together and the Twitter Twins let out excited squeals. “You were so scared!” Gabby cried.

“I was not,” Emma said quickly.

“Were too.” Laurel smirked. “Your new guy didn’t make you feel safe?” Her eyes flickered to Ethan.

“At least this explains why you didn’t want to pull a prank on him,” Madeline said, shaking her head. “Are you going to introduce us, Sutton?”

Emma looked at Sutton’s friends. They didn’t look particularly annoyed or disgusted that they’d just caught her kissing Ethan—just left out of the loop. She grabbed Ethan’s hand. “This is Ethan Landry. My… boyfriend.” Her voice rose at the end, a tiny question mark. She glanced at Ethan to make sure this title was okay. Ethan nodded as a slow grin spread across his face.

“So, are you two, like, in love?” Lili asked. Her raccoon-ish eyeliner was even more dramatic than usual, making the whites of her eyes glow bright. Gabby made kissing noises with her pouty lips and Laurel and Charlotte giggled.

Emma laughed despite herself. “How long have you guys been planning this?” she asked.

“Ever since Laurel explained a few days ago why you weren’t totally up for the Ethan prank.” Charlotte curled a red tendril around her finger. “We’ve been teasing you all week. As soon as you left dinner, we flew into action. Lili and Gabby stood at the base of the road