investigation to make sure there aren’t additional charges that need to be brought against him. God only knows how many other people they did this to.
I sign my statement, and my mom walks the detectives out, peppering them with more questions while I text Court back. She’s asking if she should come over, but I tell her I’m okay. I just need to find Landon. When I got home last night, every light in his house was off. It didn’t even look like he was home. And when I knocked, nobody answered. The detectives let it slip that they’d spoken with Landon and Carson before they came here, so I assume he’s still around this morning.
Jared texts me again to check in on me, making sure I’m okay. He’s asked about Carson too like he thinks I might have more information than he does, which seems odd. But then I remember their interaction at the hospital, and something occurs to me. Do they have a thing for each other? Maybe I should invite them both over for dinner this week. It couldn’t hurt just to see what happens.
My mom returns and frets over me needlessly, offering me everything short of a full buffet to an expensive vacation.
“I’m good, Mama.” I hug her tight and smile up at her, and for once, it feels pretty true. At least I will be when I talk to Landon.
The truth really does set you free, and I won’t allow Audrey’s evil to steal one more second of my happiness.
“Okay, how about some tea?” Mom asks, her hands itching to do something useful.
“Actually, I’d like to go find Landon.” I slip off the barstool.
She smiles way too brightly. “Really?”
“Yeah, it’s been pretty crazy lately. We have a lot to talk about, and I want to make sure he’s okay.”
I head for the door, and she calls after me. “Call me if you need anything, okay? Oh, and Kail?"
“Yeah?”
“Give him a hug for me, please?”
“Okay.” I hide my smile.
I head for the pool house first, desperate to change out of my school uniform before I go over to Landon’s. But as it turns out, we really are magnets. He’s already here, waiting for me on the patio chair.
His eyes snap up to mine when he hears me approaching, and his are shadowed with darkness. He looks exhausted, and if his clothes are any indication, he didn’t get much sleep last night. Instead of his trousers and blazer, he’s wearing a pair of jeans and a gray Cougars hoodie. It’s so tempting to crawl into his lap right there and curl up in the safety of his body. Instead, I unlock the door without a word and leave it open. He follows me inside.
“Kail?”
He’s still standing on the landing with a wary expression on his face. The last time we saw each other, I’d just found Audrey’s gift box in my locker. It didn’t exactly end well, and I’m sure he doesn’t know what I’m going to do now. But things have changed so much since then.
I walk to him, shocking the hell out of him when I reach up and touch his face. Memorizing the lines by swooping my fingers over the curves. Watching the way his lashes flutter and his entire body relaxes. He needs so much love—an entire lifetime’s worth—and I won’t give him anything less. I’m keeping him forever, I’ve decided.
“I broke my own rule,” I whisper.
He opens his eyes. Soft and gray to my fiery brown.
“What rule?”
“I preached about trust, and then I acted like a complete hypocrite. I should have trusted you, Landon. I should have known. You’ve never lied to me before.”
He exhales a shaky breath. “So I guess this means you know Audrey was a complete psychopath.”
“Are you okay?” I ask.
We seem to understand each other without saying the words. He knows what happened at the party now. He knows what Audrey did. I can see it in his eyes.
“I’m okay.” His hands stroke over my shoulders. “If you’re okay, then I’m okay.”
I don’t want that wretched human stain to pollute one more second between us, so I bring his face down to mine and kiss him. Landon drags me closer and sighs into my mouth as though this is his paradise. I swallow that sound, and every breath after. I inhale his warmth, notes of vanilla and cocoa. Nothing has ever smelled more like home to me.
My hands drift up under the hem of his hoodie, pressing against