Page 175 of Perfect Liar

“Okay,” I breathed. “How is your shoulder?”

“My shoulder’s fine. I’ll be with you soon, Elle…home…in our bed. Wait for me.”

Then in his usual abrupt way, he hung up. And in my usual comforted way, I hugged the phone against my chest to my heart.

“Everything okay?” Thomas asked.

“For now. You heard?”

He nodded, holding out his hand for the phone.

“I did hear everything, yes.”

Neither of us knew Will’s location—he wouldn’t budge on that condition. Still, I wanted to be there when he talked to Ben, so I tugged on Thomas’s arm, and we went down to the gym.

Will would make Ben swear to be secretive about the details, but at least it would give me some peace knowing Ben would be out there with him, wherever he was.

When we found Ben, he was already ending the call. He gave me one of his rare smiles and slightly bowed of his head.

“Well done, Ellie. Well done.”

I leaped at him with a hug.

“Bring him back home to me, Ben.”

He quickly put me down and nodded.

“I know you’ll help take care of Chelsea for me.”

“I definitely will,” I said.

Thomas and Ben turned and walked away from me, heading for the weapons room with their heads together and their voices low. Thomas glanced over his shoulder and smiled before the door slid shut behind them.

Ben left within the hour.

I fell asleep early that night, staring at the burner phone.

My dreams had been pleasant as I snuggled Will’s pillow in our big bed while wrapped up in a blanket that still smelled like him. I dreamed about seeing him again.

But just after two a.m., the phone rang and woke me up. Not the burner, my own cell phone.

Jess’s image appeared on the screen. It was only nine p.m. in Stonington.

“Hey, Jess…are you still at Nick’s?” I asked.

She shouted into the phone. Conversations and music boomed in the background. Panic elevated the pitch of her words.

“Ellie, thank God…are you okay?”

“Yes, fine. You sound upset…what’s wrong?”

“Where are you? Wait, I’m going to step outside. Just hold on a minute…”

“No, you talk to me,” I demanded.

“Are you still in England?”

“Yes, I’m at Eastridge. What’s going on…why are you freaking?”