Page 50 of Crush
I pause with my hand in the popcorn, stiffening at the thought. Since when did I start believing in Thorne’s innocence?
Clearing my throat, I push the bowl away, too, no longer craving salt. “Thorne is under the impression that I care about what Malcolm thinks. He can go ahead and show Malcolm the tape if he wants—I’m positive nothing can break that man more than Damion stealing his wife.” I wipe my hands of greasy butter but would rather be wiping my hands of Thorne. I can’t think of what Malcolm will do if he sees what I did. But It won’t be any worse than what I’m going through right now.
Aiko watches my movements, pursing her lips. “Are you sure? You’ve been through a lot this week. Maybe this is the shock talking. I’m not positive you could handle something like that—I mean, you’re awesome, but why put yourself through more torture? Why don’t we lay low, avoid antagonizing Thorne, and search for clues about Savannah behind the scenes?”
I shake my head. “No.” My heart pitches at using his admission of abuse against him, but it was anger that made him blurt it out. He thought he lost control of me, his self-proclaimed ownership disintegrating before his eyes, so he fingered me in public to regain dominance. I can’t disregard that kind of panicked tell. “Tomorrow, he might admit something else. Thorne says he has no idea what happened to Savannah, but he’s the closest person we have to the highest members of the Societies. He has to know more than he’s saying, and when he tells me, I’ll use it against him. All of them.”
Aiko pushes her lips to the side. “‘Admit something else?’ Why, has he confessed a fact to you about Savannah already?”
I suck in a breath, folding my arms into my lap in an attempt to hide my slipup. “No, Thorne censors himself when it comes to Savannah.” I slap my palms on my thighs, indicating we should change the subject. “Do you mind if we go into her room?”
Nodding, Aiko slides off her bed. “We have to be careful, though. If Dad sees anything out of place when he comes back … I’m pretty sure he’s keeping it pristine, just in case Molly decides to return. He really misses her.”
Molly is Savannah’s mom, so I can relate to his pain. “Of course. I’ll be respectful.”
We step out of Aiko’s bedroom and go next door to a room that’s only opened occasionally and gathering mourning dust with every day that passes. Glancing at Aiko, I’m wondering if she’s prepared for the answers we might get and if she’s truly ready for the fact that Savannah might be dead.
Aiko moves to the center of the room, hands on her hips and resolution hardening every feature on her face. “Where do we start?”
Then again, maybe she wants to be busy and useful instead of twiddling her thumbs while the police turn Savannah into a cold case.
That reminds me… “Savannah’s dad is a senator. Why aren’t the police incentivized to do more from politics alone?”
“Because of the Societies.”
It’s all Aiko has to say. Add Malcolm’s silence over his wife’s kidnapping, and it’s not far-fetched to believe Senator Merricourt could be similarly muted. He was at the Briar ball, a Noble under Damion’s control.
“Jeez,” I say under my breath, scanning the rose gold room. “I can honestly say even without my grudge against Thorne, I really want to discover the truth.”
“What’s that?”
“Nothing. Does she have a laptop?”
“Uh-huh. In the top drawer of her desk. Metallic pink. You can’t miss it.”
“Okay, I’ll start there. How about you search her drawers for any false bottoms and her closet for loose floorboards? Things like that.”
“Whoa. You’re a bona fide amateur sleuth.” Aiko crosses her arms. “I don’t think like that. Savvy? She’s so open. I can’t picture her hiding anything from me, or especially her mom. She and Molly told each other everything.”
Aiko doesn’t know about the secret compartment in Savannah’s childhood jewelry box or the pendant I’m keeping in my possession. Forever yours. Yours forever.
It could be from Thorne. Yet Savannah hid it instead of wearing it. Likely it’s from someone else, the tip of an iceberg of secrets that could’ve led to her disappearance.
Aiko thinks Savannah’s perfect. I don’t want to ruin that for her. Another truth you’re keeping from your friend.
No, I’m doing it for her protection.
“You never know,” I muse quietly, heading to Savannah’s desk, everything organized in shades of pink, from her post-its to her pens.
I take a seat on her velvet-lined desk chair, stiff and weird-feeling when my butt rubs it wrong. Did Savannah really spend much time here?
Sliding out the shallow middle drawer, I pull out her laptop, find the charger, and plug it in. As I wait for it to start, I listen to Aiko’s movements behind me, drawers opening and closing softly, with small sighs or squeaks of reminiscence coming out of her mouth.
“Omigod, I forgot we made these.” I spin around to see Aiko pulling out a DIY scrapbook, collapsing on the side of Savannah’s bed as she holds it up. Her eyes well.
“Aiko, if this is too much for you…” I’m sorry. I’m sorry to put you through this.
“No.” Aiko sniffs, then rubs her nose with the back of her hand. “It’s fine. I’m fine. We need to do this. I have to find my sister.”