Page 46 of Ready Or Not

There's silence, and I just look at the water pooling around my belly.

“Do you want to go?”

“Yes,” I whisper.

“Why?”

“Because!” I trail off. I miss my home. My routine. Nothing here feels right or safe.

“Because why?”

“Because it’s my home!”

Riley humphs. “You lived a boring life before me.”

Defensiveness fills me. “So?” I pick at the skin around my nails again. It’s much softer now, having been in the bath.

“So you don’t crave something better? Friends? A boyfriend? A girlfriend?”

My thoughts immediately go to Cali. “Do you know what happened to Cali?”

Riley’s voice darkens. “Who’s Cali?”

“My friend,” I say. “She disappeared a few weeks ago. I thought maybe Manson…did something to her.”

Riley snorts. “Doubtful. Manson isn’t interested in other girls.”

“But he knows her name.”

Riley is silent for a while. “Why do you care?”

Defeat fills me. “Because she’s my friend.”

“Friends, hmmm?” Riley’s voice is dark.

“Yeah,” I whisper. She was my best friend. She had everything: the looks, the attitude, the spunk. I wanted to be her.

“You know what, I think this is the first time you’re not trying to lie to me, but you still are.” Riley shakes her head and sounds pissed. “You had a crush on her.”

I glance up at Riley, appalled.

Riley shakes her head. “Yep. Fucking hell. Now imma have to kill Cali, too.”

Panic flares through me. “No!”

Riley gives me a deadpan look. “Absolutely.”

I swallow, then force myself to lean back in the tub. “It doesn’t matter. She’s probably dead anyway.”

“That would save me some time.”

“Riley!” I snap my head at her. “You can’t just kill anyone you want.”

Riley rolls her eyes. “And why not, bambi?”

“Because!” I sputter. “It’s…wrong! You’ll get caught. They’ll throw you in prison for the rest of your life.”

Riley scoffs. “In case you haven’t picked up on this, they won’t. As for the first part, I don’t care about what’s right and wrong.”