You Will Be Mine

  A muscular person in a hoodie? I know plenty of guys who work out, and most of the population owns a dark hoodie since the school colors are black and yellow. I think I have three.

  "Huh," Chace replies. "Okay, we'll have three Coronas, two white wines, and a vodka soda."

  Is he for real? He's reeling off our order while my heart is racing.

  "Chace!" I snap, tugging on the shirt sleeve he has rolled up to his elbow. "What are you doing?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "We don't know who's buying our drinks."

  "They're free drinks, Lylah."

  "First someone leaves that note and now this?" I gesture to the photograph. "Are you not at all concerned they could be related?"

  "Concerned that Sonny has another girl following him around? Concerned that we don't have to pay for drinks?"

  "We don't know who bought them."

  "Who cares! The bartender's making them now, so it's not as if they've been tampered with. Anyway, it's probably Nora trying to wedge her way in."

  Tilting my head to the side, I give him a side-eye. "So you think I'm overreacting?"

  "A little bit, yeah. Look, I know it seems a bit sketchy, but you know how campus gets around holidays. There are going to be tons more pranks, and they never have ulterior motives other than to amuse people." He steps closer, and the scent of his aftershave wraps around me. Like a drug, I'm instantly hooked, and I lean in. "Please don't worry and enjoy tonight."

  "Are you celebrating Valentine's Day this year? You weren't that into it last year." My voice is barely a whisper, but I'm too transfixed to care.

  Chace's deep-green eyes stare into my soul, and I can feel my cheeks redden. "I've never had a reason to like it before," he replies as he closes the distance between us.

  Do you have a reason now? Please elaborate.

  "Here you go, guys," the bartender says. This bartender has the worst timing ever, I think. Chace breaks our gaze, looking instead to the bartender, and nods at him.

  No! Chace, what's your damn reason?

  Our moment is over.

  Chace drops a tip on the counter and picks up the tray. I want to throw a full-on tantrum. He might have been getting ready to confess he has feelings for me, or he might have kissed me. I've been waiting for this for so long, and then we get interrupted.

  Smirking over his shoulder as he walks away, Chace asks, "Are you coming or not?"

  I grab the photo off the bar and follow him back to our table, where he sets down the tray. I slap the photo next to the drinks.

  "That was left behind the bar, along with money for a free round," I blurt.

  Chace might not be worried, but surely one of my friends will make the connection. I can count on Sienna and Charlotte...I think.

  "That's us," Isaac states.

  "Congratulations, Sherlock," Chace mutters sarcastically.

  Sonny picks up his drink and raises it. "Well, thanks to the mystery drink fairy."

  "Why would someone take our photo?" Charlotte asks.

  "Exactly!" I exclaim.

  "So the bartender would know who to give the drinks to," Isaac replies with an eye roll. "Obviously."

  But I'm not buying it. "Why keep it a secret?"

  Isaac shrugs. "I don't know, Lylah. Drink up. The show's about to start."

  I don't understand why no one is taking this seriously. It doesn't make sense.

  "What's that on the back of the photo?" Sienna asks.

  "Huh?" Chace says.

  "The edge is peeling." She picks it up and pulls at the black shiny backing.

  What the hell?

  When the backing peels off, Sienna looks at the photo, then drops it on the table like it's burned her. The small black square looks like the note Sonny received earlier with cut-out letters.

  3

  Thursday

  February 1

  No one says a word as we stare at the note.

  "This is more than a prank," I say.

  Sonny's lip curls in disgust. "I'm being stalked. I've always been straight-up with women. I don't want anything serious, and I damn well hate it when one of them conveniently forgets or thinks she can change my mind."

  "Dude, do you have any idea who it could be?" Isaac asks.

  He picks up the note and turns it over. "Not a clue. She clearly doesn't know me if she thinks a free drink is going to win me over."

  "Should we leave?" I ask, scanning the crowd. The place is packed; each table has at least four people around it. A handful of others are at the bar waiting for drinks. No one is looking our way. If the person responsible for this is here, wouldn't they be watching for our reaction?

  "No, we're not going anywhere," Sonny spits. "Some asshole isn't going to ruin my night."

  Chace leans closer to me. "Look, you were excited to come here, and you haven't been excited for much recently."

  The lead-up to the anniversary of your parents' death will do that.

  My hand instinctively reaches for the heart-shaped necklace my parents bought me for my sixteenth birthday.

  "Chace, I--"

  The pad of his index finger covers my mouth, and he shakes his head. "Nope. I'm going make sure you enjoy yourself if it kills me, Lylah." He drops his hand. "Forget the notes for tonight. We'll figure it out tomorrow. Sonny can report it to the police or campus security or something."

  I sit back and bite my lip. My stomach is bubbling with unease for Sonny, but there's little I can do right now. Nodding, I turn my attention to the stage as the lights cut out altogether.

  The show is starting.

  I shift in my seat and watch. The drama students are incredible, but I can't get into their performance. My mind is on the notes and the fact that whoever sent them doesn't want anyone to know who they are. Surely if it's a girl who wants Sonny, she would make herself known? Right?

  It doesn't make sense.

  If I'd gone straight to the door earlier, I might have caught whoever it was. Now the person who bought us drinks is probably somewhere in this room. Watching the show. Or watching us. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

  Once the show is over and the lights flick back on, I'm on my feet. "Are you guys ready to go?" I ask.

  Chace chuckles. "Whoa, Lylah, where's the fire? Are you that eager to get to the after-party?"

  Crap. With everything that happened tonight, I forgot about the party. "Actually, I'm tired. I was going to go home."

  "Whatever. I'm going to love and leave you guys. Places to be and all that," Sonny says.

  Sienna grabs his arm. "Wait, Sonny! Do you think you should go alone with a stalker out there?"

  I don't know if she's being sarcastic or not, but Sonny laughs.

  "Hilarious, Sie. Don't wait up."

  Sonny jogs off, probably to some prearranged location to meet whomever he's seeing tonight.

  I watch him disappear in the crowd. "Do you think he's actually in danger?"

  "He'll be fine," Charlotte says. She walks beside me as we head toward the exit. "Thanks for making me come tonight. I really did enjoy it."

  "I'm glad," I reply. At least someone had fun. I'm not sure I did.

  "I think I'm going to head home with you too, if that's okay," she adds.

  "Me too," Sienna chimes in. "Nathan is a no-show, and there'll be more parties this weekend. I'm gonna call it a night and get my beauty sleep."

  Chace and Isaac look a little disappointed, but they insist on walking us back. "We came as a group, we should leave as a group," Chace says. "Well, except for Sonny."

  I flash Chace a smile, but I'm only partly paying attention as the audience trickles out of the theater. I'm looking for someone in a hoodie. I start chewing my lip, anxious to get out of the crowded space. Come on, come on. I don't want to be in the same room as a person who takes our photo rather than coming over to buy us drinks.

  Chace stays close, his chest almost against my back, as if he senses I'm on edge. Two bouncers on either side of th
e door stand with their arms folded, making sure the drunk students keep moving. They're both about the size of a house so I can't see many people starting trouble.

  Outside, it's even colder than it was earlier. The temperature has dropped, and ice starts to glisten on the concrete. The bitter wind bites into my skin through my coat. I wrap my arms around my stomach and huddle closer to Chace. At least I can blame it on the cold if he asks why I'm creeping closer to him.

  Chace's arm lands heavy over my shoulders, and I bump against his side as he pulls me close.

  Result.

  "Cold, Lylah?"

  "Yes. I don't like winter."

  "You're living in the wrong country."

  Don't I know it.

  "Oh my God!" Sienna shrieks, her voice so high-pitched it makes me wince.

  "Jesus, Sie. Only dogs can hear you," Isaac grumbles.

  I follow her line of sight. On the side of the library is a massive, artistically styled piece of graffiti. Red words, which look like they're dripping blood, read YOU WILL BE MINE. The artist has used blacks and grays to shade each letter, making the words pop.

  It's creepy, but it looks good.

  "He's talented," Isaac says.

  "How do you know it's a guy?" I ask.

  He raises his hands. "Or she."

  Smiling, I reply, "Thank you."

  "It wasn't you, was it, Lylah?" Isaac jokes.

  "Yeah, we all know her artist talent begins and ends with stick people," Chace teases, squeezing his arm around me.

  I'd snap something sarcastic in reply, but I am really horrible at drawing.

  We head toward our rented town house, which is about five minutes away. As we cross campus, we pass two guys running around dressed as cupids--all they have on is what looks like a sheet wrapped around their arses. I hope they get frostbite. Idiots.

  Laughing, I roll my eyes. "People are crazy."

  We turn the corner, passing the Coffee House--a favorite among us college students--and we're officially off campus. It's darker here, those tall trees shrouding the light as usual, which always makes me nervous when walking alone at night. Not that anything ever happens. I think there has been one mugging in the entire time I've been at college, and it doesn't even count because the mugger was shit-faced on Southern Comfort and robbed his own wallet from his girlfriend.

  Sienna walks in front of us, swaying her tiny hips. Isaac is right behind her, laughing at something she's said. On the opposite side of the road, walking toward us, is a guy in a hoodie. The guy from the club?

  I tug my lip between my teeth. It's something I've always done when I'm anxious. After my parents died I almost chewed the damn thing off.

  Chace chuckles. "Do you want the whole path there, Lylah?"

  "Huh?" I say, looking up at him. He's almost on the road where I've veered over, obviously not paying attention to where I'm walking and taking up most of the sidewalk. "Oh."

  He opens his mouth, but before he can speak, there's a loud crack as something hard hits the concrete. Chace tugs me to him as I whip my head in the direction of the noise. Red smoke billows from the middle of the street.

  "God!" Chace says, laughing. "That was impressive. I actually jumped."

  Sienna and Isaac are practically cheering, but I'm rooted to the ground, watching the hooded figure run away from us.

  The smoke slowly thins, fading pink before it disappears into the night.

  "What was it?" I ask.

  "Smoke bomb," Chace replies. "Pretty good trick. I probably would have held off for a bigger crowd."

  "Yeah," Isaac says. "If everyone is stepping up the prank game this year, we may need to do some planning after all."

  Chace smirks. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?"

  I frown into the distance where the man took off.

  I guess.

  *

  We crash in the living room, slouching on the sofas. Chace joins me on the love seat, and Charlotte, Sienna, and Isaac occupy the couch.

  "Want to talk about it?" Chace whispers, leaning his whole body closer to mine.

  I lay back and look up at him. "Talk about what?"

  "Whatever is making you so tense. I notice you, Lylah. Always have."

  Always?

  "I just can't stop thinking about the notes, the drinks, the graffiti, the smoke bomb. It's a lot to take in."

  "We saw a smoke bomb and graffiti last year," he points out.

  "Yeah, but they weren't linked. That graffiti read almost identically to Sonny's note. You can't seriously think this is all coincidental?"

  "Maybe not, but it's probably someone trying to mess with his head. Please don't let it mess with yours. I know it's a sensitive time for you."

  "I won't. I'm fine." I force my mouth to smile when I feel like screaming at him to stop rationalizing away my fears. And bringing up my parents. Chace has asked me a few questions about them since we met, but he respects that I don't want to talk about what happened. I can't. It's taken such a long time to be able to function normally, to breathe without feeling like I'm going to suffocate. I don't want to do anything that could take me back to a time that was so bleak I wasn't sure I'd survive it.

  Besides, talking doesn't always help, especially when you've had to confront the loss as many times as I have in therapy.

  I want to forget how it hurts to miss someone so bad that you want to die.

  "Nothing is going to drive me crazy," I say, a little stronger this time.

  Chace's shoulder bumps mine, and he smiles. "Glad to hear it."

  "Do you think we should call the cops about these?" Sienna asks, holding up the letter and picture. Sonny didn't care enough to take the photo with him, but Sie picked it up before we left the performance. I would have if she hadn't grabbed it. She was also the one who rummaged for the note after Sonny tossed it in the trash. At least it was on top of the bin.

  "Yes," I reply. "We should definitely call the police."

  "They're not going to do anything though. I mean, what can they do?" Chace says.

  "Fingerprints? You know, other than ours. There are probably other identifying clues. Don't you watch any detective shows on TV? Even if it started as a joke, Sonny needs to know who this is and the cops need to make sure she--or he--stops."

  "I wish we knew who sent them now. I have a great idea for a payback prank," Isaac says. "We buy those bugs they sell in pet shots for lizards and let them loose in their room."

  I shudder, the very thought making my skin feel like bugs are crawling all over it.

  "I just want Valentine's Day over with," I say.

  "Still feel awkward about the Jake thing?" Isaac asks. He laughs and ducks as Chace's arm flies out to punch him. Chace shakes his head and mouths something I can't read, but my guess is that it's a swear word.

  Literally this is all the material Isaac has to tease me with.

  "No, I don't feel awkward about Jake," I reply. It's been almost two years and the anniversary of my parents' death is still as painful as when my brother and I were first told we were orphans. But it's a massive lie to tell my friends that Jake didn't make me hate the day even more.

  Although it was mega-awkward with Jake for a while, we were cool before he left school. Or I think we were. Neither of us brought up the kiss again. And I haven't heard from him since he dropped out, besides exchanging brief Merry Christmas texts in December.

  "She has nothing to feel awkward about," Sienna defends me.

  Isaac holds up his hands. "I was kidding. You may have broken the poor guy's heart, but that doesn't mean you have to feel bad about it."

  I narrow my eyes to show him I'm not falling for whatever he's trying. "You're being dramatic, it was one almost kiss, and he was fine after. It's not like he proposed or something."

  Isaac scowls. "Fine. You're no fun."

  I give him a fleeting smile. "Sorry to disappoint. Now, if we can stop discussing my tragic love life, we can talk about pranks."

  Chace ch
uckles. "Lylah wants to join in this year."

  "Really? You usually don't want anything to do with them," Sienna says.

  "But now I have motivation. I really hope we prank the person stalking Sonny."

  "Baby powder inside the girls' swim team's hair dryers," Isaac says. "I volunteer to go in the changing room!"

  Sienna rolls her dark eyes. "Good one."

  "I want to do something like...burn a pile of cupid dolls in the middle of campus with fake blood all around them," I suggest.

  Chace laughs. "Jesus, Lylah. You sound like you'd enjoy that a little too much."

  I think I might. What does that say about me?

  Isaac smirks. "You really don't like this holiday, do you?"

  "Nope." I really don't. If my parents hadn't been on their way to a romantic celebration at a swanky hotel, they would still be here. They wouldn't be dead. My brother and I didn't even hear about the accident until hours after it happened. Riley and I arrived at the hospital to be told both our parents would be fine, don't worry, but they died minutes after the clock ticked past midnight into the fourteenth.

  "Anyway," I continue, switching the subject. "I'm tired and need my bed. Tomorrow we shop for baby powder, fake blood, and cupids."

  I say good night to my housemates, brush my teeth, and go to my room. Closing my door, I pad across the carpet. My dress comes off easily over my head, and I chuck it on the chair in the corner of my room. I'm usually tidy, but when I'm tired, I don't care. I pick up my pajamas that I left crumpled on my bed. They'll do for tonight. My eyes are heavy, and my legs ache. I can't be bothered to find another set.

  I slip on the fleece pajamas and instantly feel warm and cozy. They're lilac and fluffy with a unicorn pattern. I would never let Chace see these. When I leave my room in my pajamas, it's in one of the silk pairs.

  Gripping the edge of my quilt, I slide it back, and something stabs my thumb. My fingers part instinctively, and I yank my hand away. There's a small bead of blood on the pad of my thumb and a red rose lying on the floor between my feet.

  What the hell?

  Sonny.

  I press my lips over my thumb. Sonny has history of leaving surprises in other people's beds, like spiders or women's underwear in his friend's bed.

  Bending down, I pick up the rose by its stem and chuck it on my bedside table. Tomorrow I'm going to put something in his bed, and it won't be as pretty as a flower. Maybe I'll buy some prawns or fish heads or something that will really stink. If I were brave enough I would steal Isaac's bug idea.

  Whatever happens, Sonny is going down.