Suspicion

  "What?" Noelle said.

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  "They did?" My heart began to race.

  "I remember it because Daniel was right in the middle of a winning streak at craps and Paige totally pulled him away. Remember?" Taylor said to Kiran. "You had to finish his roll."

  "I remember crapping out," Kiran said bitterly.

  "They were gone for a while," Taylor said, looking at the others. "I don't even remember seeing them again until we were all going out to search for Reed."

  Once again, my friends fell silent. I felt sick to my stomach and set my untouched smoothie aside. Where had Paige and Daniel gone? Had the police arrested the wrong man? But they had found the necklace. Then again, how hard would it have been to plant it there?

  Suddenly I heard a shout from inside the house and everyone on the patio except the cavorting boys in the pool turned to look. Someone was yelling. Two someones. And I realized with a start that one of them was Upton. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but a sudden crash startled everyone to their feet.

  "What the hell?" Paige blurted, jumping up from her chair.

  She raced across the patio area to the wall of glass doors that fronted her living room. The rest of us were right on her heels. As we walked inside, the frigid, air- conditioned air hit me like a slap to the face. On the floor was a hammered-metal vase, the big yellow flowers it used to hold strewn in an arcing pattern across the tile. Upton and Daniel were facing off in the middle of the living room, and Daniel was red with rage.

  "Just give it to me and I might not kick your ass!" Daniel said, holding out his hand.

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  "Daniel, calm down," Upton replied calmly but firmly. In his hands was a bottle of wine, clearly the object of their contention.

  "You guys, what's going on?" Paige demanded. They completely ignored her.

  "Don't tell me to calm down!" I flinched as Daniel kicked the metal vase clear across the room like a soccer ball. "You think you can just walk into someone's house and take whatever you want? You're so fucking entitled? "he shouted, the veins on his neck protruding. "Not everything belongs to you, man!"

  Poppy looked around at us with an apologetic, but somehowproud, expression. We all knew that Daniel was talking about her more than the bottle of wine.

  "I told you, I didn't take it," Upton replied, holding the bottle out to the side. "Your mother gave it to me."

  "Yeah, right," Daniel shot back. "Mother would never part with that vintage. That bottle's worth two thousand dollars."

  "What do you want me to tell you, mate?" Upton asked, with a shrug. "Ask her yourself."

  Daniel's jaw clenched. "Give me the bottle, Upton."

  "No," Upton replied.

  "This is the last time I'm going to ask. Give. Me. The bottle," Daniel said, advancing on him.

  "What are you goingto do? Hit me?" Upton asked.

  Daniel pulled his arm back and did just that. The crack of fist against jaw sounded like a baseball bat shattering into pieces off a fastball. An involuntary screech escaped my throat and was echoed by

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  the surprised shrieks of every other girl in the room. Upton wheeled around but didn't fall, and somehow kept hold of the precious wine bottle. He was just straightening up when Mr. and Mrs. Ryan rushed in from the stairs in the center hall.

  "What is going on in here?" Mr. Ryan thundered.

  Mrs. Ryan stooped to retrieve her battered vase and held it in front of her at waist level with both hands, almost like a shield. She regarded the flowers on the floor with distaste, as if their fate was upsetting her more than the fight her son was having.

  "Upton stole a bottle of wine from the cellar," Daniel replied, spittle flying from his mouth and showering the floor. "I'm just trying to get it back."

  "Daniel, Upton did no such thing," Mrs. Ryan said calmly, but in a scolding tone. "I gave him that bottle."

  "What?" Daniel asked, his eyes going glassy. "No. You couldn't have.. .."

  Mrs. Ryan stepped up next to Upton like a protective mother hen. "He was down in the cellar looking for ideas for a special occasion he's planning, and I told him to take the bottle."

  I felt a hot blush climbing up my neck and onto my face as Noelle glanced at me with a question in her eyes. I knew exactly what the special occasion was, and, as always, it seemed Noelle had figured it out too.

  "Now, Daniel, apologize to Upton," Mrs. Ryan said.

  Daniel turned and looked at Upton, who merely stood there. To his credit, Upton didn't appear triumphant at all. He merely looked like

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  he wanted this whole ordeal to be over already. Daniel, however, was still the color of tomato sauce.

  "It'll be a cold day in hell," he spat.

  "Daniel!" his father shouted.

  For the first time since I'd met him, Daniel ignored his father completely. He took a step toward Upton, his expression full of ire. "The next time I see you, you'd better be prepared."

  "Daniel," his mother said with a gasp, "what is the matter with you?"

  But Daniel had already turned on his heel and was striding away. He shoved through a door at the far end of the room and disappeared from sight.

  "All right! That's it!" Kiran said, breaking the silence. She stepped away from the group and turned to face us. "That guy is not coming to my party."

  "What?" Paige blurted. "You've got to be kidding me."

  "It's just too much drama," Kiran replied, holding up both hands. "I will not ring in the New Year with a fight. Daniel is out."

  "I don't believe this. You're disinivitingpeople now? What is this, seventh grade?" Paige said with a laugh.

  "It might as well be," Kiran said.

  Paige crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. If Daniel's not coming, I'm not coming."

  "Me as well," Sienna added, lifting her chin haughtily.

  "Fine. All of you stay home," Kiran said, waving a hand in Poppy's direction. "I'm sick of you and your negative vibes anyway."

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  "Us!?" Poppy screeched, bringing a hand to her chest. "If anyone's brought negative energy to this island it's her!" She pointed a finger at me, leaning forward for emphasis.

  "We've so heard this riff already, and I am beyond over it. It's Kiran's party, and if she says you're out, you're out," Noelle told them. "And I, for one, say brava on the decision." She turned to Paige and Daniel's parents while looping her arm around my back. "Mr. and Mrs. Ryan, thanks for a lovely afternoon, but I think you'll agree we should be going now."

  Mrs. Ryan pursed her lips. Her curly auburn hair trembled ever so slightly. "Yes. I believe that would be best," she said, glancing at Upton and his bottle of wine.

  "Happy New Year, ladies," Noelle said over her shoulder. "Maybe your resolutions should be to quit being such whiny bitches."

  Then she tugged me toward the center hall, getting us out of there before either of Paige's parents could react to the fact that their daughter had just been insulted right in front of them in their own home. The other girls, as well as Dash, Gage, West, and the Hathaways, trailed behind us. I suppose they figured they'd better take our side if they wanted in on the party. I heard Upton murmur a few words to the Ryans, then he jogged to catch up with us.

  "That went well," he said facetiously.

  "Whatever. I'm sick of their crap," Noelle replied. "If they're gonna dish it, they better be ready to take it."

  Then she shoved open the heavy door and we all stepped out into the sunshine.

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  KISS BUSINESS

  "All right, people! We have business to discuss!"

  Kiran and Taylor emerged on the patio outside the great room at Noelle's house, several flutes of champagne in hand. Amberly rushed forward in her slinky pink dress to relieve them of a couple of the glasses and passed one to Tiffany. Kiran handed one to me and left one on a glass-topped side table next to Noelle, who was checking her eyebrows in a compact mirror as the sun set over the ocean.

  "B
usiness? I thought this was a pre-party party!" Tiffany replied, taking a swig of her champagne.

  "It is. But we need to figure out who will be kissing whom at midnight," Taylor said with a wicked grin. She plucked a caviar-and-toast-point hors d'oeuvre from the silver platter on the table and popped it into her mouth. "You know, just so there's no confusion."

  "Well, we all know who Reed will be kissing," Tiffany said, slinging her arm around my neck.

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  They all made the obligatory smoochy noises until my face was about to sear off my head. I adjusted the thin strap on my red dress and turned to look out at the ocean, waiting for the blush to subside. But now, all I could think about was Upton and how we planned to take it way beyond the kissing-at-midnight stage tonight, and the blush became permanent.

  "Well, don't any of you bitches get any ideas about Dash," Noelle said.

  "Obviously," Kiran said, rolling her eyes. She lifted one perfectly manicured finger. "I call Graham!"

  "What!? No fair! You didn't even give us a chance," Amberly pouted.

  " I thought you had a thing for Sawyer anyway," Tiffany said, reaching for anhors d'oeuvre.

  "I do not!" Amberly protested way too loudly. "But I guess if Graham is out--I mean, if I have to. .."

  I glanced over my shoulder at Amberly, whose blush was even deeper than mine. She was definitely not good enough for Sawyer. I almost wanted to warn him to be on the lookout for blond morons on the prowl, but I had faith that he could see right through her shiny veneer to the unoriginal soul inside.

  "That leaves West and Gage," Kiran said, looking from Tiffany to Taylor. "What's it gonna be, ladies?"

  "I am so not kissing Gage," Taylor said, lifting a palm. "I'll fight you for West if I have to, Goulbourne," she said to Tiff. "I've been doing cardio kickboxing three times a week for the last nine months. Consider yourself warned."

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  Tiffany shrugged one shoulder. "Whatever. I'll pity-kiss Gage."

  "Pity-kiss?" Noelle said with a laugh. "I would kill to see his face if he heard that one."

  Tiffany giggled, then hiccupped. She held her fingertips to her glossy lips for a moment and composed herself. "I know, right? But given what a he-slut he is, he's gotta at least have good technique."

  Everyone laughed. Noelle snapped her compact shut and lifted her champagne glass. "All right, then. Now that we're all sorted, I'd like to make a toast."

  We gathered together in a small circle, bubbling crystal flutes at the ready.

  "To the best year of our lives," Noelle said. "But most of all, to Reed. May this year be free of drama, my little glass-licker."

  My heart filled with giddy hope. The very idea that Noelle would dedicate the final toast of the year to me somehow made me feel as if her words were going to ring true.

  "To Reed!" Tiffany cheered.

  "And to no drama!" Kiran and Taylor added.

  We all clinked glasses just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

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  PATIENCE

  Upton's arms were locked around me in the back of the speedboat as we raced out to the private island locale Kiran had secured for our New Year's Eve bash. It was a surreal sight, all those small, sleek vessels tearing across the waves in the dark, leaving the lazy lights of the big island behind and careening toward the bonfire that raged on the beach up ahead. As we zoomed closer, I could hear the pounding of drums throbbing over the engines of the boats, and could just make out something undulating along the dock. I glanced at Upton in confusion and he shrugged. Even through my fear, being out on the water once again, I felt a thrill of excitement. This was definitely going to be a night to remember.

  The boats pulled up to the dock one by one and I finally saw that the undulating was actually the movement of a dozen native dancers, moving in sync to the beat of a drums- only band. They danced around, laughing and shouting to each other, welcoming us onto the dock.

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  Upton helped me up from the boat and we shimmied out of our life vests, handing them to our captain. All along the dock, other guests did the same. Sawyer, Graham, and West had come over together, and Noelle and Dash had shared a boat. Bringing up the rear were Amberly, Tiffany, and Taylor, but it seemed as if there were already dozens of people on the island, mingling under big, white lights. As Upton tipped our captain, Kiran came striding down the dock in a short purple dress, her hair pinned back with one white orchid.

  "Welcome to our very own island of paradise!" she shouted, earning whoops from the crowd. "And there's our guest of honor."

  I shot Sawyer an apologetic look as Kiran moved forward and grabbed his arm. She dragged him to the front of the crowd, where he stared at his shoes, blushing uncontrollably.

  "Nowlet's party!" Kiran cried.

  As the group surged forward, I detached myself from Upton's side and made my way over to Sawyer. "I swear I'll make sure they keep the fawning to a minimum," I promised him.

  "Thanks," Sawyer said under his breath.

  I, of course, had my own plans. No matter how much he protested, I couldn't let his actions go by unheralded. But I wasn't going to go overboard. No skywriting or fireworks or anything. Just a simple speech later in the evening. After everyone, including Sawyer, had a chance to have a few drinks and decompress.

  "Mind if I borrow my girl?" Upton said.

  He grabbed my hand and tugged me away without waiting for an answer. I cast a glance over my shoulder at Sawyer and saw him still

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  standing there, left behind while everyone else joined the party. I hoped he would find a way to get involved in the fun and let loose a little bit, but in the next moment my attention was forcibly dragged away. Up the sandy hill, on a rocky ledge overlooking the bonfire on the beach, was a wide wood-plank dance floor where several attendees were already dancing to the songs spun by the DJ. Athatched-roof bar stood near the top of the dance floor, and the two bartenders behind it were working so hard they were sweating. Up a rocky pathway to one side of the bar was a burbling hot tub surrounded by flutes of champagne and trays of fruits and sweets. Down another pathway closer to the beach was a plunge pool lit from below, its water glowing like an aquamarine stone in the moonlight.

  "Kiran has thought of everything," Upton said, pulling me close to his side.

  "I didn't think to bring a bathing suit," I told him.

  "Perhaps you don't need one," he said slyly, nuzzling my ear.

  "Okay, down, boy. How about we start with a dance?" I said, pushing him away with a hand to the chest.

  "All right then."

  He pulled me onto the dance floor and held me so close I felt as if every inch of my body was touching every inch of his. Upton was an excellent dancer. He not only knew how to keep a beat, but he was so confident and self-assured that when he moved his hands down my back and over my hips it didn't feel awkward or contrived at all. It just felt . . . incredible. I looked into his eyes as we danced. Soon I had forgotten anyone else was there.

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  "Maybe we should get out of here," I murmured in his ear. Upton smiled. "Patience," he said in an infuriatingly sexy tone. "Later I'm going to go back to the main island to make sure everything's arranged. I've hired one of the boats to take you back a bit after that. For now, let's just have a little fun."

  With that, he grabbed my hand and twirled me away from him until our arms were perfectly straight. I was so startled I lost my balance and knocked into some random guy, who tripped into his date. "Sorry!" I said with a laugh.

  "No worries. It's a party," he replied in an Australian accent. Couldn't have said it better myself. For the next hour we all hit the dance floor hard and heavy. The drinks were flowing and my friends got louder, messier, and more touchy-feely with each passing moment. I made sure to steer clear of the alcohol, though. Upton had said this was going to be a night neither of us would ever forget. I wanted to make sure I was completely present for all of it.

  Soon a whole group of us
was dancing together at the center of the dance floor, and I smiled when I saw Sawyer allow himself to get dragged in by Taylor and Amberly. He managed a smile as he joined us and just sort of stepped from side to side to the beat. But the more we all twirled and bounced and acted like complete morons, the more he seemed to relax. I even saw him touch Amberly's hip once when she was dancing all up in his face. So maybe he couldn't see through her shiny veneer, but whatever. It was a parry. Let the boy have his fun.

  During one of our brief breaks, I sidled over and jostled him with my elbow.

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  "You're having fun, aren't you?" I said. "Don't deny it, I can tell."

  "It's not bad," he replied, leaning back against a palm tree near the edge of the dance floor. He looked me in the eye and smiled. "This might turn out to be an okay year after all."

  I grinned. "Well, since you're in such a positive mood, I think I should get this over with," I said mischievously.

  Sawyer, smart guy that he was, looked alarmed. He stood up straight as if ready to bolt. ""What? "

  "I know you hate the spotlight and everything, but I have to do this," I replied, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the DJ. "You'll forgive me one day."

  "Reed, what're you doing?" Sawyer asked, glancing around for an escape route. To his credit, however, he didn't struggle against my grip. I stepped up next to the DJ and waved him down to get his attention. "Can I get the mic for a second?" I asked.

  "You Reed Brennan?" he asked.

  "Yep," I replied. I had asked Kiran to clear it with him earlier.

  He nodded and handed over a silver microphone. "S'all yours." Then he turned down the volume on the driving dance music until it was nothing but background noise. Gradually the people on the dance floor slowed their movements and looked around in confusion.