The Complete Private Collection: Private; Invitation Only; Untouchable; Confessions; Inner Circle; Legacy; Ambition; Revelation; Last Christmas; Paradise ... The Book of Spells; Ominous; Vengeance (195 page)

“If there’s one thing you should know about me, Thomas Pearson, it’s that I don’t like unfinished business,” she said, dusting the dirt off her coat. “I always see everything through to the very end.”

“Good to know,” Thomas said groggily.

She tugged on the front of his coat and pulled him in for a final kiss. “See you later.”

Ariana stepped outside and took a deep breath. She hated leaving Thomas, but they both knew that she had to go. Paige couldn’t start asking questions again.

Trudging around the side of Gwendolyn Hall, Ariana ducked under low tree branches and stepped through brown grass matted with snow. Gray clouds had started to shift slowly over campus, casting smoky shadows over the looming buildings that dotted the grounds. In the eerie afternoon light, Easton Academy looked deserted. Ariana braced herself against a sudden gust of wind, trying to ignore the feeling of dread that began to weigh on her as she headed back toward Billings. She hadn’t even thought about what she’d say when she saw Noelle. Noelle, who could read her with a single glance.

Ariana steeled herself and headed into the wind. The next few months were going to be one big act. It wouldn’t be easy, she knew, but her hard work would pay off in September. In September, when she and Thomas would finally be together for real. Forever.

Ariana shifted uncomfortably in the vinyl booth, staring at the laminated menu in front of her. She had agreed to meet Daniel for lunch after her morning class. Predictably, he’d chosen 24/7, an overcrowded diner that served greasy burgers and fries to Easton Academy students twenty-four hours a day. In all the time that she and Daniel had been together, they’d never tried another restaurant for lunch. Never mind the fact that the only vegetarian dishes on the menu were the fries and a weak attempt at a side salad. He had never once asked if she wanted to try something different. And she had never complained.

“Order up!” a cook yelled from behind the counter, startling her. She checked her watch. Daniel was ten minutes late. She’d give him five more minutes before she headed back to campus. They had been back for less than a day, and already he was keeping her waiting.

“Hey, babe.” Daniel appeared next to her, leaning down to give
her a quick peck. His lips were rough against her cheek. “Sorry I’m late. Coach wanted to see me after class.” He slid into the booth across from her and rested his hands on top of hers, giving them a squeeze. “Been here long?” His cheeks were flushed from the cold.

Ariana shook her head, trying to shake the disappointment she felt at the very sight of him.

“I was running late too,” she said with a small smile.

She lifted her hand to her chest, touching the subway token that hung on the chain beneath her cashmere turtleneck, and searched Daniel’s face for any sign that he knew. Nothing.

“Good.” He pulled a menu from behind the silver napkin dispenser and opened it on the table. “God, it feels good in here. It’s freezing out there,” he said, rubbing his hands together and blowing into them. “Did you hear about your little friend Sergei?”

Ariana’s heart all but stopped. Daniel glanced up at her.

“They found his body in the lake. Idiot went up there by himself and apparently drowned.” Daniel sounded amused.

“That’s awful,” Ariana said, forcing her features into a look of surprised horror even as relief flooded her body. An accidental drowning.

Perfect.

Daniel’s brow knit. Suddenly he was all serious. “I know. But it makes you think, doesn’t it? Could have been one of us. We’re up there all the time. Someone could stagger out there drunk and
bam
!”

Ariana jumped in her seat.

“The ice breaks and that’s it. Over,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the menu.

“Well, maybe we should start hanging out somewhere else,” Ariana suggested, her mouth dry.

“Yeah. Maybe.”

Ariana’s skin felt tight. She closed her eyes against the garish light that poured over them from the swinging lamps overhead. She hated everything about being in this place with him: the sound of screaming children and cooks yelling out orders, the dizzying black-and-white checkered floor, the smell of grease hanging thick in the stale air. She took a slow, deep breath.

Why did she have to do this? No one gave a crap about Sergei. Daniel had just made that perfectly clear. So why, why, why was she here?

Ariana clutched her arm and breathed in and out.

Keep it together. This is all for Thomas. I have to stick to the plan. There’s too much at risk.

“Anyhow, Coach told me he got a call from the head coach at Harvard the other day,” Daniel said. “They want me to play there in the fall. The guy said he was really impressed with what he saw when he came down for homecoming.” He closed his menu and slid it to the edge of the table.

“That’s great,” she said brightly, resting her forearms on the table between them and leaning toward him. “I’m really proud of you.” The words spilled from her mouth effortlessly, as if they’d been scripted.

“Only problem is, my dad doesn’t want me to play during my first
semester.” Daniel lifted the gigantic plastic cup in front of him and took a polite sip of water. “He thinks it’ll be too much of a distraction.”

“And what do you think?” Ariana asked. She stole a glance at the ugly, neon-lit clock on the far side of the diner. If they hurried, she could be back on campus and with Thomas in half an hour.

He shrugged. “Don’t know. It’s gonna be a rough semester. Taking orgo and biology at the same time is really gonna blow. So maybe my dad is right.” He laced his fingers together on the table and flashed her a mischievous smile. “He was right about you, anyway.”

“Hmmm?” Ariana tipped her head slightly to the side. A loose lock of hair fell across her face, and Daniel reached over to brush it away. “What did he say about me?”

“He loved you.” Daniel beamed. “Both my parents did. They wouldn’t get off my case. Kept asking why I hadn’t brought you home sooner.” He reached for her hand. “And they really loved your accent.” He grinned.

“Works like a charm,” she said in an exaggerated southern drawl, warmth crawling from her neck into her cheeks. “I really liked them, too,” she lied.

“They want to get your parents to Southampton some time in August.” Daniel’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake. “I mean, your mom. Or your dad. Whatever.” He cleared his throat and pressed his palms into his wool pants. “Do they, like, ever do stuff together?” he hedged.

Ariana’s face burned with embarrassment. “Occasionally.”

Very occasionally
, she added silently.

She felt the familiar protective walls rising around her, and it did not feel good. She’d been so open about her parents with Thomas that she had to remind herself to be guarded with Daniel. He would never understand—not that she even wanted him to.

“Well, I’m sure they’d do
this
,” Daniel said. “I mean, if they knew how important it was to you.”

Not important at all, you mean?
Ariana thought wryly.

“I’m sure,” she said.

“Good. Anyway, my parents asked how serious we were. They wanted to know what our plans were for next year.” He looked relieved to be changing the subject, but as far as Ariana was concerned, this one wasn’t any better.

Ariana bristled. “What did you tell them?”

She had to concentrate to keep from tugging at the neck of her sweater. It felt like the diner was getting warmer with every passing second. Like it was a giant oven, and someone was slowly turning up the heat. Torturing her.

“I told them we’d make it work long-distance, and that you’d probably spend most weekends up in Cambridge.” He paused, searching her face. “I told them I loved you.”

Weekends in Cambridge? They’d never discussed how they would handle next year. She
already
had a plan for next year, and it didn’t involve Daniel.

“I love you, too.” The words sounded cold, mechanical, coming from her mouth. But Daniel didn’t seem to notice.

“Then it’s settled,” he said smugly.

Vomit. Barf. Heave.

Ariana imagined Thomas laughing at her inner dialogue and tried not to smile.

“Oh. And I also told my parents that you were unbelievable in bed,” he said, deadpan. “In fact, maybe we should head back to my bed right now. It so needs to be christened.”

Already taken care of
, Ariana thought wryly. Thomas would have
loved
it if she said that out loud.

“What do you think?” Daniel asked.

“Daniel!” she hissed, feigning offense.

“Sorry. Couldn’t resist,” he said with a wolfish smile.

Ariana clucked her tongue and shook her head, which was exactly what the old her would have done. What she really wanted to do was tell him she knew all about his conquest list and smack him across the face. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Instead, she watched him over the top of her menu as he looked around for a waitress.

Daniel was such an idiot. He believed that she loved him, and that she’d still been a virgin when she’d slept with him over break. Having sex with him had put her in control, and he didn’t even know it. He was the naïve one. Not her.

“Does anybody work here?” he said to Ariana. He sighed in frustration. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll be right back and then we can order.”

He slid out of the booth and ambled over to the restroom. Ariana watched him go with a smirk. She loved being in control.

She felt someone lingering next to the booth, and she glanced up to see a tall, pretty brunette staring down at her.

“Hi. I’ll have a small salad and a tea, but I’m not sure what he wants,” Ariana said, glancing toward the bathroom.

The girl smiled condescendingly. “I’m not your waitress, Ariana,” she said. “But if I had to guess what your boyfriend wants, I’d say it’d probably be a girlfriend who doesn’t cheat on him the second he turns his back.”

“What?” Ariana’s blood ran cold. Okay, there was no way she’d just heard the girl correctly. The diner was loud and crowded, and the girl must have somehow mistaken her for someone else. That was the only explanation. But how had she known Ariana’s name?

“What? You don’t agree?” the girl said blithely. Her voice was gravelly. Distinctive.

Ariana opened her mouth to speak, but the only sound that escaped was a sort of dry, strangled cough. She pressed her palms against her seat to steady herself. But her hands were slick with sweat, and they slid from the vinyl surface.

The girl lowered herself into Daniel’s seat. “He’s going to hurt you,” she said simply.

Her words sliced through Ariana like a sharpened blade. She studied the girl’s face: the gray eyes, the smooth, pale skin, the glossy brown hair that tumbled around her shoulders. Despite her pretty face, the girl had a harder edge than most Easton students. She wore a leather bomber jacket and an old wool cap. A threadbare navy scarf peeked out from under her collar.

Ariana steeled herself, faking nonchalance. Pretending that the very sight of this girl, the sound of her voice, didn’t send chills down her spine. They both knew better.

“I can handle myself with Daniel,” Ariana said.

“I’m not talking about Daniel. I’m talking about Thomas.” The girl laced her fingers together on the table and leaned forward. A red, angry cut ran the length of her right hand. “I’m starting to think you’re not as smart as everyone says.”

“Thomas?” The room started to spin around her. She’d heard that voice before, but where? She tried desperately to place it. But her mind had gone blank with fear.

“He’s not who you think he is,” the girl said quietly. “Even if he did make you pancakes or light candles to keep you warm at night.” She was staring right through Ariana with those glassy gray eyes. “Even if he promises to keep your secrets.”

Ariana’s mouth was completely dry, as if someone had filled it with sawdust. She tried to swallow but couldn’t. What did this girl know? And how did she know it? Ariana raised her hand to the subway token again

“Of course,
I
never made that promise.” The girl chuckled to herself, flicking her hair over one shoulder.

Ariana flinched. Was that a threat? Was this girl going to hurt her? Or worse, hurt Thomas? She cast a frantic glance toward the restrooms. Her first instinct was to search for Daniel. To find someone, anyone, who could protect her. But she stopped herself. Daniel could never, ever find out about this girl. She knew too much. More than too much. She knew
everything.

But how?

“Don’t bother,” the girl said smoothly, without turning around. “I’ll be gone before he gets back.”

Ariana felt as if someone had bound and gagged her. She was mute, powerless. At the mercy of this stranger. She swallowed the thick lump in her throat.

“Who are you?” she finally managed, her voice strained and unfamiliar. She was definitely no longer in control. She tried to fight the nausea that rose up in her stomach. This wasn’t happening. It wasn’t possible. The nightmare was supposed to be over, dealt with. “What do you want?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am. But what I want is Thomas,” the girl snapped. Suddenly, her eyes were ablaze with light. It was as if the very mention of Thomas’s name had brought her to life. Ariana clutched her own arm under the table, held on for dear life. “And he used to want me. Everything was perfect. We loved each other. And then one day, he told me that he still loved me, but that things were too complicated between us.” She blinked, her eyes boring through Ariana. “And then he found you.”

Ariana shook her head slowly. This girl wasn’t making any sense. Sure, Thomas had a reputation on campus, a reputation for getting around. But this girl definitely wasn’t an Easton student. Ariana didn’t recognize her face. But that voice . . .

“I always knew I was going to get him back.” A faint, faraway smile surfaced on the girl’s lips. “You’re just a blip. We were meant for each other.”

The girl was insane. “Thomas is with me now,” Ariana said, trying to keep her voice level. She slipped her hand into her bag, and her fingers closed around a pen. “Not you.”