I hate exercise with a passion.
And thanks to our lift being out of order once again, I’m now sweating, not prettily either.
Then there’s CJ standing next to me, looking amused as hell. He doesn’t even look effected and he’s carrying my crate that’s filled with books and two bags of luggage. It would have been one, but we needed to go out and buy something to put my goodies in, otherwise we would never have gotten them into the car.
I think the only time I’ve seen him sweaty is when he’s playing rugby. And he doesn’t even look like a drowned rat whilst sweating, no, he looks goddamn edible.
It’s unfair.
I whimper, wanting to cry.
CJ, the traitor, laughs. “You’re exaggerating, Cupcake.”
I wheeze again, one arm on the stairwell banister and one on my bent knee. I glare up at him. “They do this shit on purpose, I swear. It was broken before we left for break, and before we left, I told them it better be fixed by the time I got back—well, I got Jordan to do it, but the message was clear! I wanted it fixed. I was fed up of walking up seven flights of stairs.”
He throws the bags over one shoulder whilst stalking toward me. I stand up, wary. When he bends down, shoving his shoulder into my belly, I grunt, the air whooshing out of my lungs as he throws me over his shoulder before bending down to pick up the crate.
“CJ,” I squeal, gripping the back of his jeans with all my might.
He slaps my arse, so I slap his back, laughing when I feel his teeth graze the skin that is showing near my hip.
“Come on, I’m starving and you’re taking your sweet-arse time.”
My eyes narrow. “They’re freaking steep and exhausting, you know. They should install those moving platforms they have at the airport. They’d be great.”
“The stairs aren’t straight,” he chuckles, carrying me up the last two flights.
“So, who cares? Make little mini ones on each flight of stairs. I can’t keep doing this exercise stuff. It’s killing me, CJ. Killing me. I feel like I’m about to have a heart attack.”
He laughs uproariously, not caring that it’s a little insulting. I’m in real health danger here. My heart can’t take the rate it’s going.
He puts me down on the floor, moving the bags over to the other shoulder. “Let’s go show Willow what you’ve won and order those pictures to be developed.”
Distracted and excited once again, I nod, rushing to the door that leads to our hall. “I can’t wait. I’m going to give her my old kindle, and then set up my new one. Can you believe it’s purple?”
He chuckles, shaking his head at me before dropping the stuff in front of my door. He pulls me into his arms, looking down at me lovingly. “I’m glad you’ve had a good weekend. I’ve really enjoyed myself too.”
I beam up at him. “I’ve had the best. Thank you again, CJ.”
We move together, our lips meeting in a heated kiss.
My thoughts drift to his hands touching me, then to my hands touching him. There’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I read it in a book a few weeks ago.
All the stories I read have sex scenes. Some make me glad I’m a virgin, some make me want more, and some… they intrigue me. And the one that got my attention was a scene where the female lead is giving her man a blowjob, but she does this thing with her tongue, her hand, and a finger. It made me curious as to whether it’s as pleasurable as it sounded.
I’m about to suggest we sneak off to his flat, when a throat clearing behind me has us pulling apart.
I turn, finding my other best friend, Alex, looking red and embarrassed at catching us kissing. “Alex, hey. You are never going to believe who I met over the weekend and all the stuff I got. And most of it was free,” I tell him, my excitement building once again.
I want to tell everyone and anyone what I got up to. I want the world to know what an amazing weekend I had. And Alex loves reading as much as me; he just doesn’t read the same genre I do. He’s more into sci-fi and paranormal.
“Just don’t ask questions, it will take her longer to finish telling you,” CJ laughs. “I was there and she still replayed everything that happened. Twice.”
Alex laughs, looking down at my bags. “You just got back?”
“Yeah, we got stuck in traffic. It was lined up for hours.”
“Looks like you had fun. Is that all the books you bought?” he asks in bewilderment.
I look down at my bags, frowning. “Um, not all of it.”
CJ laughs, grabbing his key for my flat and opening the door. “Dude, don’t listen to her. It’s all fucking books. I had to chuck my T and jeans just so she could fit more in.”
I pout. “Hey, I couldn’t leave without the T-shirts you bought me.”
He kicks the crate with his foot, sliding it across the floor toward the entrance of the kitchen, before bending down and picking up our bags.
“Allie, is that you?” Willow calls.
“Yeah! You are never going to believe what an amazing time I’ve had.”
She comes running into the hallway, her face pale and her body trembling. “You need to see this. They found a body. It’s all over the news.”
“What?” CJ and I ask at the same time.
“Come on,” she urges, before heading back into the front room.
We follow as Willow goes straight to Cole. Jordan and Becca are here, sitting in front of the television, the sound louder than we normally have it.
“It’s been playing on repeat for an hour,” Cole says, and I look to find him watching CJ.
CJ rubs the back of his neck. “Fuck!”
I ignore the two and step closer to Jordan and Becca, sitting between them on the sofa. Alex moves to sit on the floor at the end, tucking his knees to his chest as he, too, watches on as a reporter standing outside a blue tent starts talking.
“Whithall Police department were called down to Rally River when a passer-by found a young woman, dead. Police have confirmed the young woman is Linda Cooper, who was reported missing on Monday 23rd January by her parents, Caroline and Antony Cooper.
“There are no witnesses at this time, but police are urgently asking anyone to come forward if they have any information or were around Rally River from five a.m. this morning.
“Whithall police will also be investigating local areas for any footage that could help lead them to the killer.
“Whithall University has issued a message to all students to be vigilant of their surroundings. The police believe the murder is connected to the murder that happened at Whithall University in December.
“Melissa Atwood gives her statement about her ordeal this morning. Over to you, Doug.”
The screen switches to the other cameraman’s view, where a younger man stands next to a middle-aged woman outside a house. In the background, there are tons of people watching, some weeping quietly as they listen to what she has to say.
My stomach turns as I think of what Linda Cooper must have through, what the girl’s mum and dad are going through. It’s devastating.
“Can you tell us what happened this morning?” the news reporter asks.
The woman nods, wiping under her eyes. “I take my dogs out every morning along the river. The dogs started barking, so I ran over to see what was happening, and saw the young girl. At first, I thought she was just passed out—I’ve walked that trail for years and have encountered more than one passed out drunk, since it’s close to some of the local clubs. But something didn’t feel right when the dogs started whimpering. I just didn’t imagine it to be what it was. When I touched her, she was so cold…” She pauses, more tears sliding down her face. “I didn’t know. She looked so peaceful, her hands resting under her cheek, like she was praying. The hair at the back of her head had been cut off. I called for the police straight away. I’m still in shock. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to walk down that path again after this morning. My heart goes out to the family.”
“Were there any wounds on the victim?
”
I gasp at the audacity of his question. How heartless could he be?
The woman narrows her eyes, wiping her nose with a tissue. “No, but I’d like you to respect the young woman who was killed, and her parents who are grieving the loss of their only child.”
The man looks shocked to be answered back to on live television, but nods, looking back to the camera with a guilty expression. “Back to the studio.”
The news reporter at the studio swings his head back to the screen. “Thank you, Doug.” He puts his finger to his ear, like he’s listening in. “We just had a statement come in from the Cooper’s.” The screen once again changes to show Linda’s parents. They both look incredibly tired.
“Our beautiful daughter is gone. Words cannot describe the grief and shock of what we are going through. Linda was loved by many. She will be missed, she will be remembered, and she will be loved. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time. Nobody wants answers more than we do right now, but at this moment in time, we would like to grieve the loss of our daughter alone.”
Cole mutes the television, leaning back against the chair he’s in, pulling Willow against him. The room is quiet as we soak in what has happened. Those poor parents. That poor girl.
“I know everyone will say this would never happen to them, but this just proves it can happen; it could be you. I know you girls love your independence, but from now on, you aren’t to walk out alone. This girl was taken in the morning, in broad daylight. This person isn’t scared about being seen,” CJ says, sitting across from me, next to the television.
He doesn’t even need to push this. I agree wholeheartedly. “I agree.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Willow whispers, still watching the screen where messages from Linda’s friends run across the bottom.
“How do they know it’s connected to Christie’s murder?” Cole asks.
Me and Jordan share a look. Both of us know more than we should since we got those files. I haven’t told CJ and telling him now will make it look like I lied to him. I didn’t; I just withheld the information.
“What was that look for?” CJ asks, looking between me and Jordan.
Jordan clears her throat, sitting forward. “I know how it’s connected,” she tells him, then looks at me.
I nod, sitting forward and clasping my hands together. “When we got back, Jordan brought me all the information she got on Christie’s murder.”
“What?” CJ explodes, standing up. He runs his fingers through his hair, pulling at it and looking ashen.
I stand, meeting him in the middle of the floor and taking his hands in mine. “I didn’t go looking myself. I promised you that much. But I needed to know, CJ. I needed to know this had nothing to do with Logan. I couldn’t risk putting Willow in danger again. I couldn’t,” I tell him, my eyes watering.
He runs his fingers through my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sniffle, wiping my nose with the sleeve of my shirt. “You made it clear where you stood on the matter, but I needed to do this.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Willow asks, her voice shaky. She never saw the connection between Logan and Christie. She presumed, like the rest of them, that Christie just pissed off the wrong person. She wasn’t exactly known for being nice.
I turn to look at my best friend. “I failed you once, Willow; I wasn’t going to do it again. If it turned out not to be related to Logan then I would have scared you for nothing. You weren’t sleeping back home. You had nightmares every night and it killed me inside because I did that to you,” I tell her, putting my hand up to stop her when she goes to interrupt me. “I know what happened wasn’t my fault. I get that. But I’m still partly to blame for the pain you all suffer. No matter what you say, that much is true.”
CJ pulls me into his arms and I go willingly, resting my head against his pec and wrapping my arm around his waist. “Cupcake, you should have come to me. If I knew it meant this much to you I would have helped. And you have to stop blaming yourself. You can’t be responsible for what others do. They have their own minds.”
I look up at him and smile. “I didn’t want you to be mad.”
He looks like I slapped him, and it hurts. “I’d never be mad at you, Allie, ever. I may raise my voice, but only in worry, in concern, and that’s because I love you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m sorry for not talking to you about it.”
He kisses me lightly before pulling away, shifting us so we’re facing the room.
“What did you find out?” Cole asks, his expression blank.
I shrug. “Not a lot. Nothing really ties Christie’s murder to Logan. He had no reason to kill her, other than for revenge, which seems petty and a little farfetched since he’s in prison. If it had happened before she testified, then I would have understood. I’m going to keep researching, but after this second murder, I might need to take a step back. I can still do my piece on Christie’s murder or on something else.”
“What makes you think these two murders are connected?” Cole asks, cuddling Willow to his chest.
“The hair,” I whisper, feeling sick.
“What?” both he and CJ ask.
Sensing my reluctance to answer, Jordan speaks up. “I got the files on Christie’s murder. In it, it says a chunk of hair was cut and taken from her head. She was also placed peacefully in bed, similar to the position Linda was in when she was found. It’s like he feels remorse for killing them. I don’t know. He could be a complete psychopath. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is that Christie was stabbed, and this girl wasn’t.”
Alex clears his throat. “It does seem strange. Why do you think he’s taking their hair?”
Jordan looks to a pale Alex and shrugs. “I’m not sure. A memento?”
He looks away, staring down at his phone. “I’ve got to go. My nan needs me to mow the grass.”
He gets up, leaving with a goodbye. When the front door shuts, CJ pulls me over to the sofa, sitting me down on his lap. “He’s mowing his grass in January?”
Cole chuckles. “He is a little weird.”
“Leave him alone. He’s my friend.”
“He did look a little pale before he left,” Jordan mentions. “Hope he’s okay. I know how sensitive he is. I bet you he’s worried about all of this.”
“True,” I murmur. “The other week he did say he wished the police would do more to keep us safe. He even complained to the university about the drug dealings he keeps witnessing at the back of the library. They put a camera up, but it was destroyed when they broke into the library. He probably doesn’t feel safe here anymore, and he has reason to believe that. I’ve tried to keep his mind off things, but he can be a little closed off at times.”
CJ looks at me with love in his eyes. “You’re a good friend to him.”
“He doesn’t really have anyone else. People aren’t nice to him because of the way he dresses and looks.”
He looks at me guiltily. “I’m sorry. I’ll try harder, but I can’t promise anything. We have nothing in common with each other. I can deal with weird—I am going out with you, after all—but he doesn’t like letting people in,” he says. I slap his arm over the comment about me being weird, even though I know he’s joking.
“He has you there,” Willow giggles.
“Nah, I can see what CJ is saying. Every time we’ve tried to get to know him, to make friends, he’s acted withdrawn and weird. The only time I see him comfortable is when he is with you girls and no one else is around. He acts himself then,” Cole adds.
“How would you know that?” Willow asks, voicing my thoughts.
“You guys didn’t hear us come in once when you were all watching movies. We were getting a beer out of the kitchen and watched how is with you. He seems like a good lad, just a little weird. I don’t think he’s had great past with other males.”
I never really noticed. He’s a little shy, but now they’v
e mentioned it, he does seem more comfortable when it’s just us girls.
“Maybe you all intimidate him.”
“Probably, but he has to know we’d never hurt him,” CJ says.
“He does, but I’ll talk to him again. He did get bullied a lot at school, so it could be because of that.”
“I’m going to see if Rosie is a wake,” Jordan says, and that’s when I notice she isn’t here.
“Is she okay?” I ask softly, looking at Jordan and Becca.
Becca’s expression is sad. “She didn’t sleep again last night. Me and Jordan sat with her this morning to try and distract her. She fell asleep while Jordan bored her to death by explaining the Game of Thrones family trees.”
I giggle, looking at Jordan’s annoyed expression. “I didn’t bore her. She was just relaxed enough to sleep in my presence.”
“Lord, I was falling asleep. My brain hurt trying to keep up with who was related to who, and a little disgusted over siblings sleeping together. And I heard they kill horses. I don’t get why people rave about this show.”
Jordan rolls her eyes before getting up. “When Rosie’s better, I’ll watch it with her. I’ll have to skip parts, but other than that, it’s the shit. The girl has dragons, Becca. Dragons. I want to be Daenerys Targaryen when I grow up.”
“You are grown up,” CJ mutters. He taps his chin, smirking. “But I wouldn’t have minded doing Daenerys Targaryen when she walked out of that flaming hut in Vaes Dothrak.”
“Really?” I drawl dryly.
He smiles now, pulling me close. “Cupcake, you’re all I’ll ever need, but maybe we should have a rule for one person. Yours could be your book boyfriends and mine could be her or Blake Lively.”
I just roll my eyes and turn back to the others. “Men.”
“Well, after that important information, CJ, I’ll defo sleep tonight,” Jordan says sarcastically, before getting up and leaving the room.
We all laugh, watching her go.
“I swear, even with her horrible taste in TV shows, I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s been so good to Rosie, and I know if she didn’t keep her on her toes, Rosie wouldn’t be Rosie anymore. Sometimes I think it’s only Jordan keeping that last part of her intact,” Becca says, a faraway look in her eyes.
Game Over (Whithall University Book 2) Page 10
