He tipped his head like I was being dense.
“Okay, I don’t usually go out, but I’m going out now.”
Goddamn it, Avery was probably halfway down the driveway by now.
“Going out where?” Dane asked, coming down the stairs.
I swore under my breath. Avery was getting farther away. I didn’t have time for this shit.
“Fine. Avery said she’s meeting a friend. I’m… curious. Plus there’s a murderer on the loose.”
“You were going to follow her?” Beck asked.
“Am,” I said, opening the door. “Iamgoing to follow her. You got a problem with that?”
I didn’t wait to hear his answer. I needed to catch up to Avery.
I’d barely cleared the porch steps when the door opened behind me. A second later, Beck was walking next to me.
“Fuck it,” he said. “We’re just looking out for her.”
It wasn’t convincing. “Looking out for her" wasn’t the only reason he wanted to join me in following Avery.
Dane caught up with us halfway down the driveway.
I felt oddly satisfied as I looked over at him. Misery loved company, and clearly I wasn’t the only one wrapped hopelessly around Avery’s finger.
He scowled. “What?”
I wanted to give him shit but his glare told me to choose my words carefully.
“Nothing.” I picked up my pace. “Move your ass. We don’t want to lose her.”
29
AVERY
Main Street was surprisinglybusy and I wondered if it was because of the town meeting or because it was almost summer. Winter had receded, leaving Blackwell Hollow in the perfect in-between of spring, when it was warm enough to go out in shorts but not hot enough to require a ponytail.
Clara stepped onto the sidewalk as I passed, a patchwork bag over one shoulder and a set of keys in one hand. “Hello there!”
A long skirt flowed around her legs, and her silvery hair was loose around her shoulders, making her look like a beautiful, wise crone.
“Hi.” I stopped walking. “Closing up for the night?”
She nodded. “Going to run home and grab a bite before the town meeting.”
“I’m heading there myself,” I said.
“Are you?” She sounded pleased.
“Lena told me about it. We’re meeting up.”
“Oh Lena is such a sweetheart.” Warmth flashed in Clara’s blue eyes. “I’m glad you’ve met. It’s good to know people your own age in town. Other than the guys, I mean.”
I tried to keep a bland expression on my face even though every mention of the fact that I lived in the same house as Beck, Noah, and Dane threatened to make me blush, like every person in town knew I’d let Beck give me an orgasm, that I would have done the same with Noah if we hadn’t been in public, and that I was increasingly fantasizing about adding Dane to the list.
I didn’t even bother reminding her that I wouldn’t be in town long. Like Dorothy, I was sinking into Oz, my old life further and further away.