20. Chapter 19 #3
“Or someone is pretending to be her,” he said, pointing at the last opened letter. “Case in point. Or, worst-case scenario, Briar is working with someone to lead you into some sort of trap.”
“Briar wouldn’t do that,” she snapped.
“I’m only bringing up a possibility.” He propped his elbow against the throw pillows next to him, his index finger picking at the side of his thumb. “There was a time when I thought I knew someone. Knew everything there was to know. But they turned out to be entirely different.”
“No.” Ivy pushed herself off the couch, crossing her arms and pacing in front of the coffee table. “That’s not Briar. We were best friends and told each other everything.”
“So this person would’ve seen you sneaking around and possibly Callum being taken?” Ezra asked, picking up the letter to examine it closer.
“Seems like it.” Ivy sat back on the couch, reading the essay again for any clues she may have missed. She could feel his stare boring into her without even looking at him. “What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’?” he asked, scoffing and tossing the letter back on the table. “Someone is watching your every move, Ivy.”
“Yeah, I’m aware,” she said. “Someone was at the library the other day, someone who didn’t want to be seen. When I noticed them…they cast an illusion spell and ran off.”
His jaw tightened. “And you didn’t report it?”
“Well, the dean already brushed me off about Briar’s death,” she said, forming air quotes with her fingers. “I’m sure she would find some light stalking another normal thing for this school.”
“Ivy, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.” He ran a hand through his hair and rose from the couch.
“And you do?”
He looked back at her, his mouth opening, but nothing came out. And before he had the chance to answer her, the front door opened and Maeve bounced inside. Ivy quickly grabbed the papers and shoved them into her bag before Maeve could see them.
“Oh, good, you guys are back already!” Maeve said, her eyes bouncing between the two of them. “Pizza for dinner? While we eat, we can talk about how we’re going to prepare for the exam this Friday. I’ve been thinking about it all day. And…are you two all good?”
Ivy glanced at Ezra, and he smirked. Before she could say anything, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “We’re practically friends already.”
Ivy’s face instinctively contorted into a grimace, and she lightly pushed him away. “We’re neutral.”
Maeve giggled. “As long as you aren’t at each other’s throats, that’s all I care about.”
“Why don’t I get the pizza since you’re letting me sleep on your couch for the week?” Ezra asked.
Maeve and Ivy nodded, and a few moments later, he left. Ivy grabbed her bag and placed it in her room. “How’d your day go?” she asked when she came back out.
Maeve shrugged. “Uneventful.” She grabbed a tea bag from the box on the counter, then turned on the stove burner for the kettle. “So how are things between you and Ezra really? It felt…intense when I came home.”
“They’re fine.” Ivy took a cup from the cabinet and filled it with water at the sink. She took a big gulp before placing it on the counter. “He apologized for everything this morning after class.”
“Good, I was worried th—”
A scratching noise came at the door, drawing their attention, and a single blue envelope slid beneath the crack. Ivy sprinted from across the room, throwing the door open. But when she stepped into the hallway, there was nobody there.
She turned around to see Maeve holding the letter, her brows knit together. “What’s going on? I’m assuming this ain’t an official school letter. Otherwise, you wouldn’t look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She stumbled back into the apartment, closing the door and locking it behind her. It was the second letter her stalker delivered here, and clearly, they didn’t care who was home. What would’ve happened if it were only Maeve? Ivy needed to tell her the whole truth.
“You remember me telling you about Briar?”
Maeve nodded.
“What if she’s…not dead?” she asked.
Maeve peered at the letter, her head tilting slightly as she thought Ivy’s words through. “What do you mean?” She handed Ivy the envelope. The kettle whistled, and she retreated to the stove to pull it off the heat.
“I don’t think she’s dead, and I have proof,” Ivy said, moving to the counter next to her. “But I do have reason to believe she’s in danger. And…it’s possible that whoever is after her is also after other students.”
Maeve was silent for a moment as she poured the boiling water into her mug. She placed it back on the stove gently and braced both hands on the countertop. “Other students…like Callum?”
“Yeah.” They stood in silence, each of them dealing with the weight of the mystery unfolding. “If you want to know everything, I’ll tell you. But if you don’t want to know or be involved, then we can leave it at this. I won’t hold it against you.”
Maeve turned, her fingers toying with the ends of one of her braids as she eyed the envelope in Ivy’s hand. Her shoulders straightened as she dropped her arms to her sides, and she nodded. “Tell me everything. Whatever’s going on might affect us all. So if I can help, I will.”