Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
LUKE
It didn’t take too long for a missing person’s alert to go out. It’s not public; enough time hasn’t passed, but that’s the perk of coming and going from the dean’s home. You overhear shit. For the most part, I don’t bother to listen because I don’t care, but I do now.
When trying hard to recall the dead girl, the description does fit. It’s Coach Murphy. Who would want to kill the Ice Crew coach and shove her in a boathouse? That is one of many things I’ve been mulling over, but one issue is pressing down hard on me.
There’s the fact that Madeline Pearson had broken into her office.
I don’t think she offed the coach, but I also know that no one can find out about it either.
I don’t want a target or inkling of suspicion of any of this on Madeline.
It’s not helping that we saw the body either.
That would only stack up against her. It’s why I don’t say shit to my brother.
I do, however, need to talk to everyone.
I text Madeline and Grant. We all agree to meet at my brother’s. He’s out for the next few hours, and no one will overhear us there. It’s the safest bet. It doesn’t take them long to get there. I have everyone come up to my room. I don’t need Bennett walking in on this.
My eyes are on Madeline when she enters my bedroom. There isn’t much to it. The same as my dorm. I want to see hers now. It would be hard to guess how Madeline would decorate. She really is a mix of everything. You never know what you’re going to get.
“It’s the first time you’ve ever called me to hang out.” Grant winks at me. I ignore his comment but see his eyes go straight over to Georgia, who is peering around my room curiously. He’s into her. That’s got to be it. This might not be the worst outcome for me.
Madeline wants me in Georgia’s good graces. Grant can talk me up to her and possibly keep her occupied.
“Oh, you have Banana Kicks!” Georgia picks them up from my desk. “I love these.”
“They’re all yours,” I tell her.
“What?” For the first time maybe ever, Georgia makes eye contact with me. “Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“No, that’s okay. They can be a pain to get.” Oh, I fucking know that.
“It’s fine.” I shrug it off to downplay it, and I can feel Madeline watching me. I had to do some digging to get information on Georgia and what she likes and dislikes. It wasn’t easy or cheap. “We have a ton of them.”
“Oh.” She gives me a tentative smile. “Thank you.” It’s barely a whisper, and that shit hits me sideways. Georgia is intimidated by me. How could she not be? I only wanted people to leave me alone. Instead, I’ve got girls who weigh a third what I do hesitant to speak to me.
Georgia doesn’t think she’s better than anyone.
That assumption was on me. At this moment, I have never felt more like my father’s son, and I loathe it.
It doesn’t make me feel big that I’ve made her scared of me.
It has the opposite effect. Now Madeline has me pondering all kinds of shit, which will have to wait until later.
“Anytime. We’ve got more in the pantry,” I add.
“That’s sweet,” Madeline says, walking over to sit on the edge of my bed where her sweet ass belongs.
“Are you feeling okay?” Grant asks me. He’s always fucking asking me that, but he’s a perceptive fucker.
“I’m fine, but Coach Murphy isn’t,” I tell them. I might as well rip off the Band-Aid.
“Why are you saying that?” As Madeline asks the question, tilting her head to the side, I know she’s already putting it together.
“She’s the dead girl.” Georgia lets out a small gasp, and Madeline covers her mouth with her hand. Grant’s expression remains unfazed as he pulls out the chair at my desk for Georgia to sit in, and she mutters a thank you to him.
“Why would anyone want to kill her?” Madeline drops her hand.
“She is a cheater,” Georgia is the first to say, as if that were a reason for someone to die. If Madeline were mine, which she is, she’d figure that out soon enough; I wouldn’t kill her if she cheated. I’d kill him. I don’t care if he knew she was single or not. It would be for my own sanity.
“Oh yeah,” Madeline clues into whatever Georgia means. “That day you busted me.”
“He busted you for what?” Grant asks.
“Let her speak,” I bark, making everyone’s eyes widen. I clear my throat like it was an accident that I spoke so loudly. It was not.
“Lana is always getting chosen as captain or something like that.” She waves her hand. “You know, you heard Kory and me talking about trying to get a private vote. Well, we did, but Lana and Coach Murphy lied about the results. I snuck into that office to find the votes. Lana lost.”
“But Coach said she won?”
She nods a yes to Grant. “Someone knew what we were up to, and I never got a chance to ask for the private vote, but it happened.” Madeline jumps up from my bed. “And remember, Georgia, we thought it was so weird she’d done that.”
Georgia nods adamantly along with her.
“Yeah, that was me.” I don’t want her wandering down the wrong path. There’s no use in hiding things now. We all need to focus if we are going to figure this out before someone tries to pin this shit on Madeline.
“What was?” Madeline turns toward me.
“I pulled a favor with my brother and asked him to make the private vote happen.” I try to keep my face neutral.
“You’re saying you went out of your way to ask the dean a favor that doesn’t benefit you?” I’m going to lay Grant’s ass out later.
“I didn’t ask the dean. I asked my brother.
” I glare over at Grant in a silent shut the fuck up.
That is until I see Madeline staring at me with softness in her eyes.
That same expression she has when she’s speaking alone with Georgia and I catch them across a room.
It’s more open. Madeline has a tough exterior, but get below the surface, and I know it’s sweetness.
I want that sweetness, and that is the benefit. Grant was wrong.
“Why would you do that?” Madeline asks, but it’s not really directed at me. I hate how shocked she is that I would go out of my way for someone. It’s a perception that I’m determined to change. At least in her eyes. I’ll start there.
“Yes, please fill us in on why you would do such a thing, Luke.” Grant must have a death wish. It’s all fun and games to poke at me now, but it won’t be the next time we’re on the ice.
“Lana’s a bitch.”
“So you did it to get back at her?” Madeline’s shoulders draw back a fraction, but I catch it. When you’re on the ice, you pay attention to even the subtle movements; it can give you an idea of where your opponent is about to go.
Fuck me. I walked my ass right into that one, and there is only one way to fix it. I bite the bullet.
“I did it for you, Buttercup,” I tell her. “Why would I do shit for Lana?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She’s quick to brush it off. “We have other things we should be focusing on. I’d rather not focus on Lana.” All my focus is pinpointed on Madeline, and I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to.
I can tell that the fraction of softness I’d gotten seconds ago is now gone. How do I manage to fuck shit up with her even when I’m trying to lure her to me?
My trying to win her over isn’t working as well as I want.
When a strategy isn’t working, you adapt or lose, and I never fucking lose when it matters.
You have to know when it’s time to pivot, so that’s what I do, but with a plan because I know from the short time I’ve been around Madeline, she won’t be letting the situation go.
In my opinion, Coach Murphy isn’t my problem. It’s not my business. I didn’t fucking kill her, and she’s always been sketchy. She’s a tad too chummy with students. It’s weird.
“And what is it you think we should be doing?” I ask, going along. It’s my new tactic, and sadly for the dead coach, she’s going to be my in with my buttercup.
Is that being a dick? Sure. Do I care? Not one fucking bit.