Chapter 17
FIVE DAYS LATER
“Can I just kill him already?”
Regardless of whether we’re at Rebecca Bloom’s funeral, Jupiter doesn’t bother muting her voice as she stares at Jack with nothing but disgust.
Kit, Dandy, Jupiter, and I stand in the back of the full church. I’m certain the whole township is attending. Some are mourning, but most are here out of morbid curiosity.
The town’s it-girl is now dead.
Police are everywhere, watching for any signs that might hint at who the killer is, which is why I nudge Jupiter with my shoulder to keep her quiet.
Dandy and Kit have been distant all week. I’m guessing that’s because Jupiter can be a lot. But a part of me likes having her close by. We were best friends for a long time, and everything she said to Kit at the motel was true.
But I know she grows restless, and sooner or later she will take matters into her own hands, whether we like it or not.
Jack hasn’t cried. He seems relieved now that his collateral is gone.
I suspect he’s got in contact with the girls he assaulted and struck a deal with them. Money talks, and to some, they’d rather be paid than face the judgment of this town.
Seeing him incites my anger.
But I rein it in.
No expense has been spared. The largest bouquet of pink roses sits atop Rebecca’s casket. The color reminds me of the day she ridiculed me in front of the entire school. She deserves to be here.
And next is her brother.
As each day passes, killing Jack seems like the logical thing to do. No one is really talking about it, but it’s all on our minds.
Jupiter and Kit haven’t killed one another—yet. Dandy speaks to her, hoping she’ll shed some light on who she really is.
But she doesn’t budge. She doesn’t like him, and he doesn’t like her. It feels as though they’re both jealous of each other’s friendships with me.
Kit’s hand is in mine, offering me support as always. But there’s a distance between us which is understandable. It’s a lot to take in. But he hasn’t run. He’s stuck true to his word that he’s here to stay.
And that’s why I’ve decided to speak with Jupiter tonight.
I want this to end.
This isn’t fair to Dandy and Kit.
They don’t have to know. Or be involved.
This started with me.
And it will end with me.
Jupiter and I will do this together.
Jupiter is the one to now nudge me with her shoulder, as if reading my thoughts.
She always seems to know me better than I know myself.
Once this is finished with Jack, it still leaves me with what to do with Jupiter. I know she won’t simply go away. And a part of me doesn’t want her to.
But she can’t stay here with Kit and me.
So I’m stuck.
To use Jupiter to ambush Jack and then bid her farewell once I’m done feels heartless. Besides, the only way she’ll leave me alone is if she too meets a misfortunate demise.
I can’t do it, though.
It feels wrong.
It feels as though I’m killing a part of myself too.
Some Mariah Carey song sounds, hinting the ceremony is over. The mourners cry, sniffling into their handkerchiefs or the shoulders of their loved ones.
While Jupiter and I—we smile.
It’s done.
“Ding-dong, the bitch is dead,” Jupiter whispers into my ear.
I muffle my laughter.
Both Dandy and Kit turn to look at me.
I soon compose myself.
The priest welcomes everyone to offer their condolences to the family, which is our cue to leave. Jack can’t see us. If he does, he will alert the police and have us arrested.
We make a swift exit and walk toward the car.
Jupiter’s mood is high, hardly appropriate for a funeral. But I feel every skip to her step because I too am happy. Kit and Dandy just appear troubled.
We get into the car and drive back to Kit’s home in silence.
Kit and Dandy excuse themselves and convene in the garage. I want to follow, but it’s apparent that whatever they want to discuss is private. Jupiter and I walk into the kitchen, and although it’s early afternoon, Jupiter reaches for two wineglasses.
She pours us some red.
We sit at the kitchen counter in silence, but she soon breaks it.
“You want to do it tonight or tomorrow?” she asks, in sync with my thoughts. “You know it’s the only way.”
I sip my wine. “Tonight. He’ll be vulnerable after the funeral. And probably drunk. He knows my face. But he doesn’t know yours. We do this together.”
Jupiter closes her eyes for a moment, as if things have aligned. “Our roles are now reversed,” she says, referring to the fact that she is now the bait and I’m the killer.
“Kit and Dandy can’t know. But how do we sneak out undetected? Kit will know something is wrong when I’m missing.”
Jupiter opens her purse and produces a bottle of over-the-counter sleeping tablets. “Kit is going to have a well-deserved rest.”
I look at the bottle with guilt. I don’t want to drug him, but they’re over the counter. I just need him out for a couple of hours. That’s it.
“You’re keeping him safe,” Jupiter says, reading my concerns.
Eventually, I cave. “We’re going to mildly sedate him, not overdose him, right?”
When Jupiter hides behind the rim of her glass, sipping her wine, I reiterate, “Right?”
“Yes, all right, Jesus, when did you stop being fun?”
When the front door opens, Jupiter quickly puts the pills back into her purse.
“What are you girls gossiping about?” Dandy asks.
I see that he’s alone.
I wonder where Kit is.
Dandy stands opposite Jupiter and me at the counter. He reaches for my wine and takes a sip.
Jupiter dismisses him. “I’m going to lie down.”
“Okay, rest well.”
Dandy doesn’t bother bidding her farewell.
Since her arrival, Dandy and I haven’t really spoken much. I realize he might feel replaced. I’m an idiot for not seeing it sooner.
“You know I love you, right?”
Dandy nods, his eyes heavy. “I love you too. But Jupiter…does she really need to be here? I mean, do you really need her?”
I place my hand over his. “This will be over soon.”
He pales. “What does that mean?”
I’ve said too much. But I can’t take it back. “I don’t know. I just know that things will get better.”
And I mean it.
“They have to.”
Dandy doesn’t look convinced. “Let’s run away. Like we always planned to. There’s nothing but painful memories here.”
“We’re not kids anymore,” I say sadly, because sometimes I wish we were.
Dandy lets out a resigned sigh. “Jupiter isn’t going to help you, Hallie. She’s not someone you should rely on. I get that she gives you comfort, but she’s not—”
“Enough, Dandy.” Kit enters, kissing the top of my head.
I didn’t even hear him.
He and Dandy exchange looks. They’re up to something, which just confirms Jupiter and I must do this tonight.
“Go rest,” Kit says, his signature smell wrapping me into a sleepy bubble.
Taking a nap sounds like a great idea, so I don’t fight it.
I give Kit a quick kiss on the lips, sensing that something is wrong. Maybe he’s having second thoughts about everything. Not that I’d blame him.
Exhaustion tackles me as I walk to Kit’s bedroom, step out of my black dress, and slip under the covers, falling fast asleep.
I wake to someone playing with my hair, and I instantly know it’s Jupiter.
I open my eyes, surprised to find the room is dark.
I wonder how long I’ve been asleep.
“You look so peaceful when sleeping,” Jupiter whispers, her breath soft against my cheek.
Her head is on my pillow.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to her before.
Regardless of what she’s done, I still think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
Although dark, the moonlight from the parted curtain reveals she’s naked. Her breasts are small with the most perfect pink nipples I’ve ever seen.
The space between us isn’t claustrophobic. It’s comforting.
She reaches out and gently brushes her finger along my top lip. I don’t know what’s happening, but I don’t want it to stop.
“I love you,” she confesses, her green eyes vulnerable.
Like me, she’s just scared, and we’re trying our best to be brave in a world that’s been nothing but cruel.
And that’s why I say, “I love you too.”
She seems relieved that perhaps she’s lovable to someone in this world.
She closes the space between us and presses her lips to mine. This isn’t unusual, but this time, she parts my mouth with her tongue, and we make out. She’s soft and tastes sweet. It’s different from kissing Kit.
She reaches for my hand and places it on her breasts, coaxing me to touch her.
Her skin is warm.
Her nipples are hard.
Our tongues intertwine with one another’s, exploring while I continue massaging her breasts. She moans into my mouth.
I am so turned on. I feel it—every inch of me is on fire.
With our lips still locked, she reaches around and unhooks my bra. The moment my breasts spill free, she breaks our kiss only to kiss down my neck, before licking down my chest and taking my left breast into her mouth.
She coaxes me onto my back, lying on top of me, and takes my nipple into her wet, warm mouth. My back arches off the bed.
I feel her hot sex rub against my underwear, shooting a current straight through me. She’s circling my areola with her tongue as she slips her hand into my underwear and rubs two fingers along my outer sex.
When she feels how wet I am, she slips a finger into me.
I cry out, opening my legs wider.
She continues playing with me and slams her lips over mine. We kiss like starved fiends, as this has been a long time coming.
I feel my orgasm approaching, but realize I want to taste her before I come. Breaking the kiss, I shuffle down the bed, unsure what the proper protocol is. But I go with it.
This moment is carnal and feels nothing but right.
Jupiter, however, shifts our positions so my face is aligned with her sex and hers with mine. I take off my underwear, and the moment I do, she presses her mouth over my pussy. She licks and sucks, making out with my sex as she did my mouth.
Her pussy is bare and pink. It’s perfect.
I lower my mouth to it and mimic what she’s doing to me.
I lick along her outer lips before lazily sinking my tongue inside her. She spasms, moaning into my pussy. The warmth of her mouth sets me on fire.
Our bodies move in sync, like we are one.