40. Annalise
Chapter forty
Annalise
My eyes roam over the card straights and runs spread out across the table in front of each of my friends.
Three twos and a run of diamonds are in front of Sasha.
Three fours in front of Emily. Four aces and two runs in front of Theo.
More combinations than I can count before I’m being yelled at for taking too long in front of Matt, and a big ‘ol goose egg in front of Ian, same as every other round before this that’s sent him so far into the negative; he’d be about ready to claim victory if we were racing toward five-hundred negative instead of positive.
Ian groans and pushes his chair back. “I need to pee.”
He gets halfway to standing before I catch him glancing straight at Sasha's cards. “Oh, you bastard!”
Ian freezes, then drops back into his chair, laughing. “What?”
For a second, everyone is looking around the table in confusion, but as I share what I just saw, the room erupts.
Matt’s throwing fries at him; Sasha’s throwing her slipper.
Ian catches Theo’s candy bar to the chest and laughs even harder. “This is an even better payout!”
“You did the same thing five minutes ago when you said you needed to use the bathroom, didn’t you?” Emily asks through her tears.
“I could have needed to use the bathroom.”
Sasha grabs a fry from Mattey’s plate and launches it across the table. “And when you said you needed another fork!”
“I really did need one! Mine fell, and I’m pretty sure it’s lost forever under Matt’s bed now.”
Ian ducks when Emily launches more snacks in his direction, and he’s laughing so hard he nearly knocks over his drink.
“You people are violent!”
As we slowly calm down, a thought strikes me.
“Ian, if you’ve been cheating this entire time, how are you losing so horribly?” I ask, sending us all into another wave of laughter as he tries, and fails, to come up with an excuse.
Once we’ve all gathered ourselves and Sasha’s reminded me it’s still my turn, she claps her hands, proudly announcing she’s heard a new rumor about the bear attacks.
A collective groan sounds around the table.
“Oh, come on,” Sasha says. “You know you want to hear it.”
“I really don't,” Ian says, looking to me for backup I wish I could give, but I can’t.
The truth is, I’ve tried eavesdropping each time I have heard even the slightest mention of the attacks—something frighteningly rare considering how much everyone here loves to spread drama.
“Ooo! Let’s hear it.”
Sasha's eyes light up as she wiggles in her seat, ready to spill the tea. “So, apparently the bears aren’t trying to hurt people…”
Ian frowns. “I don’t understand?”
“Do they think the bears are trying to have a tea party but just keep getting the menu wrong? Like, ‘Oh no, that’s not a biscuit. That’s a recruit.’”
“As I was saying…” she says, glaring at Mattey and shutting him up. “Rumor is they're looking for something.”
“Looking for what?” Emily asks, though the words could have come from any of us as we all wait on bated breath.
“I don't know…”
“What kind of rumor is that? Who doesn’t give a theory?”
“It’s a mystery! And it’s more than you know,” Sasha laughs, her tongue sticking out at Em’.
“Uhm, excuse me! I happen to know a few very important things about the attacks.”
“Like what?” Theo asks curiously, missing the mischievous smile on her face.
Emily holds up a finger.
“First: Bears are terrifying.”
“Fair,” he chuckles.
“Second: I could absolutely outrun one.”
“No, you couldn't,” Ian says.
She holds up a third finger, conveniently her middle. “And third: Even if I can't outrun them, I can at least outrun two of you!”
“Someone told me they're enchanted!” Theo says, causing Matt to snort.
“Enchanted? You mean like pooping glitter and peeing rainbows?”
“No, seriously. I heard someone in Spell Casting say there were traces of magic around one of the attack sites.”
“Which one?” I ask, making a mental note to ask Hunter about it later.
“No idea. Don’t worry though, we’ll keep you safe.” Theo smiles at me from across the table, his gaze lingering for a second longer than necessary.
I blink at him. “That's nice.”
His smile falters for half a second as he realizes how that came out. “I mean all of you ladies…you know, if one attacked and Matt, Ian, and I were there...”
“Riiiight. Because you have a history of—
“Ow!” Matt yells as my foot connects with his shin.
“Oh, sorry,” I coo in the most sickeningly sweet tone I can muster. “Your leg was in my way.”
“My leg was nowhere near you!”
“Hmmm.”
“I'm going to start charging you for assault.”
“Oh no! What will they do? Increase my time?” I laugh.
“You're violent.”
“You're annoying.”
“You love me.”
“Unfortunately,” he grins, looking around the table, his eyes landing on Theo and holding until Emily pipes in, looking equally evil.
“We should do another girls' night.”
Matt's head snaps up. “No.”
Emily stared at him.
“I wasn't asking you.”
“Still no.”
“Matt.”
“No.”
Sasha leans back like I do, ready to watch the battle of wills and quick wit.
“Oh, this is going to be good.”
Emily crosses her arms. “Why can't we have a girls' night?”
“Because.”
“That's not an answer.”
“It is when I'm giving it.”
Theo laughs, completely unaware. “What's wrong with a girls' night?”
“This doesn’t involve you.”
Theo shrugs. “Annalise is a big, tough girl. I'm sure she can take care of herself and doesn’t need to ask you for permission.”
The air changes instantly as Matt's smile disappears and the rest of us forget how to breathe.
“Don't,” he warns. “You don't know what you're talking about.”
I reach over and catch Matt's wrist before he can say anything else. “Mattey, he doesn’t know. You know that.”
His jaw tightens as Theo's expression shifts.
“Know what?” Theo asks, understandably confused.
“Anything it seems…” Matt shoots back, a look of challenge in his eyes.
Thankfully, we’re saved from any other outbursts when Ian clears his throat. “So...the weather…”
Emily jumps in immediately. “Who wants another round?”
“Drinks, yes!” Sasha cheers brightly. “Everyone’s just thirsty! We need drinks!”
“I’ll take another beer,” Ian calls before Theo and Matt grumble that they’d like the same.
“I'll help,” Emily says, ready to escape.
Ian nods toward me. “You?”
“Margarita.”
Sasha’s already to her feet. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it! Extra tequila. No salt.”
When they return a few minutes later, Matt, Theo, and I are still sitting in an uncomfortable silence.
It isn’t until Emily places my glass in front of me that Matt finally cracks a smile. “That's going to end badly.”
“I can handle one margarita.”
“You can…it’s the fact that this is your second that has me concerned,” he laughs, bumping my arm.
I took a sip, and it’s absolutely perfect!
Sasha raised her glass. “To questionable friends, questionable choices, and whatever the hell else we’re about to do. May the consequences be someone else’s problem. Skibble and prosper, bitches!”
We all clink glasses, and thankfully Theo takes the hint and doesn’t ask what skibble means when I shake my head.
The night gets progressively louder after that.
The card game dissolves into old memories being told—several at my expense. Sasha somehow manages to knock over her drink twice and insists the table is moving.
Then, somewhere between another round and a very heated argument over whether a three-minute-long hug is considered cuddling if you’re standing, Sasha claps her hands and declares we’re now playing truth or dare.
Matt groans. Theo blushes. And Emily's eyes light up.
“Oh, yes.”
“Yes,” Sasha confirms. “So, Lee. Which is it: Truth or Dare?
“Truth.”
“Boring,” Ian teases.
Sasha taps her finger against her lips dramatically, then to my horror, her eyes flick to my phone.
“Who are you texting?”
I blink. “What?”
“You keep smiling at your phone.”
“I do not.”
“You do.”
“Not.”
“Either way, you picked truth. Now spill!”
My stomach flips. I thought I’d been inconspicuous. Messages between rounds. Pretending to check the weather for the week so we could plan a beach day.
But all the while, I’d been texting Orion—the name I’d given Hunter much to his annoyance.
He hated being named after a constellation, but thankfully, he liked being caught texting and sexting a recruit even more.
I pick up my phone. “It's nothing.”
Sasha gasps as Theo leans forward, showing interest in the game for the first time.
“Is it a guy?”
I take another sip of my margarita. Maybe the alcohol’s making me braver, or it’s making me dumber, but either way, I smile and tell the truth: “Yes.”
The table erupts.
“Oh. My. Gods!” Emily squeals.
Matt nearly chokes on his beer at my admission.
Sasha slapped both hands against the table. “I KNEW IT! Well, I thought it might be…someone else, but I KNEW you were talking to a guy!”
“You knew nothing.”
“I did! But I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! Who is he?”
I look down at my phone as it vibrates with a new message from Orion.
How’s game night, beautiful?
I smile before I can stop myself.
Sasha points. “THAT FACE!”
“You're ridiculous.”
Matt’s smile as he looks from my phone to meet my eyes is devilish. “Orion is it?”
Shooting him a glare, I turn to Emily and start the game back up.
By the time Mattey walks me back to my room, my head is pounding hard and heavy.
I can’t help but feel disappointed as I open my message thread with Hunter. After he’d sent the question, he went radio silent.
Me: Good. Getting the third degree about you, Orion.
Me: How’s your night? What are you up to?
Me: We’re just about to call it a night.
Nothing.
Me: Everyone just left. You awake?
Still nothing. Maybe he was busy prepping for next week's classes. Maybe he went flying with Kali. Maybe he went out with his friends.
Maybe—
I type one more.
Me: Goodnight, Orion.