Chapter 2

The motel room was dead quiet.

My phone wasn't.

The class chat kept lighting up.

The sign-up list had hit twenty-nine.

There were thirty people in our class.

I was the only one missing.

Then Ada tagged me.

[Simone, you're literally the only one left. Hurry up and add your name!]

[I booked all thirty spots! It's already paid for!]

A few girls close to Ada jumped in right away.

[Simone, Ada's finally spending money for once. You can't bail!]

[Seriously! You never miss class dinners. You have to come!]

I watched the messages pile up.

Then I took a breath and typed.

[Sorry, guys. I signed up for a test-prep course.]

[I've got off-campus sessions for the next few days, so I can't make it back in time.]

[Have fun. Thanks for treating everyone, Ada.]

Then I muted the chat.

Less than a minute later, Lily DM'd me.

[Simone, you're seriously not going? Did you and Ada fight or something?]

Lily was sweet, trusting, and probably the person I was closest to in the dorm.

[No. I really do need to study for the exam.]

I stared at her cute profile pic for a second.

That bad feeling came rushing back.

After a second, I sent another message.

[Lily, don't you think Ada's being way too generous?]

[$3,600? She won't even buy water without splitting the bill. Where'd she get that kind of money?]

Lily replied almost instantly.

[She said she got a part-time job. Something with fancy business events. She can make like $800 a day.]

[Come on, Simone. You're way too paranoid. Something good finally happens and you're already overthinking it.]

My eye twitched at "fancy business events."

I tried one more time without making it obvious.

[Ada worked for that money too. I just have a bad feeling about this dinner. If you can get out of it, do it. Make up an excuse.]

Lily replied right away.

[No chance. Ada and I already made plans. We're riding over together after class tomorrow.]

[Okay, go study. I'll leave you alone. I need to figure out what I'm wearing tomorrow. Mwah!]

I stared at Lily's sticker, my stomach dropping.

I'd said everything I could.

If she still wanted to walk straight into a trap, I couldn't stop her.

The next morning, I went back to campus.

We had a required class for our major, and the professor was brutal about attendance.

Miss one class? Automatic fail.

No way I was letting Ada's weirdness cost me credits.

The second I walked in, the chatter died.

Ada was in the front row wearing some designer outfit I'd never seen before, with a bunch of girls crowded around her like fans.

The second she spotted me, she lit up and came straight over.

"Simone, you're finally here!"

She hooked her arm through mine, way tighter than necessary.

"Think about what I said last night, okay? You can take that exam anytime. Bosfa lobster? Not so much."

I slipped my arm free.

"I really can't. I already paid for the course. Skipping would be a waste of money."

Ada's smile dropped.

"Simone, we're roommates. I finally planned a class dinner, and it won't be the same without you.

"You seriously can't bail on me like this."

The more she pushed, the worse my gut felt.

"I really can't. Thanks, Ada."

Before she could argue again, I headed straight to the back and took my seat.

I didn't hear a word of that lecture.

From the back row, I kept catching Ada looking my way.

The second the bell rang and the professor left, I grabbed my bag and bolted.

"Simone!"

Ada yelled after me.

I didn't turn around.

I ran straight out of the building and all the way to the campus gates.