“You told her about the letters?”
“Of course I did. She’s your mother and she has the right to know.”
“I’ll call Cece,” I rushed to say as I imagined my mom insisting I move back in with her.
*****
I awoke to the sound of Cece throwing up in my bathroom. It sounded painful and I felt sick myself at the thought of her puking back up the pizza we’d ordered late last night.
Hovering in the doorway, I took in the sight of her kneeling over the toilet. “Are you okay? Can I get you anything?”
Cece flushed, pulling some tissue out of the box on the counter. “A time machine.”
“I thought you were happy about the baby.”
She got to her feet and began brushing her teeth with the toothbrush she kept here. “I haven’t spoken to Dante in almost two weeks and my parents still don’t know. Pretty soon I’ll start showing so I won’t be able to hide it anymore.”
“I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time, but I’ll always be there for you.”
She smiled pathetically around the toothbrush in her mouth. “Both our lives are a mess. You broke up with Caleb again because he was a dick and you have a stalker.”
“I’m thinking of getting my GED and moving to live with my grandparents in Arizona.”
“Can I go with you?” she joked and spit into the sink. “I might as well start looking into getting my GED. Who the heck is going to take care of my baby while I go to school? My parents are busy with the restaurant.”
“Dante’s mom would help out, even if he’s being a dumbass.”
“I hate him,” she said, her eyes watering.
“Is he still calling?”
She sniffed. “Not since Friday night. What if he met another girl?”
“He has enough problems, Cece. I doubt he’d be stupid enough to add another girl to the mix. Besides, he loves you and he’s just scared.”
“I’m scared! You don’t see me running to a clinic for an abortion.”
“Well, I think you made the right decision. I can’t wait to meet him or her.” I clapped my hands together. “Now that you’re stomach is empty, how about we go downstairs and fill it back up?”
“I am hungry,” Cece said, rubbing her still flat belly.
“How about leftover pizza?” I teased.
She groaned dramatically. “Anything but that.”
Cece left after breakfast, having told her parents she’d help with the Sunday lunch rush. Knowing I was freaked out, she promised she’d spend the night again tonight. She’d quit ballet altogether now that she was pregnant and I’d missed class yesterday because of Friday night’s drama.
Officer Novak arrived just after eleven o’clock. He’d asked that we forward the email to him last night and my dad took care of it for me after I gave him the password to my laptop.
When I answered the door to the police officer, I spotted Caleb’s red Camaro parked outside the house. Without acknowledging Caleb, who stepped out of his car at seeing me, I closed the front door.
*****
CALEB
Officer Novak was inside Gianna’s house and I didn’t know why. Had something happened over the weekend? Did another letter come in the mail yesterday?
Her dad had told me not to come back until Gianna was ready to talk to me. Despite the warning, I rang the doorbell one minute after she shut the front door.
Chris answered the door, rolling his eyes before stepping out of the way for me to enter. “I’m sure you’re dying from curiosity. Come inside, but if Gianna wants you to leave when Novak does, you’re out of here.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, wondering if her dad was secretly pissed about the paintings or if he even knew about them.
Advancing straight for Gianna, I took a seat on the couch next to her and grabbed onto her hand for support, lacing our fingers for a better grip. She gaped as if I were a stranger on the street. She had to have known I’d eventually push my way back into her life.
Officer Novak had stopped speaking at my appearance, but continued, “If the pictures do show up online, let us know and we’ll order that they be taken down immediately. As a minor, the laws are stricter.”
“What pictures?” I interrupted.
“Someone emailed Gianna pictures of herself from the night Josh Larsen attacked her,” Chris answered, taking a seat on the other side of Gianna.
I moved my arm around her shoulders and faced Novak. “Where the hell did those come from?”
With a wry look, he said, “Only three people could’ve taken them.”
“It wasn’t me,” I rushed to say. It wasn’t hard to figure out which three people he meant. “And it definitely wasn’t Ian because I was with him the whole time.”