Courtney noticed Blake watching. “Can I help you?” she snapped.
“Be nice, Court.” It was the first time Blake heard Luke admonish Courtney.
Shock flitted across her face.
“I hope you find your necklace,” Blake said to Farrah.
The group fell silent. Seven pairs of eyes darted between the ex-lovers.
Farrah’s fingers curled into a fist. Like Courtney, she remained silent.
Another boom of thunder rocked the air.
Huge droplets of water splashed onto the ground and blurred Blake’s vision. What started as a drizzle turned into a downpour. Panicked shouts filled the air as everyone ran inside to avoid getting drenched.
“My new Gucci!” Kris wailed.
Blake wiped the water from his eyes and followed the others into the lobby.
“Hey, you mind if I borrow your hair dryer? No way I’m going to make it to my homestay and back for the dance.” Luke raked his fingers through his wet locks.
“Yeah. It’s in my bottom drawer.” Blake tossed his friend his key card. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Cool. See ya.”
No one else spoke to Blake on their way to the stairs, though Sammy did throw him an odd look. He hadn’t been as hostile as the girls. He even said hi on a few occasions. But he’d clearly chosen a side in the breakup.
Farrah brushed by Blake. The air between them crackled with electricity for a moment, and then she was gone.
Blake waited until the lobby emptied before he placed his soggy certificate on a nearby table and returned outside.
“You are an idiot,” Sammy muttered under his breath. He dodged a puddle only to step in another one. Water splashed all over his shoes and pant legs. “Dammit!”
He had to leave his phone in the auditorium tonight of all nights, when the biggest storm of the year rolled into town. He didn’t realize he didn’t have his trusty electronic sidekick until after he changed for the dance.
Sammy checked his watch. He had half an hour to get to the auditorium, find his phone, return to his room, and change before the buses left for the dance.
FEA paid good money to reserve a hotel ballroom for the semester sendoff, and the money-minded Wang laoshi made it clear: anyone who missed the bus would have to find their own way to the hotel. On a normal night, he could take a taxi but trying to find an empty cab on a night like this? Good luck.
Olivia’s going to kill me.
Sammy had the auditorium in his sights when he noticed a figure lurking in the bushes nearby.
His pace slowed; his heart rate quickened. No one in their right mind would linger outside in this weather. The figure was either a crazed murderer or just plain crazed. Either way, Sammy had no interest in being that evening’s homicide news item.
Lightning streaked the sky and illuminated the figure, who wore a familiar gray T-shirt and jeans. They rifled through the foliage like they were looking for something.
Sammy’s pulse returned to normal. “Blake?”
Blake’s head snapped up. He didn’t have an umbrella or raincoat on, and his shirt was so soaked it looked black. “What are you doing out here?”
“I left my phone in the auditorium.” Sammy stepped closer and raised his umbrella so that it covered both of them. “What are you doing out here?”
This was their first real conversation since Blake and Farrah’s breakup. Sammy nearly fell over when he heard about their split. It didn’t make sense. He’d seen the way Blake looked at Farrah. There was no faking that kind of emotion.
There had to be more to the story than Blake was telling them. But it didn’t matter. If Blake wanted to tell them the truth, he would. Otherwise, it was best to let Farrah grieve and move on instead of trying to fix things and making them worse.
“I’m looking for my contacts.”