Page 148 of Pretty Thing

“It’s not you,” Eden says, slipping her arm around my waist.

“Guess we should get going.”

“Yeah.” The word sounds so dejected. I’d feel bad, except for the fact that Eden needs to keep her distance from Kris.

Tucking Eden into my side, we walk toward the door. She keeps looking back like she expects Kris to come chasing after us. That won’t be happening anytime soon. If she dares to badmouth me again…well, she’ll get to see her brother sooner rather than later.

It’s a shame, but that’s what happens when you can’t leave well enough alone.

eden

That’s strange.

Kris being distant makes sense. She hates Felix no matter what I say. She’s even gone so far as to blame him for Kyle’s death, which is ridiculous. She claims Felix is dangerous, then she decides to make nice, but leaves when I offer to help like she can’t get away fast enough.

It doesn’t add up.

Felix taps his finger on the steering wheel to the song on the radio like this is just another day.

“Are you sure that’s all Kris said to you?”

He glances at me and then back to the road. “Yeah…although I found it strange, I don’t want to be her enemy so I agreed to get along…why, did she say something to you?”

“She’s just been acting so weird. She practically ran from me just now.”

He shrugs.

“I hate to say this, today of all days, but your friend is a little dramatic. She’s never even given me a chance. Then again, she may just be upset about her brother and not coping. I don’t know her well enough to help. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah…maybe,” I say, but I don’t believe it.

My mind doesn’t want to shut up, and by the time we get back to the loft I’ve gone through a million possibilities. It only gets worse when I text her, and she doesn’t respond.

Even after we’ve gone to bed and Felix is sound asleep, I can’t relax as I stare at the ceiling.

Kris and Kyle never trusted Felix, but why? Yes, he can be a little overstepping, but not in a mean or malicious way. That’s not enough to act like someone is evil or dangerous. Kris all but accosted me after the funeral in the women’s bathroom.

“Eden, that guy is a psychopath and every second you stay with him you’re putting yourself in danger,” Kris whispers as she follows me into the bathroom.

She checks under the stall doors, then hits me with a harsh stare.

“Kris, what are you talking about?”

“He did this to my brother,” she says, shocking me with such a wild accusation. My mouth falls open.

She looks over her shoulder like Felix might walk in and kill her right now.

“And I’m telling you right now, I will find out what really happened to my brother. Felix is at the heart of it, I swear.”

“You genuinely think that Felix murdered Kyle?”

“Yes, I do. Either he did it, or he had someone else do it.”

“You’re out of your mind,” I whisper, anger filling me. “Why? What motive does he possibly have to do that?”

“Because he’s never liked Kyle or me.” She sniffs and blinks back tears. “But also because Kyle loved you and Felix clearly can’t handle another guy being near you. It’s as clear as day.”

She puts her hands on her hips, and it’s then that I realize she’s serious. This isn’t just one of her conspiracy theories. She believes wholeheartedly that Felix is a murderer just like his father.