Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham

Author:Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little Brown Book Group

DELILAH

Delilah’s mind was a laundry list of worst-case scenarios. Maybe Jack was sick. Maybe Jack was in the hospital. Maybe Jack had been in a car accident. Maybe Jack’s house was burning and he needed to stay home and put out the fire. Maybe Jack’s father had figured out the plan and put the kibosh on it. Whenever she shut her eyes, she envisioned how violently Jack’s father had barged into that hotel room. Should she tell someone? Should she worry?

She checked and checked his accounts. YouTube. Instagram. Snapchat. Jack hadn’t posted all night. Where was he? What was happening?

Jasmine said it would be fine, she reassured herself as she peered at her reflection in the bathroom mirror of the Photo Studio Condo. She said a promposal was a big deal. Just give him time. He’s probably still trying to make the York thing happen. Or, heck, maybe Scarlet didn’t even come tonight. It wasn’t like Delilah had seen her around.

When Delilah returned to the couch she and Jasmine had been sitting on, Jasmine was gone. Delilah stared at the messed-up throw pillows, considering sitting . . . but maybe it would be lame to sit all on her own. She checked her phone for the millionth time, eager for a DM from Jack’s Finsta. But there was still nothing. Uneasiness roiled in her gut. Then a text from her sister popped up: Have you seen it? Are you okay?

Delilah frowned. Okay? Okay about what?

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all night.”

Fiona strode toward her, looking gorgeous in a customized floral gown. Delilah had seen her friend at the beginning of the night, but had lost track of her since. They quickly embraced, but then Fiona pulled back. Her mouth was drawn, and she looked bedraggled and sweaty . . . but not in an exhilarated way, like she’d been dancing. More like she’d been running from a ghost.

“What’s going on?” Delilah asked. “Where’s Chase?”

“We . . . had a fight.” Fiona’s voice was tense. “I guess he went home. You haven’t seen Scarlet pass by, have you?”

“What?” Delilah’s nerves prickled. “Scarlet’s . . . here?”

“Of course she’s here. She lives here.” Fiona’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “She was at Gratitude, too.”

“She was?” Delilah’s mind stalled. How did she not see her?

“We had a strange conversation . . . but she ran out before we could finish. Now I can’t find her. I even banged on her door—nothing.”

“She’s probably figuring things out with Jack,” someone piped up. The girls turned: the person who spoke was a girl whose videos were popular on TikTok. Delilah couldn’t remember her name—Amity? Emory? “I’m sure they have tons to talk about,” Amity-Emory added with a wink.

“Wait, what?” Delilah’s heart sped up. “Jack and Scarlet? Why?”

Amity-Emory and Fiona exchanged a loaded glance. “There’s kind of a scandal going on about Jack and Scarlet right now. People are just beginning to gossip about it,” Emory said.

Fiona leaned in closer. “It’s gossip I figured out, too, but it leaked on her account before I could actually use it to my .

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