Out of Body by Nia Davenport

Author:Nia Davenport
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Ryan leads me back to the Jeep, his arms locked around me the entire way. I crane my neck to see LC still standing by the light post. I glare to let her know this isn’t over; I’m not concerned about the cops. She’s bluffing, the same as I was. She’s got too much to hide.

I swear a guilty look crosses her face. But it’s gone a heartbeat later, and she wraps her arms around herself like she’s the victim. A white Mustang pulls up beside her. Nathan Ross pokes his head out the window, calls out hi, and LC climbs inside the car. I stare after it as it zooms down the street, remembering how hard she pushed for me to get with Nathan instead of going after him herself. A fresh wave of fury roils through me. It’s sickening how she plotted and manipulated things.

“Come on,” Ryan says quietly, urging me the rest of the way to the car.

As he’s opening the door for me, Ava runs up to us.

I just stare at her, tired; I’ve got no spoons left to deal with another thing.

She braces a hand on the car’s door and forces it closed. “I saw what happened between you and Megan,” she says to me. “Leave her alone. Who the fuck attacks somebody like that?”

“We’re trying to go,” Ryan sighs, and I hate the way he looks from Ava to me, like he never should have agreed to drive me here. And Ava is looking at me like I’m toxic garbage—which I feel like I am, after hearing her defend “Megan” like that, despite how I’ve treated her in the past.

“Fine, go,” Ava says to him, dropping her hand from the car. “But you should know, your friend is a cruel, sadistic bitch.”

“Who the hell are you to—” Ryan starts.

“Who the hell are you—”

“Stop!” I say. “Please. Just . . . stop. I need both of you to listen to me!”

They turn at my outburst.

Without stopping to think, I tell them everything. The whole story, start to finish—rushing through it without a pause, not giving them a chance to interrupt and tell me I’m insane. Telling them may be a terrible idea, but I can’t bear pretending for one minute longer.

“I know this all sounds crazy,” I say when I’m done. “But I am Megan. Not Jade McCall. Or LC.” I reach for Ava’s hand but think better of it. “It’s really me, Aves,” I plead. “The other half to our Geek Girls Duo. Not LC.”

“Now I understand,” Ryan says, sounding angry. “Of course coming here was about LC! You linked back up with her after you ran away, didn’t you? She was here with you in Graysonville. Is this . . . some kind of twisted game she’s got you playing? She made up this whole crazy story for you to tell us? Is she close by somewhere, watching this?” Frowning, he looks around.

“She isn’t here,” I tell him. “And I wasn’t lying. I told you the truth!”

Ryan clenches his jaw.

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