Cursed Love

Web of Deceit

AURORA

"You look awful," Amie chimed in from the backseat, her voice tinged with concern. The smell of stale beer and cheap perfume still lingered in my head from the night before. Criminology was an interesting class to be in, if only the feeling of nausea after drinking too much alcohol didn't catch up to you. Although I didn't remember drinking anything other than beer.

"I feel awful," I groaned, feeling like my head was about to explode. The sunlight filtering through the window didn't help either, making my eyes squint and ache.

"What's up, did grapes decide not having mercy on you last night?" Craig chuckled from behind his seat, next to Amie. His laughter grated on my already frayed nerves.

"Not sure if you got the memo last night, but fuck off, Craig," I said, irritation lacing my voice.

"C'mon, darlin', fill me in. I'll even let you sit on my face."

"Why?... Wait, don't answer that. With the amount of nose, you poke into someone else's business, I'm sure your nose is bigger than your dick," I said, turning my back to him. Amie bit her smile back, and I heard Craig snort.

Ryan walked into class, looking like he just stepped out of Vogue. I swear he was a cover model disguised as an nineteen year old. He sat beside me, his cologne a comforting contrast to the stale odors still lingering from the night before. I remembered last night how his gesture warmed my heart. He tipped my head back, sealing his lips with mine. He pulled away a moment before Dr. Alder entered. He kept going on with his class, asking different people about what they should fear most. Answers like "swallowing a condom" were spoken. I actually did chuckle at that one. I settled for looking down at my books, scribbling all sorts of nonsense.

"Mr. Scott?" Alder called out to Ryan. I mindlessly scribbled, expecting him to come up with the same dumb answer. But I jerked my head back when I heard him respond.

"A human mind," he answered with no snark in his tone.

"Elaborate," Alder stated, looking all the more intrigued.

"Because exposure to true crime helps us understand how the human mind can become unnerving and unpredictable," he said, with a straight face.

My inner self was dumbfounded. I never anticipated Ryan to be, umm... the thoughtful kind, I guess. But coming from a family that is involved in all sorts of crime does that. Alder went on with his class. At this point, my feelings about Ryan were on a roller coaster.

I had managed to finish the class. My day proceeded according to the schedule. Dylan was nowhere to be found. Not that I was worried, but he got a little too touchy last night. Did Ryan have anything to do with his disappearance? My mind was spiraling. Two people that Ryan was possibly last seen with disappeared in plain sight. What was his angle? I needed to speak with Rick.

Me: Any update?

Rick: None. The asshole has his laptop password protected and end-to-end encrypted. There's no way I can hack it without laying my hands on it.

Me: Let me try getting it for you.

Rick: Are you certain? I don't want you going back in there.

Me: Indeed. I can't keep deferring my visit to the Scott Mansion.

With my phone securely placed in my back pocket, I proceeded directly towards the cafeteria. The air was heavy with the rich aroma of roasted coffee beans. Today, the crowd was particularly boisterous. The clock on the wall displayed 12:00 pm. My afternoons with Ryan had become a thing of the past due to his football practice sessions extending beyond their usual duration. However, today he was free from practice, and just as I had anticipated, I spotted him seated with someone. A well-built man with tattoos adorning his arm—definitely Michael Andrews. As the waiter approached, he placed their orders. I strode in their direction, slammed my fist on the table, and Ryan looked up at me. He arched an eyebrow, expecting me to speak my mind.