"What a wicked game you played to make me feel this way."
Jo Jameson doesn't need help. At least that's what she tells everyone.
Following the disappearance of her best friend, she's made a lot of changes - be it from the hair dye or the...
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"But I just had to let you know I never meant to hurt you, though, I had all my motives, I didn't know they wouldn't mix with your emotions"
She was sprawled on top of her comforter, relishing in the scent of fresh sheets. Dinner tonight was an absolute mess. Her mother barely ate and her father had his eyes glued to a manilla file, shaking his head. Riley took his meal to go, deciding that his room was a less hostile environment.
They'd been off and on the phone with insurance companies and contractors all day to see what could be done about the pharmacy. They didn't seem like they were getting much of anything other than being put on hold. Jo picked at her veggies for ten minutes before she tossed her napkin on the table and telling them she would be turning in for the night. Her head was pounding and her appetite had vanished. How could she eat when she saw the outcome of her actions affecting her family? It was easier to tuck tail and run. They would fix it somehow. They always did. But she wasn't sure she could fix her A problem sufficiently. The thought alone took off some of the pressure. When weighing her options, she found that her problems were just a tad bigger than what her parents were going through, despite how it seemed. And that thought alone really sucked.
Beside her, she heard the landline ring. She looked at the caller ID--Peter Hastings. In a flash, she grabbed the phone pressing answer. "Are you completely insane?"
"You didn't answer my text," Spencer explained.
"I don't have my phone. My parents are serious about Sullivan's rules." Jo ran a hand through her tangled hair and sat up in bed. "This better be good."
"It is. I promise." Spencer took a deep breath. "I think Melissa's been sneaking out to see Ian."
"When?"
"A few times now. She's not going far. The car stays parked but her shoes are muddy."
"You think he's close by?"
"I think he's next door."
Jo furrowed her brows, knowing exactly what door Spencer thought Ian was hiding behind. "I doubt Jason's hiding his sister's killer in his basement."
"Not his sister's killer. But his friend."
Jo opened up her mouth to shoot down Spencer's ridiculous theory. Jason wanted nothing to do with Ian more than anyone. They hadn't been friends since that summer. Ian had been a total douchebag since he graduated--Jason's words exactly. But Spencer spoke first. "I know this sounds crazy, but I definitely saw someone upstairs in that house. It wasn't Jason."
"Does it ever occur to you that, maybe, it was a girl he invited over?" As Jo said it she immediately hated the bitter taste it left in her mouth. But it was true. He got lonely and bored just like anyone else on the planet. Maybe he had found some nice girl from Philly. Maybe he was just looking to get off without any complications for once.
