Mark My Words

77 | Her Scar

In the timespan between returning home and getting the stitches out, Rosalie was rarely alone. Winter break, even during the holidays, her classmates were up and about when they weren't with family. That was one thing she cherished about her group's atmosphere: An ability to sit still, and she could use a little of that given the state of the doctor's notice from Seattle. She didn't have to sit still, but she had to take things slow. The last thing she wanted to do was undo all of the hard work they did to stitch her back together.

The origin of the stitches, however, was unknown to all except the select group from Delaware who had stared at Joanna from across the pool table in horror of what they learned about Nora Jacobs. Rosalie expected Joanna to trigger another missing persons case—the same way she had acted upon Georgina's intrusion into their group—but instead, Ray Hartley had something entirely different to report.

"Joanna's been hanging out with Jamie-Lee, it sounds like," Ray explained over the countertop, putting the straw to her lips.

They were at a smoothie shop near downtown DC. Smoothies were easier for Rosalie to eat, anyway. Tourism picked up over the holidays, but in this weather, smoothies weren't exactly a hot topic, so they were promised a quiet atmosphere and minimal prying ears and eyes. Still, it didn't stop Rosalie from noticing the way the cashier's eyes had lingered around Rosalie's mouth where the corner of her lip still itched as it healed.

Rosalie spooned a little smoothie into her mouth. Her muscles still ached when she pursed her lips to use a straw, but her doctor assured her that her muscles would repair themselves just fine given time.

Rosalie furrowed her brow at Ray and said, "That's... odd."

"That's what I said," Ray huffed. "Honestly, I kind of expected her to drop off the face of the earth. Unless Jamie-Lee's lying to Lennie, which I find hard to believe."

Rosalie recalled how Jamie-Lee had lied to Lennie for the sake of maintaining the secrecy of his relationship with Blake Miles. She offered a weak, crooked smile and said, "I don't know about that. Jamie-Lee's capable of anything he puts his mind to. If Joanna asked him to lie for her, I think he'd do it."

"Really?" she said, unconvinced. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I guess I wouldn't know. But she's still not talking to you?"

Rosalie shook her head.

The time stamp on her conversation with Joanna was running on day three now. In those three days, Rosalie had been visited by Sami and Tante Bee with the promise of warm soup, apple cider, and soothing tea each time. On top of that, Ray and Juliana had stopped by to take Rosalie for a drive in Lennie's Maserati—Lennie as the quiet chauffeur, Juliana and Rosalie as the backseat passengers, and Ray as the DJ. Rosalie was eager to get out of the house, anyway, so she didn't question the fact that they had all left their families to visit.

On top of it all, though, came the daunting, unavoidable fact that they'd all be clustered in front of Bradshaw High in a matter of mere hours. Rosalie's heart hummed in anticipation. This was what she was waiting for, what she and Joanna had made their first deal on. Regionals, at the very least, and there they were, just hours away.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight," Rosalie confessed.

"Over what, Arden, Joanna, or Regionals?" Ray asked.

All three. "Regionals," Rosalie deadpanned, and she would have scowled if she wasn't so paranoid to frown.

Ray leant back in her stool with a shake of her head. "If I were you, I'd be losing sleep over Arden. I hope that bitch knows I'll cut her throat, first chance I get."