Chasing Astrid Malone

36. DYSON

Astrid

Mom walked me through setting the alarms, and how to check the cameras from any TV in the house or my phone. Her favorite new feature was being able to lock or unlock the doors from her phone. She never once mentioned Tristan, but I knew he was off the hook. When there was nothing left for her to show me, she went to the kitchen and called my Nana to tell her, simultaneously whipping up a batch of cookies.

I went upstairs headed to my room but found myself in Josh's room instead. Dirty laundry everywhere and he doesn't even live here. I started picking up and the next thing I know I've cleaned his whole room. I miss him. I know I just saw him, but it's not really him. I found a shoebox, emptying out the cleats and started filling it with things from his room. A little something to make his hospital room feel homey, and maybe bring back some memories.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, sending my heart into overdrive. Molly had taken my number to contact Cameron and I keep thinking they are going to call. It was a text from Carly.

Carly: Where have you been? I haven't heard from you or Brenda in days. You guys are being shit friends, not even telling me what's going on. Are you still mad about what I said after prom?

Me: Shit friends?! Hmmm let's see... Josh got into an accident and doesn't remember his life now. And I got kidnapped and held for ransom. I only just got out of the hospital, where I got stitches in my head from being hit with a baseball bat. The phone works both ways, Carly!!

Is she serious? She's supposed to be one of my best friends and all she's worried about is why we haven't kept her in the loop. I do wonder why Brenda didn't go to school today, I'm not even sure if she knows what happened to me. I'm going to have to call her after this.

Carly: Nice story, Astrid. When you're ready to apologize let me know.

I tossed the phone on my bed. She's gonna feel bad enough when she finds out it's the truth, and she was a bitch about it. A selfish inconsiderate bitch. My phone rang on the bed. That was fast, maybe someone just told her. I quickly picked it up and hit the answer button.

"Hello" my annoyance with Carly evident in my voice.

"Hey Princess, miss me." I dropped the phone. Stephan? Why? I looked at it for a minute not sure if I should pick it back up. A faint sound coming from the phone on the floor, he was talking. I picked it up slowly bringing it to my ear.

"Hello? You there?" His voice familiar, and tying knots in my stomach.

"I'm here."

"Listen, I don't have much time. I had to take off for a while but I wanted you to know Im sorry." He's sorry? He will be sorry when they catch his ass.

"You should be!"

"I am and I want to give you some information on Molly, seeing as your boyfriend's stunt last night is the only reason the cops haven't found her." I was pulling my shades closed, paranoid that someone might be watching me.

"Why are you doing this? Aren't you worried you'll get arrested too?" Seems like a pretty dumb criminal to me.

"Molly doesn't know enough about me to tell them anything. She knows as much as you do anyway. And the other guy you saw wouldn't give me up even if he does get caught trying to hide her."

"So why are you helping me?" I can't help but feel this is a trap somehow, but at the same time, he was kind of nice to me.

"Molly said some pretty fucked up shit last night after we let you go. As soon as her cover was blown, she started talking about how much it would cost to have you killed. I may have been wearing a monster mask, but I'm no monster, Princess." The thought of Molly Trash trying to put out a hit on me before she ends up in jail was twisting the knots in my stomach. This was all way too extreme of a retaliation for punching her in the face at a party.