Cupid's Guide to Murder

Chapter 27: It's A Slippery Slope

Every memory that I hadn't analyzed crashed together like waves, drowning me in the ocean.

The summer of sophomore year, when Kai told me that Natasha was obsessed with our friend group.

The cards in Natasha's bedroom with information about each of us.

The night Natasha and I met — her shimmery eyes landing on me, the way she made me feel like she understood me even though we didn't know each other. I always thought our meeting that day had been coincidental — that we were two strangers who had accidentally crossed each other's paths.

We weren't strangers.

This entire time, Natasha knew exactly who I was. She knew who all of us were, and the dirty lies we each kept hidden under the surface, not wanting our group's picture-perfect image to be tainted.

The thought of it made goosebumps rise on my skin. How long had Natasha been waiting, watching? Planning our first encounter? She became a part of our lives, holding onto our deepest secrets, never letting us know that she wanted to see us burn. Bits and pieces of her words flooded back to me, especially the one sentence that would haunt me forever.

Now you'll know what it's like to lose someone you love.

Natasha had to be talking about Darian.

The coldness that seeped into my skin only deepened when I thought about Luce's secret. Knowing that she had been involved with Darian's death shattered everything I knew about her. Luce was my best friend; the girl who wouldn't hurt anyone.

Her warm brown eyes floated into my mind, her kind smile. The images were replaced with the darkness that spread across her face when she looked at me, whispering, "I ruined someone's life."

Luce always brushed off questions about her old life. She claimed she hadn't kept in touch with anyone from her old school. That the name Lucia just didn't feel like her, which was why she only went by Luce now. I had never considered that she was running away from her past, a past flooded with secrets and lies.

How could she not tell us about Darian's death?

A loud thump brought me back to reality.

"This won't fit!" Taylor said, using her body weight to shove her bag into the back of the bus. "Can someone help?"

We were loading our bags onto the tour bus, moments away from our ski trip weekend getaway.

"Yo Taylor," Jeremy raised his arm as if he was dunking a basketball. "I got you. I've been working out."

She stepped back, crossing her arms across her white tank top. I could see her inspecting Jeremy with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yup. Tell her, Haven."

I remembered the conversation Jeremy and I had in English when he told me about his crush on Taylor. I couldn't help smiling. "Super strong. Great muscles," I said, with mechanical enthusiasm.

He grinned as he tried shoving her bag into the seat. Two pushes, and he was sweating. "Shit, this is heavier than I imagined." He wiped his forehead.

"I got it, bro," West said, hauling the bag.

"So, how's the working out been going for you, Jeremy?" Taylor smirked.

"I have off days, sometimes." Jeremy shrugged, flushing.

"It's okay," Taylor said. "I appreciate the thought."

"Enough to sit next to me?" Jeremy said. "I mean, if your bus buddy doesn't mind." His eyes slid to me and he winked.