Page 9 of We’re All Going to Die Tonight!

“I’m not talking about doing everything,” I say, scoffing, even though I totally would if he was down. “Like they’d suspend you for kissing me.”

Javi rolls his eyes, but I can tell he’s tempted. I pretend not to notice and walk over to my duffel, bending down to unzip it so I can find my sweatpants, knowing he won’t be able to resist the view. Within seconds, he’s next to me, and I gasp as I stand and find him close. Then, his mouth is on mine, his hands on my hips pulling me against him. His clothes are soaked and the cold stings my bare skin, but I don’t care. Kissing Javi is like free-falling, like spiking a ball that wins the game. Pure addictive adrenaline that I could chase again and again.

“Shit, Kait,” Javi says as I run my hands through his perfect, gorgeous hair. He surfaces for air only to kiss me again moments later. “Are you trying to kill me?”

I giggle against his mouth. I’m not usually a giggler. Something else Javi brings out of me. Something I—

A scream tears through the house, making us both jump. In seconds, Javi’s spun around to stand in front of me, head whipping back and forth as he scans the room.

“Stay here,” he says, bolting to the door. He’s gone before I can argue, the room colder without him. I grab my sweatpants and my phone to follow him, but when I check it, I see there’s absolutely zero service. Shit. I’m pulling up my sweatpants when my door opens again.

Thankfully, it’s only Javi.

“False alarm,” he says, shutting the door behind me. “Just Marlene—”

“Kaitlyn?” Ms. Dorman’s voice from the hall cuts Javi off, and he swears.

“You better not be in there together,” she says, rapping on the wall. God, I hate her so much.

“I’m giving you two minutes,” she says. “That room better just have one of you in there by then.”

“I’m going to shower,” Javi says loudly. “Was just seeing if this one was empty.”

He flashes me an apologetic look, and I blow him a kiss, hoping he sees in my eyes that we’re definitely not done. He leaves, the door clicking shut behind him, and I sigh as I head into the attached bathroom.

The water’s just as scalding and revitalizing as I hoped it would be, a reprieve from the shitty shower at our hotel. Honestly, I never get a decent fucking shower these days. If I’m not fighting with my sisters for the bathroom, I’m stuck dealing with the icy needles of the Coastal Canyon showers, which I see way too much of during volleyball season. Those showers are also infested with mold, and I don’t spend a single second longer in them than I have to.

Well, except for that one time.

I push my hands through my wet hair, snagging my fingers in a tangle near the top of my head. The memory of the feel of Javi’s smooth waves in my hands is fresh, and I close my eyes to relish it while I try to undo the knot with my fingers. I think of the scar on his temple disappearing into his hair, then flash to that memory of the locker room showers.

Of Javi sitting underneath one as the water poured down on him, as I tried to wash away all the blood. Blood in his hair and on his forehead. Blood on his chin. Blood on his knuckles.

Blood that mostly wasn’t his.

Chapter 5

Lucas

October 16

11:50 p.m.

I’ve always hated the word “content.” I know, I know. For someone who’s literally a content creator, that probably sounds pretty strange. But it’s the truth. Life isn’t “content.” Life’s life. Sparks of humanity with truth and reality just waiting to be captured by someone like me. Someone who can see through every moment to find the real story just waiting underneath the surface.

But right now, I need content. That’s just the truth. And I’m on limited time. For one thing, there’s the fact that we have only tonight to get everything I need for this video. For another, there’s the storm. And everything else I need to do.

I can feel the clock ticking as we step inside Thornhill Manor. As I expected from the pictures, it’s absolutely insane. This is the kind of place I’ve been dying to shoot at, and I have to hand it to Emerson. The guy came through.

I check my phone for the time. There’s a text from Mom waiting for me, and I open it up. It’s a picture from tonight, her at the dinner table with Dad and Trey behind her, huge smiles on all their faces. She’s got a birthday cake in front of her decorated with candles covering every inch.

Mom

Wish you were here!!!! Love you.

I swallow hard. I should be there for her tonight, especially for this particular birthday. I should be there capturing everything. And maybe I would be if I hadn’t made such dumbass choices. If I weren’t carrying the kinds of secrets that Mom can never, ever find out.

I send her a quick message, letting her know I love her and miss her, too. Then I swipe her message away and focus on where my phone declares in bright white numbers that it’s 11:50 p.m. Around me, everyone else has taken off to claim their bedroom for the night. I’d guess I’ve got about a ten-minute window until they notice I’m gone.