Page 12 of Death Kiss

Sighing, I put down the soapy glass and dry my hands. ‘What do you want to know?’

There’s a spark of excitement in his eyes—green and rather lovely eyes—as he picks up his pen again.

‘Was there anything different about him in the week before his disappearance? A change in schedule or attitude?’

‘Nothing that I haven’t already told the police.’ Freddie stares at me until I sigh. ‘He changed a few shifts and didn’t tell me. I’d go to the coffee shop to see him, and he wouldn’t be there. He had his phone off too. When I asked him about it, he told me he was having migraines. I had no reason not to believe him. Not until he disappeared.’

Freddie notes my words down. ‘And what do you suspect he was up to?’

Lifting my shoulder, I shrug. ‘No idea.’

‘Did he even mention anyone else?’

‘You think he was cheating on me? We were still in the honeymoon phase. He was sweet and never even looked at other women. He didn’t even like my roommate much, and trust me, she’s a grade-A hottie.’

His eyebrow quirked up.

‘Sam didn’t like your roommate?’

‘I mean… he never said so, but he always froze up around her. Not in a shy, have-the-hots way, but like he had a reason not to like her. I asked him about it, but he told me he only knew her from seeing her on campus.’

‘Did you ask her about it?’

‘She just thought he wasn’t my type. Which is true. But he swept me off my feet.’ Our romance had been so unexpected. But so sweet. ‘He wasn’t like other guys. We spent hours cuddling, and yet he never pushed it further.’

Freddie’s mouth gaped briefly. ‘You guys weren’t intimate?’

The hair at the back of my neck bristles. ‘Not everyone needs to rush into the bedroom.’

‘I don’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’re…’ Freddie swallows and looks me up and down. ‘Incredibly hot. It’s hard to believe that he wouldn’t be interested.’

My cheeks heat in both pleasure from the compliment and indignation. I’d been up for the intimacy, and yet Sam wasn’t. It was a bit of a blow to my ego, and now this guy is trudging it all back up and making me feel shit again.

‘Maybe he’s secretly into guys or something. Did he have any men he spoke about? Any guy friends?’

‘Sam’s not gay.’

‘And you know this because?’

‘He pursued me. Plus he never spoke about guys. Only occasionally asked about my brother, but nothing like that.’

Freddie taps the pen against the notebook, his brows scrunching as he thinks. ‘And your brother’s name?’

‘Is none of your business.’ I’m done with his probing, because bringing my family into this nonsense is a step too far. Liam was with Kat when Sam disappeared, in some sex-fuelled escape in his shitty flat. The police had spoken to them both and verified it. ‘It’s two pounds for the lemonade.’

Freddie opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something, then swiftly closes it and fishes two pound coins from his pocket. He hands them over without even sipping the lemonade, and stands.

‘A pleasure to meet you, Ellie. Sorry it’s under these circumstances.’

I roll my eyes and go back to cleaning, muttering under my breath. ‘I wish I could say likewise.’

When he smiles at me after packing his bag, I hate that I notice how pretty he is. In that rich boy pretending to be a poor academic kind of way.

Like a male version of Kat, but without the shit parents driving him away from the trust fund.

You assume.

Either way, I hope he finds a different story that takes his fancy, because dredging all this up with little hope of finding the truth will just hurt me all over again.