Page 22 of Dead to Me

I smiled.

“I prefer the one in my room.”

She stared at me.

“You are so mysterious.”

“So I’ve been told.”

I left before anyone could stop me. The hallway was quiet. My room was just next door, but I didn’t go there.

Instead, I walked toward the elevators. Then I heard low voices around the corner by the ice machine.

China.

“…don’t know what she knows.”

I stopped. Malcolm answered.

“She knows something.”

“How you figure?”

“I don’t know, I just got a feeling.”

My heart started beating faster.

China spoke more quietly, but the hallway still carried her voice.

“You shouldn’t have gone over there.”

“I was trying to figure out why she came.”

“She came because I invited her.”

“No, she came for something else.”

“She hasn’t said anything.”

“Yet.”

“You’re making me nervous.”

“You should be nervous.”

I leaned against the wall, my heartbeat steady. China whispered something I couldn’t make out. Malcolm answered louder.

“We agreed we weren’t going to talk about that.”

“What am I supposed to do if she asks?”

“Lie.”

The word hit hard. There was no hesitation or confusion.

China said, “I hate this.”

“You should’ve never invited her.”