Page 70 of Dead to Me

She would come back for her phone. She’d want proof, she’d want answers, and most of all, she’d want to know why.

I glanced down at my maid-of-honor dress, then looked up at China’s wedding dress reflected in the mirror.

The last part of my plan came sooner than I expected, but that was fine. I’d waited this long. Changing the timing didn’t bother me. China stood in the doorway, still in her wedding gown, mascara streaked down her face.

She stopped when she saw me. I smiled and held up her phone.

“I knew you would come back.”

China stared at me.

The door slowly closed behind her. For the first time in our lives, neither one of us had anywhere else to go.

Milan

China locked the door behind her. I almost laughed. Maybe she thought she was keeping everyone else out. Or maybe she thought she was keeping me in.

Either way, I was glad for the privacy. She leaned against the door, breathing hard. The bottom of her wedding dress was dirty from running through the hotel, and one side of her veil had come loose and vanished somewhere between the eighth floor and the lobby.

She still looked beautiful, and that annoyed me. Even scared, crying, and barefoot, China looked like she could be in a bridal magazine.

I sat by the window with her phone in my lap. My ivory maid-of-honor dress was spread out around my legs.

“Give me my phone.”

Her voice shook. I looked down at it.

“You have twenty-three missed calls.”

“I said give it to me.”

“Malcolm's mother called six times.”

China flinched. I smiled.

“His father called twice.”

“Milan.”

“Someone named Brianna keeps calling too.”

“Give me my fucking phone.”

I tossed it onto the bed. China stared at it. She didn’t move.

“You wanted it.”

“I want you to leave.”

“Nah, not a good idea.”

“The police are downstairs.”

“I know.”

“They know about Malcolm and Warren.”

“I know.”