You Owe Me a Murder(18)

Another jolt of electricity ran through my body.

It was just a saying. I’d been head over heels for Connor only a few weeks ago. It wasn’t as though I was going to fall for someone else so quickly just because he was smart and funny.

And good-looking.

I glanced over at Alex’s face. His wide mouth was pulled back into a smile. I found it infectious and I smiled back.





Seven


August 18


13 Days Remaining


“See all of you at Westminster in thirty minutes,” Tasha called out the next morning as we entered South Kensington Station. Everyone nodded. Kendra and Jamal peeled off to grab some coffee at Café Floran, while the rest of us headed straight in. Tasha had made sure before we left Metford that we were all clear on where we were going and the meet-up point, knowing that in the packed stations it would be nearly impossible to stay together.

The South Ken station was the definition of chaos with the District, Piccadilly, and Circle lines coming in and out. Tourists and locals swarmed the stores that ringed the entrance of the station, grabbing bottles of Coke, copies of Time Out or the Times, or candy bars for their trip.

This was only my third day in London, but I was starting to feel like a local. I knew how to tap my card on the turnstile and could dodge between people and baby carriages to thunder down the escalator, knowing exactly what train I needed.

“You want a bottle of water?” Alex asked. I nodded and started to fish through the pockets in my shorts for some pound coins. He waved me off. “No worries, I got this.” He loped over to the closest newsstand.

“I need to talk to you.” Connor came up on my side. He was limping, his ankle wrapped with an elastic bandage due to his fall the day before. No doubt he was milking it for all the sympathy he could get. Connor jerked his head toward Alex standing in line. “Does he know?”

I felt my back teeth grind. “You’ve been really clear. There’s nothing between us, so there’s nothing for him to know.”

“The two of you were pretty snuggly last night.” The residence hall had converted the cafeteria, which they called the canteen, into a movie theater for a night. It had been a triple bill of the first three Alien movies.

I flushed, thinking of how close Alex and I had sat together. We’d both jumped every time an alien leaped out from a hiding place, our hands bumping in the popcorn bucket.

“If you’re dating him just to make me jealous, there’s no point,” Connor said.

My mouth filled with bitter spit. “Not everything is about you.”

Connor leaned closer. “Don’t act like that isn’t something you would do. He seems like a nice guy. Maybe I should tell him what he’s in for with you.”

I backed up. “What does that even mean? Look, things didn’t work out. Whatever. You’ve moved on. I’m moving on. Just leave me alone.”

Connor laughed. “So now you’re all ‘moving on’? This despite the fact that you freaking followed me here. Now you’re stringing this guy along to get my attention. That’s sick.”

Alex was handing over his money at the booth. The last thing I needed was for him to hear all of this. Who the hell had pissed in Connor’s corn flakes this morning? He hadn’t talked to me in weeks and now he had shoved his nose into my life?

“Leave me alone—?that’s what you wanted, so do it. Fuck off,” I hissed. Kendra and Jamal stopped in front of us, Kendra’s eyes widening at my language. Great. Now everyone could wonder what had happened between the two of us. I forced my face into what I hoped would pass as a pleasant expression and waved to the two of them. Jamal shrugged and they headed down to the platform.

Connor shook his head. “We’re not done.” He whirled and limped to the escalator.

“Here you go.” Alex handed me a cold, sweating bottle of water. He noticed I was staring off at Connor. “What’s with him?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. It wasn’t enough that Connor had broken my heart—?now he wanted to ruin whatever was starting with Alex. “Nothing. He’s—?”

“Excuse me, miss?” I turned to see an elderly couple, each wearing white sneakers that made it look as though their feet had been consumed by giant marshmallows, their outfits complete with zippered fanny packs. The elderly man held open a well-thumbed Rick Steves guidebook marked with brightly colored Post-it Notes. “Do you know how we get to Buckingham Palace from here?”

I could have kissed him for the distraction. “You’ll need to take the District line.” I pointed to the overhead sign, grateful that I knew the answer. “You’ll get out at St. James. It’s just a short walk from there. We’re taking the same train so we can show you part of the way.”

Alex and I slowed our pace so they could follow us down the escalator while the woman kept up a nonstop description of how they were visiting from Indiana, their delayed flight, and how it was impossible to get the kind of yogurt they liked here. I enjoyed her patter—?it meant I didn’t have to try to explain anything to Alex.

The platform was packed with people, making the space hot and humid, like a steam bath. An announcement blared overhead. There was a delay at the next station and the crowd built quickly. I turned to the American couple. “If we get separated, you just get on this train and you get off for the palace just a few stops down.”