part0010

Maybe there was a way for me to test my theory that this whole place, along with my phone, was bugged.

Once I knew for sure, then maybe I could use it in my favor. I just had to be very careful.

Of course, this morning, I’d gotten a call from the principal, who was saying all kinds of things about how sorry she was for the little misunderstanding that had happened.

A misunderstanding was an understatement of the year, but as long as I got to go back to school and all that fake evidence the principal had mentioned was gone, I didn’t give a damn about it.

“Hey, Ava. What’s up?” Paige said.

There was some kind of faint clicking noise in the background.

Did that mean someone was listening in on us?

Probably.

“Hey. I have some really good news. I’m finally going back to school!” I said in the most excited tone that I could manage.

Now where would someone hide some bugs in my room?

I was sure if someone was listening, they’d be more focused on what I was saying and wouldn’t be able to figure out what I was doing, so if I wanted to find those bugs, I had to do it now when everyone was distracted.

“Really? Oh, my god! That’s great. I thought you got kicked out. Or at least, that’s what everyone’s been saying. Some even said that you killed someone and were off to jail.”

Wow, great.

Now I was a murderer too.

Ugh.

“No. It was nothing like that. It’s just that my family wants to move again, but I decided to stay with my dad, at least until I graduate.” Speaking of my graduation, I had no clue what would happen with that.

The principal hadn’t mentioned it, but I hoped I could catch up and graduate in time, provided this whole mess with the Arrettis didn’t get me killed first.

Oh hell, the war between Cole and his father could last for months.

How were we ever going to end it?

“Awesome,” Paige said.

“I’m going to need your help.” I went down on my knees and looked under my bed, but I couldn’t see anything.

“Yeah, sure. You can have my notes and everything,” she said. “Hey, are you doing something right now? It sounds like you’re a bit winded.”

Oh yeah, just straining to figure out where someone might have planted a bug in my room.

“Um, I’m actually doing some yoga. Apparently, it’s good for our body and all, and I think I need a change in my life.”

“Oh okay.” Paige didn’t sound all that convinced.

Heh.

As long as she didn’t ask any questions about it, it’d be fine.

“So? What’s going on? Tell me everything,” I said.

As soon as she started talking, I tuned her out so I could search for the damn bugs. Maybe there weren’t any and I was wasting my time, but I had to be sure.

I looked behind the curtains and checked my nightstand. Then I carefully opened my closet and inspected all the things inside it.

Paige was still talking, even after I finished with the closet.

A small smile curved my lips.

If someone was listening in on us, their ears were going to be full of teenage drama because Paige was busy explaining who was dating who and who had broken up. And yep, all of that had happened in a few days.

But when I lifted the lamp that was on my nightstand, I took a peek under it and frowned. There was something tiny and black glued to it.

Was that what I thought it was? I focused on it for a few moments longer.

Yep. That thing definitely wasn’t a part of the lamp.

Someone had put it there.

Shit.

I lowered the lamp back down as carefully as possible. And then I climbed on the bed and glanced behind the headboard.

There was a whole lot of dust behind my bed, but I also spotted something black down there on the floor, as if someone had tossed it there.

I inwardly groaned.

Someone had definitely bugged my room, and I couldn’t even remove those things because then Mr. Arretti’s men would know I was on to them and they might try something better and smarter.

But how had they gotten in? Had my dad let them or had he planted this stuff himself? I really hoped it wasn’t the latter because I had no idea how I was ever going to trust my dad again.

There was a high chance there were more bugs in here and maybe in the rest of the house too.

What if my dad didn’t even know about them? But then, surely, he would’ve told me something about what was really going on.

“Are you even listening to me?” Paige asked.

“Yeah, of course I am.”

Oops.

“Okay. Then let me tell you...” Paige kept talking.

Maybe I should just record our conversation or tell her to repeat it all over again. The guys who were listening in on us were going to get an aneurysm or just give up.

But still, I couldn’t get the thought that my dad was somehow involved out of my head. He was just acting so damn nice with Mr. Arretti, and it looked like Arretti was willing to do favors for him, which was odd.

Sure, maybe Cole’s father thought he needed me to track down Cole and destroy him, but he could’ve killed my dad a long time ago and he probably would’ve done it if my dad wasn’t super important to him.

But what the hell was my dad really doing?

“What do you think?” Paige asked, and my eyes widened.

Oh shit.

What had she just said?

I should really ask the guys who were listening to us for help.

“Um, I don’t know,” I said.

“Really? You don’t know if I should wear the red dress or the blue one to the party?”

“Well, I haven’t seen the dresses.”

“Oh right. I’m a moron. I thought I showed you. Give me a sec. I’m going to send you the photos and then you’ll help me choose. Do you want to go too? I mean, it’s totally safe from all the douche guys that exist because she really wants it to be just for us girls. It’s her birthday, so she can choose who to invite.”

I had no clue who Paige was talking about. “No, I actually have some things to do, so no parties for me.”

“Okay. But you’re still helping me with the dress.”

“Sure thing. Just send the photos.” I let myself fall down onto the pillows and sighed.

It would be really nice if my only worry was what to wear to a party.