Torment - Lauren Kate [85]
A knock on their door made Luce and Shelby both jump. The door opened slowly. Miles.
“They found Dawn.”
“What?” Luce and Shelby asked, sitting up in unison.
Miles dragged Luce’s desk chair over to the bed and sat facing the girls. He took his cap off and wiped his forehead. It was beaded with sweat, like he’d come running across campus to tell them.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” he said, turning the cap in his hands. “I was up early, walking around. I ran into Steven and he told me the good news. The people who took her brought her back around sunrise. She’s shaken up, but she’s not hurt.”
“That’s a miracle,” Shelby murmured.
Luce was more dubious. “I don’t get it. They just brought her back? Unharmed? When does that ever happen?”
And how long had it taken whoever they were to realize they had the wrong girl?
“It wasn’t that simple,” Miles admitted. “Steven was involved. He rescued her.”
“From who?” Luce practically shouted.
Miles shrugged, rocking back on two legs of the chair. “Beats me. I’m sure Steven knows, but, uh, I’m not exactly his first choice for pillow talk.”
The idea made Shelby hoot. That Dawn had been found, unharmed, seemed to relax everyone except Luce. Her body was growing numb. She couldn’t stop thinking: It should have been me.
She got out of bed and grabbed a T-shirt and jeans from her closet. She had to find Dawn. Dawn was the only person who could answer her questions. And even though Dawn would never understand, Luce knew she owed her an apology.
“Steven did say that the people who took her won’t be back anymore,” Miles added, watching Luce worriedly.
“And you believe him?” Luce scoffed.
“Why shouldn’t he?” a voice asked from the open doorway.
Francesca was leaning up against the threshold in a khaki trench coat. She was radiating calm, but she didn’t seem exactly happy to see them. “Dawn is home now and she’s safe.”
“I want to see her,” Luce said, feeling ridiculous standing there in the tattered T-shirt and running shorts she’d slept in.
Francesca pursed her lips. “Dawn’s family picked her up an hour ago. She’ll be back at Shoreline when the time is right.”
“Why are you acting like nothing happened?” Luce threw up her arms. “Like Dawn wasn’t kidnapped—”
“She wasn’t kidnapped,” Francesca corrected. “She was borrowed, and it turned out to be a mistake. Steven handled it.”
“Um, is that supposed to make us feel better? She was borrowed? For what?”
Luce searched Francesca’s features—and saw nothing but levelheaded calm. But then something in Francesca’s blue eyes changed: They narrowed, then widened, and a silent plea passed from Francesca to Luce. Francesca wanted Luce not to show what she suspected in front of Miles or Shelby. Luce didn’t know why, but she trusted Francesca.
“Steven and I expect that the rest of you will be quite shaken up,” Francesca continued, widening her gaze to include Miles and Shelby. “Classes are canceled today, and we’ll be in our offices if you’d like to come by and talk.” She smiled in that dazzling angelic way of hers, then turned on her high heels and clicked down the hallway.
Shelby got up and shut the door behind Francesca. “Can you believe she used the term ‘borrowed’ to refer to a human being? Is Dawn a library book?” She balled her hands up. “We have to do something to take our minds off this. I mean I’m glad Dawn’s safe, and I trust Steven—I think—but I’m still thoroughly creeped out.”
“You’re right,” said Luce, looking over at Miles. “We’ll distract ourselves. We could go for a walk—”
“Too dangerous.” Shelby’s eyes darted from side to side.
“Or watch a movie—”
“Too inactive. My mind will drift.”
“Eddie said something about a soccer game during lunch,