Cruel Love

by Kate Brian

  Ben half screamed, half giggled, and wriggled off Jasper’s lap, sprinting back for the parlor. Jasper gave chase, leaving Ariana alone at the table with his family. She sighed contentedly and added some sugar to her coffee. Outside the huge bay window, a grassy hill descended toward a lily pad–spotted pond, its water gleaming in the waning November sunlight. There were several Adirondack chairs set up around a huge stone fire pit, where Jasper had promised the family would repose later that night to roast marshmallows and tell stories. Ariana couldn’t have imagined a more perfect way to end a perfect day.

  “Well, Jessie, if the one in your belly’s half as much of a hoot as that one, things are about to get a heck of a lot livelier around here,” Mr. Montgomery said, lifting his bushy eyebrows.

  Jessica blew out her cheeks and ran her hand over her bump. “Well, she doesn’t stop kicking me, so I think we’re in for it.”

  Everyone laughed lightly. Ariana felt Mrs. Montgomery’s eyes on her cheek and looked down at her untouched pecan pie.

  “You’ve been rather quiet since dinner was cleared, Ana,” Jasper’s mother said. “Is everything all right?”

  “Oh, yes. Of course. Thanks,” Ariana said, coloring slightly. She felt the warm glow of the taper candles on her face. “It’s just … it’s been a long time since I’ve had a real family Thanksgiving.”

  Ariana watched as the members of Jasper’s family exchanged wary looks. She knew instantly that they had discussed Briana Leigh’s history and that, quite possibly, Jasper had warned them against saying anything that might make her uncomfortable or sad.

  Just like Jasper.

  “What did you and your folks used to do for Thanksgiving?” Jessica asked.

  Her mother shot her a warning look, but Ariana suddenly realized she wouldn’t mind reminiscing about her parents a bit. Usually she refused to let herself even think about them, but something about today had put her in a nostalgic mood, and she felt safe among Jasper’s family.

  “I didn’t have a huge extended family, but my mother always invited over all the neighbors,” Ariana said. “Anyone who didn’t have a place to go was welcome at our house.”

  “That sounds nice,” Jacqueline said. “Like what Thanksgiving’s really supposed to be about.”

  “It was nice,” Ariana said with a soft smile. “The only thing I didn’t like was that my mother didn’t cook that night. She always hired in. I understand why—she wanted to be able to spend time

  with us instead of in the kitchen—but she was an amazing cook. She used to make this rosemary garlic chicken with mashed potatoes and southern biscuits from scratch. That was always my favorite meal growing up.”

  “Now you’re making me hungry again,” Sherman joked, patting his flat stomach with his free hand.

  Everyone laughed and Ariana blushed. “Sorry. I’m rambling.”

  “Not at all, Ana,” Mrs. Montgomery said with a kind smile, her coiffed blond hair so full of product, it sat motionless as she nodded at Ariana. “And I want you to know that as much as I’m sure you miss your family, we’re all very happy to have you here.”

  “Jazz calls me to brag about you, like, every day at school,” Jacqueline informed her with a smile. “He’s annoying the heck out of my roommate.”

  Ariana’s chest inflated with happiness. Until recently, she had no idea Jasper’s sisters even knew she existed. It meant a lot that he spoke to them about her so often.

  Mr. Montgomery cleared his throat and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the pristine white tablecloth.

  “I remember reading about your father’s death at the time,” he said, pressing his hands together. “Awful business. Awful business.”

  “Yes,” Ariana said, casting her eyes down again.

  “I hope they put away the psycho that did it,” he said.

  “Thurston!” Mrs. Montgomery scolded.

  “What? I’m just offering my support!” he said, turning his massive palms up.

  “It’s okay,” Ariana said, slowly stirring her coffee and trying as hard as she could not to grin. “Let’s just say she was properly punished.”

  She thought of Kaitlynn Nottingham rotting in the cold hard ground behind the Greene’s Washington mansion and fancied the real Briana Leigh and her father would agree.

  “Good. I’m always gratified to hear that justice was served,” Mr. Montgomery said.

  Now Ariana smiled hugely. She knew she liked Jasper’s father. Suddenly she felt even more comfortable with the idea of sharing the long weekend with him and his family.

  “Thank you for your restraint, people,” Jasper said lightly from the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest. “You lasted a whole twenty-four hours before broaching the exact unpleasantness I asked you not to broach.”

  Jasper’s father started to turn in his seat to retort, but Ariana cut him off.

  “It’s all right, Jasper,” Ariana said. “I don’t mind at all.”

  With a discreet eye roll, Jasper sat down next to Ariana again, placing his napkin back in his lap and taking Ariana’s hand in his under the table. Ariana squeezed his fingers, a wave of contentment warming every inch of her skin. She loved him so much for trying to protect her, even though he knew he didn’t really have to. He knew she could take care of herself, but he still wanted to take care of her. Looking around at his family, at the playfully scolding look his mom was shooting at his dad, at the way Sherman and Jessica constantly whispered with each other, she could see how he’d grown up so attentive and caring.

  For the first time in forever, Ariana felt like part of a family. It was a feeling she wanted more than anything to hold on to, and she had Jasper to thank for it.

  A PLAN

  The cold emanating from the stone bench had long since permeated Ariana’s bones. The latte she’d purchased from the coffee cart mere minutes ago—her fifth of the day—had already gone lukewarm in her hands. The skin around her mouth and eyes was so dry she could feel it cracking as she attempted to imagine herself on a warm beach somewhere. Attempted to put mind over matter.

  This was no way to spend a Sunday evening.

  “Where the hell is she?” Ariana said under her breath.

  A pair of sorority types walking by, dragging small rolling luggage cases, shot her a disturbed glance. She supposed she looked rather odd, sitting there in a brand-new Georgetown baseball cap and huge Gucci sunglasses after dark, talking to no one. Ariana took a long sip of her coffee, covering as much of her face as she could, and pretended not to notice. She was not supposed to be bringing attention to herself. But, she supposed, lapses in judgment were to be expected after five hours of sitting still on one’s ass on a frigid, sunless November day.

  Ariana and Jasper had arrived back on campus that morning after three straight days of eating, laughing, and partying with his family. It had been a whirlwind of good food, good music, and bonding with Jasper’s mother and sisters, and by the time they had reached Privilege House, all she’d felt like doing was curling into a ball for some sleep. But she had more important things to do. Tonight would be the perfect night to pinpoint where on campus Reed lived, as she was sure to be returning from some awful white-trash Thanksgiving in Backwater, PA.

  Now, all these hours later, Ariana was fairly certain she’d seen every single undergrad return from their holiday except Reed. Where the hell was she? Was Turkey Day in the middle of nowhere really so much fun that she wanted to drag it out as long as possible?

  Ariana took a calming breath and blew it out. She had narrowed Reed’s potential places of residence to three dorms within a half-mile radius of one another. Unfortunately, the front doors of these establishments all faced in various directions, so Ariana hadn’t been able to choose one vantage point. She had begun her day outside the first dorm and had watched dozens of freshman girls come and go, but Reed was not among them. Around five p.m., Ariana had decided to move on to dorm number two. At one point Ariana had spotted a klatch of girls in soccer jackets
, but Reed wasn’t there. Finally, at seven, freezing and frustrated, Ariana had taken up her current position outside the third and final dorm. At this point she was hungry, jittery from all the caffeine, and feeling so thwarted that she was ready to throttle the first tall brunette that crossed her path.

  What if she had missed her? What if the girl was, right now, returning to that first dorm, out of sight? If Ariana had to come back in the morning and start this process all over again, she might have a nervous breakdown.

  Suddenly, her phone beeped, startling her. Ariana placed her coffee cup down next to her and pulled the cell from her pocket, being careful to keep one eye on the door of the dorm. The text was from Jasper.

  COME BACK SOON. IT’S COLD HERE WITHOUT YOU.

  Ariana smiled. He’d been sending her romantic little texts all afternoon, but never asked her where she was or what she was doing. It was so nice to have a boyfriend who wasn’t nosy or demanding or controlling. All he wanted was to be with her.

  BACK SOON. PROMISE.

  Ariana hit SEND and slipped the phone back into her pocket. She was just about done here anyway. Clearly mere surveillance wasn’t going to be enough. She was going to have to figure out some other, more efficient way to determine where Reed was staying. Maybe she could devise a way to hack into the school’s system. Or simply fly to that awful town where Reed hailed from and ask her parents. They were probably just hick-dumb enough to tell her.

  With a sigh, Ariana pushed herself to her feet, her frozen muscles and bones cracking and protesting. She was just about to head for the visitor’s lot when she heard a laugh that stopped her cold.

  Slowly, Ariana looked up, and there she was. Reed Brennan in the flesh. She was walking with three friends about twenty yards away, tugging along a rolling suitcase, headed toward the dorm. And just in case Ariana was concerned that her mind was messing with her again, Reed was wearing a vinyl warm-up jacket with her last name emblazoned across the back in huge letters.

  Suddenly, Ariana’s mouth filled with saliva. She swallowed hard, disgusted. It was amazing, the effect Reed had on her. It was all Ariana could do to stop herself from sprinting across the quad and launching herself at the girl like a wild animal. The primal beat started up inside of her all over again, this time louder than ever.

  She must die … she must die … she must die …

  At the front door of the dorm, Reed paused and tugged a key card out of her pocket.

  She must die … she must die … she must die …

  Reed flashed the card in front of the electronic pad, then reached over and opened the door for her friends.

  She must die … she must die … she must die …

  They all piled inside, Reed at the rear, and the door slammed behind them.

  Ariana blinked, waking up from her trance. Reed was gone, and that was that. Ariana breathed in, long and slow, and felt her pulse start to slow. Reed had a key to the building, so this was clearly where she lived. Now all Ariana had to do was watch her, get her schedule down, and figure out the optimal moment to attack.

  Soon, it would all be over. Soon, the balance would be restored. All the deaths—Thomas’s, Briana Leigh’s, Brigit’s, Lexa’s—all of them would be avenged.

  Lifting her chin, Ariana turned and calmly strode toward the parking lot. Her heart rate was perfectly calm. Her breathing perfectly normal. This time she was going to have a plan. A foolproof plan. This time she was going to leave nothing to chance like when she’d done away with that horrible Mel girl back in Easton, or poor Sergei at the lake, or the first time she’d tried to kill Kaitlynn in her hotel room on Dupont Circle, or that awful, fateful night when she’d come so close to pushing Reed off the roof of Billings House.

  It was always much better to have a plan. And this was far too important to leave anything to chance.

  THE NOMINATION

  “I now open the floor to official nominations for the post of President of the Atherton-Pryce Hall chapter of Stone and Grave.”

  April’s words brought a chill over the membership, and for a long moment, no one said a word. It was as if no one wanted to be the first to suggest that someone could actually replace Lexa. Ariana’s eyes scanned the circle, which was again devoid of Palmer and Conrad, and this time Soomie as well. No one had been able to get in touch with Soomie over the Thanksgiving break, but Maria had been hopeful that she would return to campus today just like everyone else. Unfortunately, she’d never arrived, and when Ariana and Maria had gone to her room before leaving for this meeting, just to be sure, everything was dark. Stone and Grave’s numbers were slowly dwindling and it felt as if nothing would ever be the same.

  Finally, Landon cleared his throat. It was such a surprise, and so close to Ariana’s ear, that she flinched away.

  “I nominate Brother Starbuck,” Landon said, gazing defiantly at Maria from across the circle. Ariana sighed. Apparently they were picking up right where they’d left off.

  “I second it,” Christian Thacker called out.

  “Fine.” April made a note in a black cloth book she had open across her lap. “Any other nominations?”

  “I nominate Sister Miss Temple,” Maria said, smiling at April.

  Kassie went to second it, but April shook her head.

  “Sorry, but I decline the nomination,” she said. “I have way too much on my plate right now to take that on too.”

  Tahira raised her hand.

  “Sister Sister Carrie?” April called on her.

  At Ariana’s other side, Landon snorted. Ariana smirked. The repetition in Tahira’s Stone and Grave name was kind of funny. She was glad she hadn’t been saddled with it.

  “I nominate Sister Portia,” Tahira said, leaning back to grin at Ariana.

  “What?” Ariana breathed, shocked.

  Ariana glanced at Jasper as a round of whispers moved swiftly through the room, echoing off the domed ceiling. He grinned back at her and raised his hand.

  “Seconded!” he said loudly.

  “But she’s a new member,” April said, her pen poised over the book.

  Ariana’s face turned to stone.

  “Sorry. I was just surprised,” April said quickly, noticing Ariana’s reaction. “It’s just … that’s never been done before.”

  “Well there’s a first time for everything,” Adam piped up. “And Ana … I mean, Sister Portia, was the MVP of our pledge class.” He raised his hand, leaning forward in the circle so he could see Ariana. “I second the nomination, too. Or third it. Whatever.”

  There was a grumble among some of the seniors, but no one objected.

  “All right then,” April said with a smile. “Sister Portia has been nominated.”

  Ariana held her breath as the tip of the pen scratched across the paper. She beamed at Tahira, her face, she was sure, burning bright red. She couldn’t believe she’d just been nominated for president of Stone and Grave. It was not only the highest position in the secret society, but considering how exclusive S and G was, it was basically the highest position in all the school. And Tahira, Adam, and Jasper thought she deserved to have it.

  “Any other nominations?” April asked.

  Landon sighed. Christian cracked his knuckles. Otherwise, the cave was silent as a tomb.

  “All right then. We’ll hold a special election at our next meeting,” April said, slapping the book closed. “Thank you all for coming at such short notice. Meeting adjourned.”

  As everyone scrambled to their feet, Jasper, Tahira, Maria, Rob, and a few other members gathered around Ariana to congratulate her. Ariana tried to look solemn, tried to appear as if this was all a lot to take in—the idea of replacing her best friend. But inside, she had never been so excited. As she looked into Jasper’s proud, admiring eyes and squeezed his hand, she felt as if all her dreams were coming true.

  BENEVOLENT

  Ariana walked across campus toward the dining hall before lunch on Monday afternoon, feeling as if people were already start
ing to look at her differently. All morning, girls from Stone and Grave had been coming up to her, swearing their allegiance, promising to vote for her at Wednesday’s midnight gathering. With each new promise, Ariana felt her chest inflate a bit more. She looked around at the red brick buildings of campus, the piles of colorful leaves gathered alongside the slate walks, the blue-and-gray APH flag whipping from every hall’s flagpole, and felt as if the crisp fall air was filling her from the inside, bringing all sorts of possibilities.

  I’m going to own this place, Ariana thought, pausing near the steps of the administration building. All I need are a few more votes and this school, these students, the world … may as well be mine.

  She licked her lips, wondering what sorts of perks the president of Stone and Grave could expect to enjoy. Lexa had never talked much about it, or at all. She had taken her position of power and prestige in stride, as if it was simply part of who she was, not something to be wielded or shown off. Thinking of Lexa’s mature demeanor now, Ariana vowed to herself that she would be the same way. She would not abuse her power, nor would she cause anyone to feel envious or covetous of her position. She would be a good, kind, benevolent leader.

  If, of course, she won.

  Ariana smiled at Quinn, who waved as she went by. She pulled her cell phone out of her bag to see if Soomie had responded to any of the many texts she had sent that morning between classes. There were some new texts, but they were all from Jasper, Maria, and Tahira.

  Biting her lip, Ariana speed-dialed Soomie’s cell. The voice mail had already picked up by the time she’d brought her phone to her ear.

  “You know what to do at the beep!” Soomie said brightly.

  “Soomie, it’s Ana,” Ariana said, turning and moseying up the walk with a leisurely gait, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face. “I’m sure you’re tired of Maria and me stalking you, but we’re both really worried. Just … give one of us a call back as soon as you can. We don’t need to have some long, drawn-out talk or anything. We just want to know you’re okay.”