Her First Mistake by Carey Baldwin (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

did to you, to all of us, using that footage for her own personal gain, is wrong. I, for one, am not wasting any sympathy on her.”

“What happened to screwing up making you human and all that jazz?” Keisha might well have suffered the same fate as Celeste, making that statement about as cold as anything she’d heard from Isaiah since the day she’d first met him. And the fact that he was sober this time around only made it more unnerving.

“Blackmailing someone and screwing up are two entirely different things.”

“I understand that, but I have a feeling Keisha just fell into it. She needed money—”

“You’re so naïve. Surely you don’t believe the BS about her transmission.”

“Clearly you don’t.” She sighed. “So, then, is it naïve of me to believe your story about going to church to pray for Celeste? Where did you really go after you helped me move the chest?”

He clapped a hand over his heart. “You’re killing me. I really went to church to pray for Celeste. I do love her, you know.”

“I’m sorry. If you say you went to light a candle for Celeste, then I believe you.” Though she wasn’t quite sure she did. She inched farther away. “Do you think your mother will ever forgive me?”

Isaiah grabbed her wrists. “I think she just needs a little time to come around. In fact…” he tightened his grip “… I don’t want you to go.”

Be careful around my brother—I’d feel awful if anything happened to you.

“Your mother doesn’t want me in her home—and frankly, I don’t want to be here any longer.” Mia’s wrists hurt from the tight hold he had on them. “Please let go of me.”

He dropped his hold, and she eyed the door, wishing he’d left it open in case she needed to run.

He leaned in and, reflexively, she drew back.

Red climbed from his neck to his cheeks. “Are you afraid of me, Mia?”

She kept eye contact and made her voice firm. “To be totally honest, you’re making me uncomfortable, and I’d like you to leave.”

His nostrils flared, and the bed trembled under his bouncing knee.

He lifted one hand, and she held her breath.

He bolted to his feet. “Your wish is my command. Now I’m the one who needs a minute. I’m sure you won’t mind having the house all to yourself. I’m leaving until the rest of the clan gets back. I don’t want to put myself in a position to be falsely accused of anything.”

Part of her wanted to call after him. She wanted to believe him.

But his stories, his actions, they just didn’t add up.

He’d dragged her into the back room of a strip club, claiming he’d mistaken her for Celeste. The first night she’d dined with the Coopers, he’d said, at the table, that their priest would be shocked if he darkened the door of a church—and now he claimed he’d been lighting a candle when Keisha went missing.

He’d been the one to find that menacing note on her car. So how could she be certain he hadn’t pulled it out of his pocket? It was true, Samuels’ handwriting expert had ruled Isaiah out as the author, but what were that expert’s qualifications? He’d taken a class. He’d been awarded a certificate. The same expert who wouldn’t rule out Mia herself was the one who claimed Isaiah was in the clear. Had she been a fool for believing the so-called expert?

And what about that day at Torrey Pines? Isaiah had shown up out of nowhere. True, it was Celeste’s favorite hike… but she’d been so worried he’d seen her burning those articles or burying the keys…

Of course, he’d been right there!

Isaiah was the only one who could have seen her bury those keys. The only one who could’ve dug them up and then planted them in her room for Angelica to find.

The whole time he pretended to be on her side, he’d been lying, manipulating her, playing her for a fool—just like he was doing now.

“Please go,” she repeated firmly.

He glared at her, then stalked from the room, and she raced to lock the door behind him.

Minutes later the screech of tires in the drive told her he’d made good on his promise.

She was alone in the house.

So why did she still feel unsafe?

Propping herself up against the headboard on the luxuriously soft bed, glancing about the perfectly appointed room, she rubbed her arms, willing herself to stop shivering.

Then she picked up her phone. “Aunt Misty?”

“Mia! I’m so relieved you called.”

She put the phone on speaker and laid it on the bedspread beside her. Just the sound of her aunt’s voice was a tonic. Mia’s tight muscles relaxed like someone had wrapped her in a warm blanket. “I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch sooner. How are you?”

“Mia, I’m worried sick. I just heard on the news that another young woman is missing. And she worked at that restaurant—the same one where Celeste had dinner the night she disappeared.”

So the story was already out. “I heard. I’m hoping for the best, but it seems too much of a coincidence.”

Eventually, she’d tell her aunt everything about Keisha, but now wasn’t the moment.

“Are you being careful? I hate to think of you being away at a time like this.”

“Totally. And don’t worry. I’m packing up as we speak. I was wondering if I could come home for a couple of weeks, just until my apartment is ready.”

“You don’t need to ask me that. You know how much I love you and miss you. But what changed? Has something happened? Is it your sleepwalking?”

She sucked in a breath. “No, but why do you ask? Have you seen me sleepwalking lately?”

“Only the one time—a couple of weeks ago. The night Celeste disappeared. Don’t you remember?”

“Not really. I woke up dressed but that’s all I know.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I thought you were awake at the end, but I guess not. You came out of your room and started walking in circles. I hugged you