The Follower by Kate Doughty (ebook reader with built in dictionary TXT) 📕

“So, uh, football party . . . ,” Cecily starts, changing the subject. Amber and Rudy exchange a look and wordlessly agree to drop the follower discussion; they’ll talk more about Steve as a suspect later.

Bella goes off, yelling over the blow-dryer and giving Cecily all the dirty details on who’s crushing on who. “And, of course, they’re all dying to see you—”

“All done!” Cecily says, a little bit louder than usual. She holds up a mirror, and Bella is instantly distracted.

“Oh my god,” she whispers. “I look just like you. I look just like a Cole.”

“Uh, you look better than a Cole!” Cecily says. “You look like you.”

Bella beams at her then turns to Amber. “Thank you so much. I can’t believe we match! We look almost identical. I love it!”

“Here, let me take a photo,” Rudy says, but as he prepares to snap a few photos of Bella and Amber, Cecily sidles out of frame. Bella shakes her head and yanks her in. “Come on, these are for me.” She sticks her tongue out at his sister. “And you should be celebrating! You’ve hit one million! When you get to two million, I expect your hair to be even more colorful than this. Instagram would go crazy.”

Bella gives Cecily another tug, and Cecily . . . actually gets into the frame. Rudy can hardly believe it. The pictures he takes aren’t posed, they’re not staged—they’re just for fun.

“You’re pretty good at this,” Rudy says as he snaps away.

“Oh please, I am not,” Bella replies, but she looks satisfied. “Although, I could become really good at it if my two favorite Insta stars would give me some tips on how to look hot in photos,” Bella says with a laugh.

And that’s how they launch into an impromptu modeling shoot, complete with lessons and tips from his sisters. They can’t seem to stop laughing at one another as they go through their tricks—how to make their legs look longer, how to make their butt pop, how to stand off-balance to accentuate every curve.

Rudy loves every moment of it and happily continues to play photographer for them. Cecily is smiling for the first time in days, and nothing feels more important than this.

He doesn’t realize how quickly time has passed until Bella has to go home.

They pause on the wraparound porch to hug her goodbye. “Thanks again for the hair,” Bella says. “And . . . I know things are awful, but is it bad that part of me is glad you’re staying just a little longer?”

Cecily gives her a choked laugh and envelops her in a hug. “I’m glad you’re here,” she says.

Bella grins. “I’m glad I’m here, too,” she says. For a second, her voice goes a little quiet. “Listen, I want to help you figure everything out. Keep me in the loop, okay? And I’ll keep my eyes open for clues. I heard one of the lacrosse boys talking about your renovation at the football party the other night. I’ll definitely follow up on it.”

Rudy gives her a quick hug. “Thank you. Really.”

Bella’s grin gets even wider as she runs a hand through her hair. “Hey, as long as you guys keep doing my hair this cool and giving me tips on how to feel fabulous, I’ll do all the sleuthing you want,” She straps on her bike helmet and shakes her hair out behind it. “God, I love the hair. My mom’s going to throw a fit. Ha!” She mounts her bike and shoots them one last grin. “See you guys soon!”

Rudy and his sisters watch Bella pedal down the long driveway and into the fading light. It would make a pretty picture, Rudy thinks, watching Bella’s bright pink hair sway in the wind.

Bella turns a corner, rose-gold hair billowing behind her. And then she is gone.

CHAPTER 25

Cecily

An hour or so after Bella leaves, Cecily tracks down Rudy. She finds him in his room, trying to play through a tune on his guitar. It’s been a long time since she’s heard him play, and she wants to savor it—but she can’t.

She steps inside. “I need you to know that this is not a game.”

Rudy looks up. “What?”

“You, in the bathroom, talking about hunting down the follower—Rudy, this is real! I get that you’re into the mystery, but this person—”

“Hurt you,” Rudy says. His voice sounds strange. A little shaky. Cecily hesitates. “You don’t think I know that?” She would have expected him to be angry, but his voice is almost a whisper. “You don’t think I—” He cuts himself off, shaking his head.

Cecily feels herself falter. “I—”

“I’m not enjoying this investigation in the way you think I am, Cecily,” Rudy says, standing up. “It’s just—someone hurt you, and I need to solve it. I need to, because I can’t—I can’t—” His eyes meet hers, and she realizes what he’s trying to say. He needs to solve this, because he can’t go back in time and stop it from happening. Because he can’t do anything else but solve it.

All the self-righteous anger drains from Cecily. “I just—I don’t want anything to happen to you . . .”

“I know,” he says, leaning his guitar against the bedpost.

Cecily gives him a tight smile. “I just want you to be careful.” He nods, and Cecily finds herself thinking that researching a real crime suits him, somehow. She just wishes that it weren’t in their house.

“I will,” Rudy says. “Here—why don’t we take a break for the night, throw on a movie or something . . .”

Cecily is more than happy to take him up on the offer. He grabs Amber, and they hang out in his room, talking and joking and letting B-grade cartoons run on autoplay. Cecily doesn’t realize how late it is until she hears her mom calling from downstairs.

“Kids? Can you come down here?”

Cecily exchanges a look with her siblings as they file downstairs, wondering if they’re in trouble again. When they reach the kitchen, their mom