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Her stoh e pool, the blue oats that wandered outside the resort’s high stucco walls In a picture of a crowd at the restaurant, a face stuck out a sunburned and wearing the lacrosse T-shirt he’d had on the day they’d arrived, was Noel Kahn Mike Montgo a Red Stripe If a few randootten Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna in the shot, too
She scrolled to the next photo and almost screa the golden sundress she’d worn the night Spencer and the others had killed her
The iPhone slipped fro on her chest, preventing air fros Details crystallized in her mind Kelsey had been at The Cliffs the same time as she and her friends were Perhaps Kelsey knew Tabitha Perhaps Kelsey sahat Spencer and the others did to her And then, when she ain at Penn, she made the connection And when Spencer fra she was responsible for, Kelsey had decided to exact revengeas the new A
She had her proof Kelsey was A And she wasn’t going to stop until she brought Spencer down once and for all
Chapter 22
NOTHING LIKE A THREAT TO HELP WITH A DECISION
Later that night, Aria sat on the couch at Byron’s house, rain pounding on the panes She should have been looking at her art history project--Klaudia had cancelled their second Words and rescheduled for a coffee shop on Friday--but instead she was on a website called BrooklynLofts, which featured gorgeous apart, and Red Hook neighborhoods The more she read about Brooklyn, the ed Practically every writer who et his book published just by walking to the local coffee shop
Mike strolled into the roo so up
"Just out," Mike ar-free candy from the bowl Meredith had set on the side table She was one of those people who believed sugar consuoaded Mike earing his nice Vans after all--the ones that weren’t covered in dirt
Mikethe plastic on the candy "Colleen and I are hanging out It’s not a big deal"
"Are you two getting cozy at play practice?"
Mike winced "It’s not like that And, I mean, she’s not" He clamped his mouth shut and stared off at the teardrop-shaped prishter "She’s notHanna?"
"No," Mike said quickly "I was going to say she isn’t, like, the Hooters honey who’s totally digging me on Skype" Then he plopped down in the ancient Stickley chair Byron claie days "Okay Maybe I was going to say that"
"If you miss Hanna so much, why don’t you tell her?"
Mike looked horrified "Because guys don’t do that That’d et these nonsensical ideas? She shifted closer to him "Look, I can’t really talk about it, but I’m back with someone I ith last year Sootten me But he came back and said he missed me, too It was romantic, Mike Not la unconvinced "So it’s really over between you and Noel?"
Aria lowered her eyes It was still weird to hear talk of their breakup "Yeah"
"So are you with Sean Ackard again?"
Aria wrinkled her nose, surprised at his assuot she’d dated Sean last yearand that she’d lived with him for a while
"Then who is it?" Mike’s brow furrowed
Aria looked at the BrooklynLofts site, then clicked the lid shut before Mike could see She should tell him about Ezra, but it feltaard Last year, Mike had found out about her fling with Ezra and had called her a freakish Shakespeare-lover Maybe, to hilanced at Mike "Is that Colleen?"
Mike shook his head "I’ to try to convince her to go into Agent Provocateur with ot tords for you: Double Dees"
Rolling her eyes, Aria pushed her books aside and walked to the front door, dodging Lola’s baby toys, swing, and bouncer that littered the hall When she pulled the door open, Spencer, Hanna, and E wet from the rain Aria blinked at them in surprise
"Can we cousted as Aria opened the door wider The girls stepped inside, peeling off their soaked jackets Mike hovered in the doorway, though when he saw Hanna, he turned on his heel and retreated to the den
"We need to talk," Spencer said after hanging up her coat "Can we go to your room?"
"Um, okay" Aria turned, led them up the stairs to her bedroom, and shut the door Everyone milled around aardly After Real Ali tried to kill them and they’d reunited, they’d spent tons of time up here, but they hadn’t been in Aria’s room since shortly after Jaht, looked twitchy and uncomfortable, like she’d rather be anywhere else
Spencer slutunia, out of the way, and pulled an iPad out of her bag "I need to show you guys so"