Read Online Inertia (Gravity Series, 3.5) (The Gravity Series) by Abigail Boyd - Free Book Online

floor with her chin beneath her knees, feeling like a sad little girl in time out. Why couldn’t he see that she’d do everything to make Thornhill successful? Anything to make him proud of her, just once?
    Someone opened the door and leaned in. The light made her squint.
    “Hey, Lainey, aren’t you going to come help us with the car?” the girl asked.
    “I’m getting out of here.” Lainey pushed past her and out as she gathered her insides together.
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    She tried to keep both her father and her friend happy. She spent as much time as she could with Thornhill matters, while still trying to maintain her friendship with Madison. The problem was that Maddie kept asking too many questions. The girl had never cared much before about anything that wasn’t fashion or boys, living in her own cotton candy cloud of delusion.
    But she was awake now. The starting incident had been stupid, slutty Ariel Donovan finding Jenna’s necklace at her party. The fact that Ariel had crashed in the first place had infuriated her.
    When Harlow arrived in town, shoving Madison even further into the background than she already was, it sent her into a downward spiral. But Lainey didn’t know how to talk to her about that. They’d never shared deep feelings except when Ambrose died. And that had been too painful and uncomfortable to revisit.
    Madison started to bug her with questions. Once, when they were getting high on some pot she’d found in her all-star brother’s gym bag, she seemed especially thoughtful. They were sitting on Lainey’s canopy bed, joking about things one minute. Then the mood completely shifted.
    “What if somebody else helped Warwick kill Jenna? What if it was somebody we knew?” Madison asked.
    She knew her friend was smarter than she looked and hid it on purpose. That she dumbed down herself—even getting C’s when she could have accomplished A’s—because she didn’t want to be seen as a brain.
    Still, she tried to play it off. “You know what? This is why I don’t get high with you anymore. You’re always so deep. I just want Oreos.”
    She started to slide off the bed, but Madison stopped her, putting her hand firmly on her shoulder.
    “I’m serious,” Madison said, and her eyes didn’t look affected at all anymore. She looked sharp, like the pieces in her mind that had been floating around had finally settled into place. “I’ve got this feeling that Warwick definitely didn’t act alone. And if he put her in the water by your house, was he trying to set you up? Because of Jenna and Ambrose?”
    “There was no Jenna and Ambrose,” Lainey said through gritted teeth, crashing down hard. “They were just being stupid and drunk.”
    “I saw them kiss,” Madison said softly, playing with the golden coverlet on Lainey’s bed.
    “What?” Lainey nearly shouted, jumping up to her feet and nearly stumbling over. The loose pot that had been on her notebook was knocked to the floor along with her glass piece, which shattered into a million shards. “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me about it?”
    “I’m sorry, I just didn’t know how. I knew you’d spazz out and not be able to deal with it.”
    Ever since that day, she’d felt like her world was topsy-turvy. Had she grieved for a murderer? Of course, she had suspected that Ambrose and Jenna had maybe been messing around. But to have it confirmed was too much, especially since Henry had rejected her.
    Was Ambrose really involved in her death?
    ###
    Too fat. Skinny legs, huge hips. What is wrong with her face? In her mind ran a constant ticker, pointing out the negative traits of those around her. As she went down the hall with Harlow, she judged the others up against herself and determined herself to pretty much be the fairest of them all. Any girls getting close must have had work done. All was right with the universe.
    Harlow was chatting, telling her about her life before she moved to Hell. Her confidence impressed Lainey a