You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street Book 1)

The shock of Marissa’s words made my whole body shudder. A horrified cry burst from deep in my chest. I staggered back and sat on the edge of the armchair, struggling to catch my breath.

“Aiden?” The name slipped from my mouth.

“He’s here with Nikki,” she said. “A double surprise. I had no idea the two of them were together.”

I stared back at her. My head was spinning. This was all too much, too much to take in at once. My heart throbbed. I had red flashes in my eyes.

“Aiden and Nikki have been together ever since that night I brought Aiden home to our house,” Marissa said. “Remember? Nikki jumped into Aiden’s lap, just to be funny? Something happened between them, I guess. Like lust at first sight. Ha.”

She shook her head. “Of course, I didn’t know it till now, till Aiden just explained it to me.”

Her eyes suddenly had a faraway look, as if she was no longer looking at me but seeing the past.

I squeezed the arms of the chair. “But . . . Robby,” I uttered. “What about Robby?”

Marissa made a disgusted face. “Nikki said she was never into Robby. It was mean, but she was just having fun, playing with him, making a fool of him. He never knew what was going on. None of us did.”

She shook her head. “None of us knew what a liar Nikki is. She told her mother she went on a camping trip with friends. But instead, she came here with Aiden.”

Marissa shifted again on the bed. “Of course, Aiden loved stealing Robby’s girlfriend.”

I blinked. “Because . . .”

“Because Aiden hates us,” Marissa snapped. “And don’t give me that innocent face, Harmony. It’s all your fault that he hates us, and you know it.”

Her sudden anger made my heart start to pound. I could feel my face turn hot, and I knew I was probably beet red. “But—”

“You ruined his life, Harmony,” Marissa continued. “Aiden dreamed of being a surgeon since he was a little kid. And you ruined it. You destroyed his dream. So . . . he decided to destroy our family.”

“Huh? By stealing Robby’s girlfriend?” I cried.

Marissa shook her head. “No. By murdering me. He killed me, Harmony. He threw me over the cliff.”

“No—” I gasped. “This is impossible. You—”

“Taylor and I went up on the mesa early on the morning of my wedding. We went up to watch the sunrise. Aiden showed up. He showed us how he still can’t use his hand. He said our family had to pay. He was crazed. He was totally psycho. Then . . . Then . . .”

She took a breath. “Then he rushed at me. Lowered his shoulder and plowed into me. I begged him. I begged him. But he knocked me backward. Shoved me like a mad bull. Knocked me over . . . over the cliff. He killed me.”

Marissa was gasping for breath now, her whole body heaving up and down. “Taylor tried to save me. She dove at Aiden. Tried to tackle him. But she missed and went sailing over the edge.”

“They found Taylor’s body,” I said, my voice breaking. “Poor Taylor. Why isn’t she here with you, Marissa? Why isn’t she here like you three?”

“She isn’t a Fear,” Marissa replied. “The curse had no hold over her.” A sob escaped her throat. “She was such a sweet, sweet friend. I hope she rests in peace.”

“Unlike us,” Ruth-Ann murmured bitterly.

“But . . . here’s the frightening part,” Marissa said, locking her eyes on mine. “Aiden took his revenge on Robby by stealing Nikki. He took his revenge on me by murdering me. But . . . what does he plan to do to you?”

A chill ran down my back.

Before I had a chance to react, the door to the room crashed open. It slammed hard against the wall. I jumped to my feet as Aiden burst into the room.

Aiden wore a navy-blue shirt, untucked, sleeves rolled up, over baggy black jeans, ragged holes at both knees. “Wow. The Fear girls are reunited,” he said, a strange smile on his face, his eyes gleaming, hair falling over his forehead. “Harmony, you found your sister.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. I gaped at him in shock. “You . . . you’re still here?” I finally choked out. “But—how?”

“I don’t know,” Aiden said, moving closer. “I keep moving between two times. It’s like I’m trapped. Maybe it’s just more of my bad luck, my ruined life. Just something else I can’t control or even understand. But . . . I have some unfinished business, Harmony.”

I uttered a cry as he grabbed my arm. “You want to stay with your sister, right?” He brought his face close to mine and spit the words. “You want to join her, right?”

“Let go of me,” I cried. I twisted my arm out of his grasp, but he quickly grabbed it back.

“Ow. You’re hurting me,” I said. “Let go, Aiden—” I struggled to pull away, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

He reached into his jeans pocket with his other hand and pulled up a gleaming object. I watched it glow as he raised it, and it took me a few seconds to realize I was staring at a knife blade.

“N-no—!” I stammered a choked protest.

Aiden wrapped his arm around me, holding me against him. “It’s a surgical knife,” he said. “My father’s first surgical knife. He always planned to pass it down as a memento to me when I became a surgeon. But . . . that isn’t going to happen, is it, Harmony?”

“Let her go,” Ruth-Ann shouted. “Aiden—don’t do this.”

He glanced back at Ruth-Ann. “Harmony wants to be with Marissa. She wants to stay with her beautiful sister.”

He tightened his grip on me and raised the knife in front of my eyes. I twisted and squirmed, but my terror was weakening me. I could feel the panic freeze my body.

“There’s only one way to join Marissa,” Aiden said, his hot breath brushing my ear. “You have to die.”

He pressed the blade against my neck. And slid it slowly across my throat.