Page 62 of The Runaway

We’re walking down the long corridor that stretches toward the locker rooms after another wasteful hour on the ice.

Chase hasn’t said much to me after I spaced out and nearly fainted. And I have a pretty good idea I know why.

“You think this was a bad idea too.”

Someone steps out of a locker room down the hall and Chase quickly grabs my hand, keeping up our ‘couple’ appearance. He waits until the footsteps fade out, then pulls my hand and presses me to the tile wall.

“No.” He licks his lips, meeting my eyes. “I think you got in your own head and I’d like to know what it was that froze you up.” His tone is almost demanding. Intimidating.

I push against his chest. “I don’t remember.”

“Like hell you don’t. What was it? You checked out, Pepper. That’s dangerous. You are not going to be alone on the ice. People will be watching. The other girls aren’t going to be expecting you to stop out of the blue. They’ll knock right into you.”

The sound of footsteps grows, two sets at least, and Chase smiles at me. A warm, sweet smile. Then strokes my cheek lightly, sending shivers down my spine as he dips his head, connecting our noses.

I barely notice the two guys passing us until one of them nudges Chase. “Wrap it up, you two. Coach gave us ten minutes.”

“That means twenty,” he says, keeping his eyes on me as they disappear down the hall.

“Let me go,” I demand in a low voice.

He pulls back. “Okay, so here’s not the place. But you’re going to tell me what that was.”

“Or else what? You’ll hand me over to my ex?”

“I wouldn’t do that, Pepper. I’m not walking away from this just because you’re a stubborn brat. It’s tempting as fuck. But I’m not quite there yet.”

A familiar buzz of excitement draws closer. The kind I recognize to be one thing.

Media.

Which means—cameras.

Chase must see my expression when the crew comes around the corner and heads straight for us.

I gasp, ducking my head in his chest.

“You’re fine.” Grabbing my arm, he pulls me down the hall until we reach a door and slip inside.

I glance around Lonnie’s office. “Are you allowed to be in here?”

“Yes.”

“Chase, I can’t go out there. I can’t. There are cameras. Real people. What if someone recognizes me? What if he—”

“You won’t be on camera. At least not close up.”

“You can’t know that. What if I fall? People will be recording from their phones and posting it all over the internet.”

His eyes drift like he hadn’t thought about that. And that freaks me out even more.

“Chase.” It’s almost a whisper scream.

He grips my shoulders. “You won’t fall.”

“I’m not ready. Can I just sit this one out?”

“No. The sooner you get out there—the sooner you have an official existence. If Pepper Woods doesn’t exist, then Penelope does. And we need to make her disappear.”

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