Page 16 of The Midnight Confessions: Part Four

Just need the stars to align for all of us.

Chapter Seven

It was so nice to hug Trent. I can smell his scent of musk and sandalwood still, and I shiver with need. I miss him, our talks, how comfortable we are together. I didn’t think I’d be comfortable sexually around another man after what Kelter did to me, but I was so wrong.

I just want to keep him alive. The stalker is someone dangerous, and so is Kelter. I don’t know if they’re different people or the same, because I’m unsure of when Kelter started going to UT.

The campus is definitely large enough to hide in.

I’m lost in my thoughts as I eat the granola bar that Trent gave me on the way to class. I’ve been ignoring my needs, because my stomach has been hurting. It’s almost as if the food that he gives me or offers me is safe though. I can eat around him, and I feel warm and fuzzy and happy.

“Moooo!” someone yells, startling me so hard I almost drop the rest of my snack. Fuck, please no.

Whirling around, I almost trip over my own damn feet. Kelter’s brown eyes sparkle with glee, and his hood is pulled down. This guy is bold as hell, walking around as if he’s King Shit. He’s with a few girls that look like perky cheerleaders and some fraternity brothers. They’re all wearing the ASP letters.

“Your ass jiggles when you walk, Cassie. Maybe you shouldn’t snack so much between classes, baby.” he chuckles.

The other girls shift uncomfortably glancing between the two of us as if unsure what to say. I know I’ve been losing weight, I could feel the hesitancy in Trent’s touches. Taking a deep breath, I toss my red curls over my shoulder.

“It’s a good thing I don’t prefer men,” I sass, even as my heart thunders in my ears. It was the truth until very recently. “I don’t like my women to be sticks, so why would I take the advice of an asshole like you?”

My bravery is just about gone. Kelter snarls at me, taking a step toward me. Turning, I walk away quickly. I’m feeling petty, so I wait until I’m out of his view before throwing away the rest of my granola bar.

Shit, it’s not gonna stay down. Rushing down the hall of the English building, I just manage to make it into the bathroom stall to puke up the little that I’ve eaten. Groaning, tears prick my eyes. I’m so tired of throwing up.

Pulling off a bit of tissue, I wipe my mouth before tossing it into the toilet and flushing.

Stepping out, I ignore the girl standing there to wash my hands and rinse out my mouth.

“Not to be Captain Obvious or anything, but are you knocked up?” she asks.

Holding in my eye roll is really hard, but I manage.

“No,” I rasp as I dig in my backpack for a piece of gum. “Just managed to run into my past. Stress is a trigger for my anxiety and makes it hard to keep anything down.” Popping in the gum, I raise my gaze to hers. “Any other questions?”

“No,” she says shortly. “Just that it should be a crime for you to look as pretty as you do after puking your guts out.”

Walking out, she leaves me to stare after her in surprise. Glancing at the mirror, I sigh. I feel like I look as if a freight train ran over me. Opening my backpack again, I pull out lipstick and add a little color to my lips and cheeks. Once blended, I nod. Now I look a lot less like a corpse bride.

Throwing everything back into the bag, I manage to make it to class with a minute to spare. Dammit, I would have been on time otherwise. I struggle to focus on what my teacher says, but am still able to get the information needed for the next assignment.

The English class is about romance through the eighteenth century, and what those books have in common. So I’ll pull books like Pride and Prejudice and make my arguments from there. I’m actually excited for it, regardless of the chaos in my life.

I can feel my anxiety start to rise as I step outside of the building. I don’t want to run into Kelter again. They call him Soren now. God, I can’t begin to imagine the amount of money he threw around to change his name and get accepted into UT.

What’s his endgame? To torture me? Make me finish what I started the night he violated me?

Shaking out my hands, I start walking to the theater where I know I’ll find Frank. He’s helping to put together another production, and a small part of me is sad I won’t be a part of it. I think he’s finishing up auditions this week. I just can’t handle any more surprises.

Walking into the building where Dena’s body was staged is hard, but as I listen to the noises of people yelling and talking, I start to relax. The theater people here became a second family to me, and I really enjoyed my time here.

The theater itself is busy, and I smile as I watch a director I don’t know talking to the person auditioning. They must be going over time, but I don’t mind. This is one place that I doubt Kelter will come find me.

“Cassie,” Frank says to my left after I’ve been watching for a while. I was so engrossed, I totally didn’t notice him. Jumping slightly, I look up sheepishly. “Do you miss it?”

“Yeah,” I sigh. “Is that crazy? I just don’t think it’s safe right now for me to do anything like this. But… damn, was it fun.”

Giving me a small smile, he pulls me up. “Let’s pretend for just a little while, and you can help me teach these punks about breath control. Nothing else, okay?”

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