Page 109 of Dare To Live

“You aren’t alone.” He squeezes my fingers. “We are with you this time.”

As much as that should give me comfort, it doesn’t. “I need some air.”

I don’t wait for him to reply. Pushing back my seat, I keep to the wall, and edge around the cafeteria to pass the crowds of chatting people. Head down, I keep my arms around my waist. Silence washes over the room, but I don’t search for the cause.

Memories crash over me, threatening to choke me. I don’t stop moving until fresh air hits my face, and I suck it in as I walk. The images in my head continue to batter me.

Jace kissing me.

Eli’s cruel words.

Lacy bullying me.

My panic when I was chased through the woods.

They crowd my head, swirling together in a mess. I can’t stop them, no matter how much I try.

I stop on the grass, lift my chin and stare at the trees. The path that leads toward the cemetery is ahead of me.

Red or green, Kitten?

Sin.

Closing my eyes at the husky voice whispering through my thoughts, I draw a deep breath. I’m not eighteen anymore. Not a naïve child. I have to cling to the here and now. I can’t let myself drown in the past. It’s already threatening to suck me down into an undertow of darkness.

I straighten my shoulders, and swivel on my heels.

No running away. Not this time.

Chapter 60

Eli

“I hoped you would come.” Garrett slips onto the seat opposite me, and I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from telling him to get out of Kellan’s seat. “I heard you moved out of the Hamptons a few years ago. I did a similar thing. Went to work at my dad’s company in Silicon Valley. He insisted I start at the bottom and work my way up. How about you? Did you follow your dad into finance?”

I shake my head. “He died five years ago. He sold off the company a couple of years prior to that, with my blessing, due to ill health.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Have you spoken to Arabella yet?”

“She’s here? I haven’t seen her.”

“I saw Miles a few minutes ago, and I know she arrived with him, so she’s here somewhere.” He looks around the room. “Can’t see her, though. Maybe she slipped out.”

Did she see me and leave?

I hadn’t replied to the drunken texts and photographs she sent. I thought once she was sober she’d be embarrassed, maybe try to apologize. When she didn’t, I decided it was best not to mention them, just in case she wanted to forget it and move on.

Before I can question Garrett further, there’s the sound of silverware hitting glass.

“Everyone, can I have your attention for a moment?” The familiar voice of Principal Warren rings out and everyone in the room falls silent. “First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming. We know that your senior year with us ended abruptly in a way no teenager should ever have to experience, so we truly do appreciate the fact you’ve come to join us.

“Over the next few days, we would like to give you all the opportunity to maybe get some closure over the events which, I’m sure, have left a lot of you with emotions that were hard to deal with at the time. We also hope that it gives you all a chance to catch up and remember the good times you had here at Churchill Bradley. Those of you who were mid-project when we closed the doors will, if you wish, be able to finish them and take them home with you as a positive memory of your time here.”

I wonder if my sculpture is still in the room I’d been using. If nothing else, maybe coming here will give me a chance to finish it.

“We thought it would be fun for everyone to treat this week as though it’s your final week of school. All your dorm rooms have been cleaned and prepared for you to stay in. I have keys here ready to issue out to everyone, and you have all been assigned the same rooms you used while you were residents here. During the clean-up process, we discovered a lot of personal belongings, so each room has a box or two full of items that may have been left by you. Feel free to go through them and keep or discard anything, as you see fit.

“The rest of this evening is your own to walk around, catch up and acclimate to being back within our walls again. Tomorrow, we have a talk and formal walk around planned, where we can show you what has changed and talk about how we hope to encourage parents of students to send their children back to our prestigious school once more. The cafeteria will be open from eight am until ten pm every day. All staff have returned and hope to spend time catching up with you all. On Friday evening, we have a prom planned, which we hope you will all take part in organizing, as you once did when you were students here.” He smiles around the room. “I cannot express my delight at seeing so many of you. Thank you for coming back and giving us this chance to give you the final senior week you should have had.

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