Page 163 of Dare To Live

My attention returns to the stone structure. This place had been a haven to me before Kellan had been killed. A place to hide when things had become too much. I found Zoey’s diary here. She used the chapel as a place to hang out as well.

Are the stained-glass windows still intact?

I’d always found them beautiful. The colors had been breathtaking with sunlight pouring through them. I spent hours sitting, watching the light play across the stone floor. The memory stayed with me and gave birth to my passion for creating windows of my own.

Maybe I’ll show Eli the ones I’ve done one day. If I ask him to come back to L.A. with me, I could show them to him. Would he come? There’s still the photoshoot with Forgotten Legacy to arrange. I could invite Eli to be there with me when it happens.

I stare at the closed door, my thoughts shifting back to the present.

Is he okay?

He’s been gone a while, and as much as I know he might need space, the chapel holds trauma he shouldn’t face alone. Taking a breath, I walk toward the door.

When I enter, Eli is standing in the middle of the chapel, head tipped up to the ceiling, eyes closed.

“I miss you, Kell.” His voice is soft and sad. “I wish you were here. Things would have been different.”

I stop by the first pew and stay quiet, my heart heavy for the man before me.

“I never should have agreed to you keeping the phone,” he continues. “It was dangerous, and we were fucking reckless. Maybe if we’d been able to figure out what was happening to Ari sooner, this could have been avoided.”

The blackmail. The threats. The game none of us knew we were playing until it was too late. There was no way to know we had a psychopath living in our midst. Evan was too clever.

“Yeah, there was no stopping you when you got something in your head.”

For a second, I think Eli is talking to me. It takes me a second before I realize he’s talking to his dead best friend. My heart aches, and I swallow the lump of emotion in my throat.

“I’m so fucking sorry. You and Zoey didn’t deserve this. You both should be here.”

My grip on the flashlight tightens as I will myself not to move. Everything within me wants to comfort him and I have to fight the need to go to him. This is his time. He needs to say goodbye to Kellan.

My gaze wanders around the chapel. The stone altar is in the same place. Everything is untouched. I’d always wondered if the place would be torn down, but here it stands.

“I got lost. So fucking lost without you.” Eli’s voice is the only sound in the place.

I can’t stand the pain in his voice any longer. I cross to him and wrap my arms around his waist. He tenses for a beat, then the tension drains out of him.

“I’m sorry … I couldn’t stand by and watch you hurting.” I whisper into the material of his hoodie.

“Maybe a hug is exactly what I need.” His words are just as soft.

“You can have one whenever you want.”

“Are you offering to be my own personal hugging service, Kitten?”

I smile. “I told you I would be whatever you need.”

Now. Tomorrow. Forever.

Chapter 92

Eli

I unwrap Arabella’s arms from my waist and take a step back. Lifting a hand, I run my knuckles down her cheek. Her skin is cool beneath my touch.

“Let’s get back to the dorms. It’s too cold to be out here for long.”

I take her hand in mine and lead her back to the entrance. When we reach it, I stop and look back.

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