Page 113 of Dare To Take

“What happened?” An arm slides around my shoulders. “Did Eli do something to you?”

I clutch at the front of his sweater and burrow into it, searching for comfort.

It feels so good to be held again.

“I d-don’t kn-know what to d-do.” The words trip and tumble out of me.

Miles hugs me tight. “What’s going on?”

“I c-can’t br-breathe anymo-more.”

“It’s okay.”

I swallow hard, dizzy with fear. “N-no, it’s no-not.”

“Bella—”

“No, don’t ask me. They might be watching.” I lift my head, searching around, half-expecting someone to jump out. Tears slid down my cheeks.

“Who?” Miles studies my expression. Whatever he sees in it deepens his frown. “Who, Arabella?”

“I can’t—”

A door slams from above, voices filtering down, and footsteps heading our way. The bell rings, the sound bouncing off the walls, to grate on my frayed nerves.

He cups my face with warm, strong hands. “I’ll come to your room tonight after curfew, and you can tell me what’s going on.”

“They tried to get into my room,” I admit in a broken whisper. “They’ll do it again.”

The voices grow louder.

Miles glances up the stairs and then back at me. “I’ll see you tonight.”

He disentangles himself out of my arms, and hurries down the steps and away before we can be seen.

***

I pace back and forth, gnawing on a thumbnail, my stomach in knots of tension, and unable to stay still. Miles is coming, and I’m going to tell him everything. The secret is a poison that’s slowly eating away at me, and this might be my only chance to tell someone without being seen.

It’s an hour past curfew. Where is he? Maybe he’s waiting until security has done its sweep?

Unable to wait any longer, I find his messages on my phone.

Me: Miles, where are you?

No response.

Could he be waiting for his roommate to fall asleep? Why isn’t he answering?

I turn on the TV and let a random movie play, to keep my mind distracted. Another hour passes, and there’s still no sign of him.

Me: Are you ok?

Still no reply.

I’m tempted to go to his room, but the thought of running into Garrett or one of the jocks holds me back.

My phone pings.

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