Page 1 of Dare To Fall

Chapter 1

Eli

Kellan is swearing, loud and colorfully, while Miles and I pin him in place on the bed so the nurse can stitch the gash above his eye.

“I’ve given you worse when we spar,” I tell him when he tries to pull away again.

“Like fuck,” he snaps. “You’ve never hit my face.”

“Then I’ll add it to our spar sessions in future.”

“Don’t you fucking—ouch, fuck. That fucking hurts.”

“Almost done.” The nurse’s voice is cheerful, like she stitches people up every fucking day. Maybe she does. I don’t know. “Just one more. Hold still, honey.” And then she’s straightening and pulling off the surgical gloves. “There we go. All done.”

She takes a step back. “Your ribs are badly bruised, so they’re going to ache for a while, but they’re not broken.”

“And your nose wasn’t broken either.” Miles perches on the side of the bed. “Just a lot of blood.” He has a white-knuckled grip on Kellan’s hand.

“You’re going to have to come clean, you know.” I turn my glare on him.

Miles ducks his head.

“I’m serious. They’ll try and fuck him over again if you don’t.”

“I know.”

My gaze drifts over the room, pausing on the wall clock. “What time is it?”

“Three am,” Miles tells me.

I frown. Something about the time bothers me. Three am …

Fuck.

I pull my cell out of my pocket. There are seventeen text notifications from Arabella. Why would she be texting my main number?

I tap into them.

Ari: Fuck you.

Ari: Fuck this situation.

Ari: You got what you wanted.

Ari: You humiliated me.

Ari: Hurt me.

Ari: Took my virginity.

Ari: Twisted everything with your hate.

Ari: All I did was exist, and you hated me.

Ari: You judged me without even getting to know me.

Ari: All I wanted was to belong.

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