Page 136 of Dare To Fall

“I’ll ask Kellan. He’ll know if your cell has received any texts.” Maybe that’s what has him preoccupied. I know he’s been trying to find a way to trace where the texts were coming from.

I pull out my cell again.

ME: Where are you?

Kellan: Standing in the doorway, admiring how hot the three of you look.

I look up and, sure enough, Kellan is leaning against the doorframe, thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans and smirking at me. When our eyes meet, he pushes away and walks across the floor to drop down in a chair beside Miles.

“Hello, darling.” He leans across to plant a kiss on Miles’ cheek.

The swim captain doesn’t even react, which is a huge step for him.

“Are you out in the open now?” Ari asks, her gaze darting between them.

“I haven’t made a big announcement or anything,” Miles replies. “But I’ve stopped pretending. If my parents find out …” He shrugs. “It’s going to happen at some point.”

“And I’m so rich, he can just be my trophy boyfriend if they cut him off,” Kellan adds. “I’ll pay all his bills, as long as he keeps doing that thing with his tongue that I like so much.”

Miles’ cheeks turn pink. Ari laughs softly and reaches across to place her hand on top of his. “They’re as bad as each other, aren’t they? It’s no wonder they’re friends.”

“No, we’re friends because Eli walked in on me trying to hang myself about a week after I got here and drove me insane until I agreed not to kill myself.” Kellan’s tone is light, playful, and I can see from the expression on both Miles’ and Ari’s faces that it takes a moment or two for his words to sink in.

“He was doing it wrong,” I say into the silence, my voice similar to Kellan’s. “The knot he used would have come undone the second he stepped off the chair. All he would have gained from it was a sprained ankle.”

“Eli spent an hour lecturing me on how I should research the correct way to make a noose. Told me I lacked commitment to my plan. Then described what would happen if I was successful. Finding out you piss and shit yourself turned me off the idea. I don’t want anyone’s last memory of me to be that I shit my pants.” He grins at me. “Could you imagine? Those jeans cost four hundred dollars.”

“I offered him an old pair of sweats to do it in, but he declined. Decided he’d rather annoy me for the rest of the school year instead.”

“Anyway, it’s a good thing I changed my mind; otherwise, Eli would have joined me a few years later.”

We share a look, then Kellan grins. “Look how shocked they both are.” He bumps Miles’ shoulder with his own. “It was years ago. Neither of us are suicidal these days.” He winks at me. “Eli leans more toward homicidal.”

Chapter 92

Arabella

“Was that story true? The one you told us yesterday about Kellan?” I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how they joked about it.

Eli’s lips pause on their path along my neck. “Yes.”

We’re making out in one of the empty storage rooms, skipping the last class of the day.

I curl my fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck and pull him closer. “You’re a good friend.”

Eli hums against my skin, the vibration going right down to my pussy. “He puts up with me.”

“He loves you like a brother.”

“I know, and I love him too.” He licks my neck, hands busy teasing my breasts.

“Don’t let Miles hear you say that. He might get the wrong impression.” I wrap my legs tighter around his waist, drawing him against me where I’m sitting on the bench. “Did you ask him about the messages?”

“Messages?” He sounds distracted.

I smile. “From my old phone.”

“Didn’t get the chance.”

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