Page 149 of Dare To Fall

“Okay.” I keep my voice calm. “So, what do you want to do?”

“I want to fucking get rid of you, that’s what I want to do. You had everything. A happy family, friends, parties. Everything I should have had. I thought after your mom died, they’d finally see how you didn’t deserve it. But they all wanted to help you, be your friend. Poor fucking Eli. He lost his mom. Wah wah. Boo hoo. Not even looking like a fucking monster stopped people from wanting to be your friend. I had to be on the go fucking constantly, making sure everyone saw you as a monster. But Kellan wouldn’t listen, and then Zoey decided that she liked you more than she liked me.”

The blade digs deeper. “She refused to admit she was fucking you. And then she stopped playing the game, so I had to punish her.” The words send a chill down my spine.

“Did you kill Zoey?”

“No, you did! I asked her to meet me, but she refused to listen. All she wanted to talk about was how you weren’t the person everyone thought you were. That you were sweet, and nice, and kind. I couldn’t let her tell people that, could I?”

“So, you killed her.”

“No! You fucking killed her because you have to be the one in control, the one that owns everything. It’s all your fucking fault. And then you had to make it worse, didn’t you? You weren’t supposed to fucking like the little bitch. You were supposed to hurt her. And then everyone would see what I see.”

“Ari—Arabella?”

“I did everything, fucking everything, to set up that scene. You attacked her, attacked Garrett, and you still didn’t get sent away. You’re still the fucking golden boy of Churchill Bradley.” His voice changes, turns flat. “So, I did what I had to do.”

My tongue snakes out to lick dry lips. My heart is fucking hammering against my ribs. My eyes are glued to Miles, who is shaking his head, tears spilling down his cheeks.

“What did you do?” I force the question out. I already know the answer. Deep down, I’d known it the minute I stepped inside, I just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

“You didn’t protect your knight, Eli. You should have protected your knight.”

“What did you do?” I need him to say it. I don’t want him to fucking say it.

Miles’ shoulders are shaking with the force of his sobs. I absently note the blood dripping from his wrists as he twists them against the rope, trying to get free.

“I took your knight out of the game.”

Something hits me from behind and sends me crashing into Miles. By the time I regain my balance and spin, he’s gone. My gaze darts to the altar where Kellan is lying. He hasn’t moved, hasn’t changed position.

I don’t want to go any closer. Don’t want to see the proof of what I already know, and my feet drag against the stone floor, inch by inch, until I’m in front of him. There’s a lump in my throat. My vision is blurry. I can’t focus.

With a shaking hand, I reach out and press two fingers to the pulse in his throat.

“Kell?”

Nothing.

“Kell!” I shake him. His head rolls back and forth. “Kellan, fucking wake up.” My hand slides down his chest, and against his ribs. “Kellan, talk to me. Kell? Don’t do this. Please don’t do this.” I dip my head and rest my forehead against his. “Please, Kellan. Please talk to me. Don’t do this. Please don’t do this. Wake up.”

Chapter 100

Arabella

“Are you sure he said the chapel?” Garrett scans the trees.

I check the message on my phone. “That’s what he said.”

As the stone building comes into view, I see no sign of anyone. I’m not sure why Kellan asked Eli to meet him out here, but it must be important. I’m angry that Eli left me sleeping instead of waking me. If he’d told me, we could have come together.

A voice shouting breaks the silence from inside.

“Stay here,” Garrett orders.

I ignore him and run toward the door, not listening when he calls after me. Rushing up the steps, I burst into the chapel and stop dead in my tracks. Eli is standing at the altar, shouting and shaking the boy sprawled on top of the stone.

Kellan’s eyes are open, but he’s not moving. The light spilling in from the stain-glass windows paints them both in a rainbow of colors that’s both beautiful and macabre.

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