Page 43 of Dare To Fall

“One of many.”

“How long have you known about them?”

“Kellan and I found them in our second year here.”

My gaze wanders around the stone walls. “No wonder you were always here before me, and I never saw you when I came out to the woods.”

“There’s another one which comes out at the edge of the cemetery. I used that one more than this.” Blowing out the flame on the match he’s holding, Eli turns. “Come here.”

Still angry with him for what he’d done to me earlier, I hesitate before moving closer to him. “What do you want?”

“We’ll be warmer under here.” He gestures at a gray blanket that’s been folded up and left on the floor. He stoops, picks it up and shakes it out, revealing another underneath. He spreads that one out, sits on top of it and lays the second across his legs.

“Are you going to stand there and freeze, or are you going to get your stubborn ass down here?” His voice is dry.

I scowl and roll my eyes, but I can’t think of a single reason why it would be better to stay where I am, so I join him on the makeshift bed. He draws the blanket over me, then curves a hand around my waist and pulls me close to his side.

“I still hate you,” I mutter, pressing my face into his chest. “It’s been, what? Twenty-four hours since I found out you’re Sin.”

Twenty-four hours since he found me broken.

Everything is hitting me in waves, and I feel like I’m being pulled back to how I was feeling when he found me in the chapel.

Eli’s lips brush my forehead. “Out there when everyone is watching, we have to act like we hate each other.”

“We do hate each other.”

“You know it’s more than that, Kitten.”

“Sex.”

His lips smile against my skin. “Good sex.”

I punch him lightly in the ribs. He grunts.

“Part of me was sure what you did was for show, but another part is scared you are just playing with my head again.”

His hand moves to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair to force my face up to his. “I had to make them believe you mean nothing to me, Ari. If they think there’s nothing but hate between us, they might leave you alone.”

I search those green eyes that have both terrified and aroused me with the fire in their depths in the past. “But what if they don’t?”

“Then we have to work out our next move.”

“You mean you’re going to keep being an asshole to me?”

He sighs. “It’s the only way it’s going to work.”

I roll away from him and attempt to throw the blanket off. He grabs my hand and hauls me back until I’m half lying on top of him.

“No. Stay.”

I try to move, but his arms wrap around me, keeping me in place. “Why?”

“Because when we’re alone, we’re Eli and Ari. Out there, I’m a monster, and you’re the school whore.”

I stiffen at his choice of words. “I’m not a whore.”

“And I wasn’t a monster until they forced me into the role. Listen to me, Kitten. When we’re alone, we can be who we want to be. Out there ...” He glances toward the locked door. “We are who we need to be to keep you safe. We show our hate.”

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