Page 62 of Dare To Fall

“Please don’t tell anyone where I am.”

He nods, his expression serious. “You got it.”

I wait until he’s gone to check my phone. Eli has left me a bunch of messages.

Sin: Ari, where are you?

Sin: Tell me where you are.

Sin: Why the fuck didn’t you tell us what happened?

Sin: Who was it?

Sin: You know it wasn’t me, right?

Sin: Ari, tell me where the fuck you are.

I close the text conversation, not wanting to see anymore.

Fuck Eli.

I don’t want to lay eyes on him again. The sooner spring break arrives, the quicker I can go back to the Hamptons. If it comes down to it, I’ll find a hotel somewhere, so I can stay away from him the whole time we’re off.

I take out my other cell and copy Miles’ number into the one that Eli gave me and send Miles a message.

Me: It’s Arabella. I’m with Garrett. I’m okay, he’s brought me somewhere quiet behind the gymnasium. Don’t tell Eli or Kellan. But if anything happens to me, you know who I am with. He’s not being an asshole.

A ping comes from my other cell as I shove it back in my pocket.

I half expect it to be Miles asking why I’m using a different number, and everything inside me turns to ice with dread when I read what’s written.

Unknown number: Next time you don’t get Travers’ attention, we won’t just leave you tied up with a few bruises. Play the game properly, Arabella, or we’ll do worse.

Chapter 39

Eli

I rub a hand down my face. “For the last time, it wasn’t me.”

I must have been in the principal’s office for at least an hour, answering question after question about the photographs posted on social media.

“When did you last speak to Arabella?”

“Speak to her? Wednesday.”

“Other students report that you’ve clashed a lot, even though your return here was under the agreement that you would stay away from her.”

“It’s hard to stay away from someone who shares every class with me and is going out of their fucking way to destroy everything I own.”

“Ah, yes.” Principal Warren looks down at the piece of paper he’s holding. “I’ve been informed of the petty back and forth between you.”

“Petty back and forth.” My voice is flat.

“It ends now, or I’ll have you both removed from the school.”

“I didn’t fucking do it.”

“You said that about the videos at Christmas as well.”

---