Page 104 of Dare To Break

I drag on my sweats and t-shirt, and stuff my feet into my sneakers. Bag located, I ignore it when the cell inside buzzes. Scurrying for the door, I push it open and run.

I did what he said, and he tricked me.

Tears blur my vision, but I keep on running.

Was it some kind of punishment? Why? What did I do?

I move blindly. My foot hits something solid, and I trip. My reactions are not quick enough to stop myself from hitting the ground, and my forehead connects with something hard with a sickening crack. Light explodes before my eyes, and I cry out in pain.

Dazed and confused, I lie still, my heavy breath swirling the dirt by my mouth. Rolling onto my back, I stare up at the dark canopy of branches. When I touch my forehead, my fingertips come away, streaked in something dark. Fresh tears fill my eyes, the agony in my head making me feel nauseous.

I should have been more careful and looked where I was going. I just wanted to get away from what happened.

I get to my feet, the world spinning as I stand. One arm wrapped around my stomach for comfort, I limp toward the lights of the school. When I hit the tree line, I don’t speed up my pace. My head hurts. All I want to do is hide under my covers and take some painkillers.

I’m almost at the dorm building when a beam of light hits me.

“Don’t move.”

I stop at the booming voice and turn. A security guard is striding toward me. Stomach churning, all I can do is watch him come closer with a sense of impending doom.

He stops in front of me and scrutinizes my expression. “Care to explain what you’re doing outside after lights-out?”

My gaze drops to the floor. “Um…” I swallow. “I got a dare to run to the cemetery and back after curfew.”

He jerks his chin at my forehead. “You hurt yourself?”

I touch the painful throbbing just above my right eye and wince. “I stumbled on a root.”

“You’re bleeding, and it looks like you’re going to have one hell of a bruise. We should get that checked out.”

“Am I in trouble?”

“I’m going to have to report this.” He gestures toward the main building. “Come on, let’s get you patched up and make sure you don’t have a concussion.”

Chapter 68

Eli

Sleep eludes me for most of the night. Every time I close my eyes, she’s there in my mind. I can hear her soft sighs, her moans, feel the warmth of her skin against mine, taste her on my lips. By the time morning rolls around, I’m gritty-eyed, tired, and irritable. I opt for a cold shower, which doesn’t help the hard-on I’ve been fighting to subdue since leaving Arabella in the tomb.

I can’t summon up anything more than a grunt in response to Kellan’s yawned “morning” as I drag on clothes and head down for breakfast. It’s only when I drop on the seat at my chosen table that I feel the atmosphere in the room. The conversation is more muted than usual, the girls on the cheer squad whispering to each other instead of laughing and teasing. The football team, seated close by, is also quiet as they focus on eating their breakfast instead of flirting with the girls.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise. Something isn’t right, and an odd sense of relief sweeps through me when Kellan arrives, with a tray filled with toast and coffee, and flops down on the opposite side of the table.

“Do you know what’s going on?”

His eyes narrow and he straightens, looking around quickly, then leans forward. “You haven’t heard?”

“If I’d heard, I wouldn’t be asking.”

“Someone was caught doing a dare last night. Word is they hurt themselves and ended up spending the night in medical. Warren is ordering everyone to the main hall before school starts to lecture us about being out after curfew.”

“Because that’ll work as well as it has every other year.”

Kellan doesn’t laugh. “Whoever it was got hurt in the cemetery, Eli.”

Tension zips down my spine. I hadn’t stayed to make sure Arabella got back safely. I’d needed to put space between us before I ignored her request and fucked her. The first taste of her almost unraveled my control, and I’d grabbed the first excuse I could think of to get out before I broke my word.

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