Page 117 of Dare To Break

Chaos erupts as all the girls start questioning Arabella while Miles turns on Jace. I toss Arabella a smile.

“Game, set, and match,” I mouth and walk away.

Chapter 75

Arabella

My gaze lingers on the trees covered in toilet paper, the long white strips flapping gently in the breeze like giant spider webs, as I walk across the campus, while Lacy chatters beside me.

“The caterer has agreed to make these amazing artisan cakes. They are costing a fortune, but they are just perfect for the party.”

“Is the school really paying for all this?” I cast a dubious look in her direction. “Linda told me you have a 3D projection mapped out with ghosts and bats. Hollywood-style special effects like smoking cauldrons and dry ice—”

She flaps her hand at me. “Of course, they will.”

Entering the main building, we stroll toward our lockers through the throng of other students. I scan the sea of faces, praying Eli isn’t among them.

“Don’t you think it might be a little too much?”

Lacy rolls her eyes. “Trust me, it’s going to be way more impressive than the dollar store decorations your last school provided for your festivities.”

A roar splits the air to the left. Twisting around, I’m in time to see a masked figure dressed in black lunging toward us. I jump, my heart thrashing so hard in my chest that I’m surprised it doesn’t burst.

The figure halts in front of us, and laughs. When they peel off the mask, it reveals a familiar face. “Got you.”

“What the hell, Brad?” Lacy screeches.

The grin on his mouth falters. “Cupcake—”

She holds up her hand. “Don’t talk to me.”

“But—”

She marches along the hallway, dragging me along with her, away from her boyfriend. “Ugh, I’m sick of all the pranks.”

I look behind me and catch a glimpse of his crestfallen face. “I thought you liked Halloween?”

“I like the dressing up and partying bit. Not the rest.”

“We’ve got a few more days until Saturday.”

“It can’t come quick enough.” She shakes her head. “How are you and Miles doing after what happened?”

“We’re on a mini break.”

Miles wasn’t happy to learn that Jace had tricked me into kissing him. The naked betrayal in his expression when Eli told him what happened had made me sick to my stomach. It took him a lot to convince me afterward that he was just acting.

Eli might have let it drop, but I don’t think it had the effect he was hoping for. Miles and I have been texting back and forth since the incident in the cafeteria. He’s playing the upset boyfriend, while I’ve taken the role of repentant girlfriend. Whatever game Eli is playing, he hasn’t won. If anything, it’s made my friend more protective of me.

My phone buzzes in my bag, I fish it out.

Miles: Eli is already in class.

The warning gives me a tiny splinter of relief. We’ve been using this system to keep me away from Eli for the last few days. Miles watches for him and tells me where not to go.

Me: Thanks. I’m at my locker with Lacy.

Miles: Watch out for Jace.

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