Page 17 of Dare To Break

I twist onto my side, wait for my eyes to adjust, and then sit up. Bending down, I rummage through my bag for my sketchbook, tear out a sheet of paper, scrunch it into a ball and throw it at Kellan’s head.

He yelps. “What the fuck?”

“Wake up, asshole. Tell me what happened.”

“When?” He yawns. “Oh, with Arabella, you mean?”

“No, the fucking Wicked Witch of the West. Yes, Arabella!”

“It rained on her. Poor thing was soaked through when she finally got here. Looked like a drowned rat.” He snickers. “She’s up on the third floor.”

“With …”

He shrugs, yawning. “Dunno. The room was empty when she got there.”

“Why the fuck is it so hard to find out who her roommate is?”

“Does it matter? It doesn’t change the plan. They’re all fucking scared of you anyway.”

I purse my lips. “True.” I stand so I can strip out of my clothes, tossing them into a pile as I peel each layer off.

Kellan rolls onto his side, head propped on his hand as he watches me. “Exciting. First strip tease of the semester.”

I roll my eyes. I don’t swing that way, and he knows it. I also don’t care if he sees me naked. He’s seen the scars on my back a thousand times before and knows where they came from.

“Seriously, though.” The playful tone drops from his voice. “Why are you really so hellbent on fucking the girl over? It’s not her fault your dad married her mom.”

“Sins of the mother …” I pull my shirt over my head, “… are paid for by the children.”

Chapter 11

Arabella

“And this is the cafeteria.” Lacy, my new roommate, gestures through the open doors of the bustling hall.

Hands shoved deep in the pockets of my favorite purple hoodie, I shadow her inside. She has a smile for everyone we pass, her self-confidence drawing others like butterflies to a flower. The second she entered our dorm room, she lit up the place with friendliness and endless conversation.

Chattering students crowd the tables, and the décor is plain. The aroma of food is appealing but does nothing to settle the nerves in my stomach.

“We also have plenty of vending machines in the halls if you just need snacks.” Chestnut hair in sleek waves around her beautiful face, Lacy turns her bright blue eyes to meet mine.

I offer her a friendly smile. “Thanks for giving me this tour.”

After Eli dumped me out of his car and left me to walk the rest of the way to school in the pouring rain, I’d been ready to cry. I had to explain to the campus security at the locked gates why I was late. Thankfully I was able to talk them into letting me inside.

Lacy touches my shoulder, dragging me back from my thoughts. “I’m just going to say hi to someone. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” Standing awkwardly by an empty table, I watch her run over to hug a group of laughing girls.

“Morning, Arabella.”

The voice close to my ear makes me jump, and I swivel to confront its owner. “Kellan.”

Gray eyes flick over my face. “Lacy is your roommate?”

“She turned up about ten minutes after you left. Thanks again for helping me with my cases yesterday and getting me to my dorm room.”

His lips curve at the corners. “Anytime.”

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