Page 25 of Dare To Break

He smiles down at me, hazel eyes warm.

Jace is sweet, and damn it, he’s giving me puppy dog eyes. It’s a welcome change after all of Eli’s hostility toward me.

The shield of resistance around me wavers. “Friends.”

He grins, revealing a dimple on his cheek, as he clasps my hand in his. “Let’s get back to your building.”

“I’m pretty sure friends don’t hold hands.”

“Then we’ll be friends with benefits—”

I twist my hand in his grip, trying to get free. “Jace—”

“The benefit of holding hands,” he teases, towing me along beside him. “What’s the matter, Michigan? You’re not into touching?”

When we reach the dorm building, I untangle my fingers from his. “Thanks for the company.”

Jace pushes his hand through his hair. “Anytime. I’ll see you later.”

Inside my room, I change into a pair of sweatpants and a pink t-shirt. Then I tug my sneakers back on.

I need a run. Need to clear my head and the edgy energy that’s been thrumming through me since I got here.

I grab my earbuds from the drawer of my bedside table and push them into my ears. Selecting a playlist, I click on the first song and move toward the door to the sound of Adam Lambert singing ‘Runnin.’

Chapter 16

Eli

I pull up my hood and step outside. There’s an hour before curfew starts and I’m full of restless energy. If I don’t burn it off before we’re confined to the building, I won’t sleep. My plan is to take a run through the woods, circuit the cemetery and then come back. It’s a path I’ve taken more than once over the years. No one else uses it, preferring the track around the outside of the football field.

I tap play on my phone, and ‘Been Caught Stealing’ by Jane’s Addiction fills my ears. I set off, my sneakers pounding against the ground as I jog toward the trees.

I’m five songs into my run when I see a flash of pink on my left. My pace slows as I turn my head to search through the trees.

Is someone else out here?

Most people stick to the public areas and don’t venture out into the woods surrounding the school. Too many rumors, scary stories, and legends. I’m pretty sure most of them are made up by the teachers just to keep the students where they can be seen.

When I don’t see anything more, I set off again, skirting the edge of the cemetery, following the path around it, which would lead back to the school. I see that flash of color again just as I’m passing the cemetery’s arched gateway. I stop, my eyes tracking the blonde as she jogs on a path parallel to the one I’m using. Carefully, I step back until I’m close to the gates. The path she’s on will curve a few feet from where I’m standing and merge together. My lips curve up. Maybe it’s a sign. A hint that it’s time to put my plan into action.

I pull the hood further over my face and roll my sleeves down until they cover my hands. By the time I’m done she’s almost in front of me. Her eyes are focused ahead, and she doesn’t notice where I’m standing in the shadows. I wait until the first verse of ‘.SALT.’ by Dead Poet’s Society has finished, tap stop on my music app, and then set off after her.

My gaze doesn’t stray from her back, and I concentrate on her movements as she jogs along the path. When she begins to slow, her head swinging left and right, I duck down at the side of the path. She doesn’t stop, but her jog becomes a slow walk as she looks around, then she shrugs and gives a little laugh before running again.

I reach down and scoop up a handful of stones. Taking aim, I toss them into the trees ahead of her. They clatter as they hit and she skids to a stop, twisting to look in the direction of the noise. I stay where I am, hidden in the shadows cast by the setting sun. I can hear her breathing, fast and heavy, and a thrill burns through my blood at the evidence of her fear.

She sets off again, once she’s convinced herself no one is in the trees, and I wait until she’s out of sight before returning to the path. I jog at a slower pace, not wanting her to see that I’ve been behind her all this time and, by the time I reach the wood’s edge, she’s heading back up the steps to the main doors of the dorm building.

I don’t go back inside straight away. Instead, I do a cool down stretch of my arms and legs, and then take a slow walk around the cluster of buildings that house the dorm rooms for the various years. I can hear voices talking, and bursts of laughter, all of which fade when I turn the corner and the small group of students spot me.

I walk past them, not sparing any of them a glance, but I can hear their whispers as they share the things they’ve heard about me. I wonder which rumor will take precedence this year, and how I can use it to my advantage. It’ll be interesting to see what they come up with.

Last year I was a murderer, and it was covered up by the principal. The year before that, I was an arsonist. Before that, I experimented on animals. Only one of the rumors holds any hint of truth, and even that one isn’t accurate.

“Hey, Travers!”

I don’t recognize the voice, so I ignore it and keep walking.

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