Page 44 of Dare To Break

He laughs. “Cuddle Bug it is then.”

“Okay, Pookie.” My lips curve into a half-smile.

“We should swap numbers. Keep in contact and make this look more plausible, in case anyone has questions.” Finding his phone, he waits for me to pull mine out of my pocket. He rattles off his number, and I do the same.

“Now we just need to know more about each other. What’s your most played song?” He puts his phone away.

I bury my cell inside the pocket of my hoodie. “At the moment, ‘Runnin’’ by Adam Lambert.”

“I really thought you were going to say Taylor Swift.”

I laugh. “What’s yours?”

“‘Treat you better.’ Shawn Mendes.”

We join the other students as they flood into the building. Jace is waiting for us when I reach my locker. Miles moves to his own a few feet away.

Jace gives me a smile. “About Saturday night. I’m sorry if I came on too strong.”

“It’s fine,” I assure him.

“Want to go for a walk after class?”

Unlocking the combination on my locker, I throw it open. “I’m sorry. I promised Miles I’d hang out with him.”

Jace blinks. “Miles?”

My attention slides from the shock on his face to the metal interior of the locker, and my heart skips a beat. There, on top of one of my books, is a folded piece of paper. Excitement unfurls inside me like a great slumbering beast.

Jace is still talking, but I can’t hear him over the sound of my blood rushing through my ears. Snatching up the note, I keep it balled in my fist.

“Hey, man, are you trying to hit on my girlfriend?” Miles’ voice slams me out of my trance.

“Girlfriend?”

I slam the door and I swivel toward them. Confusion is stamped all over Jace’s face.

Miles wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Arabella and I started dating.”

Jace shakes his head. “No fucking way. Since when?”

The bell rings.

I clear my throat. “We hooked up yesterday. Sorry, Jace.”

Not giving me any time to say anything else, Miles propels me along the hallway. He doesn’t stop until we’re in the safety of the classroom, taking our seats with the other pupils. Jace walks in a few minutes later, his jaw tight and expression cold. As Brad, Lacy, and Evan join the class, they don’t seem to notice his mood. Eli and Kellan are the last to enter, stalking past the desks to get to their corner.

I wait until everyone has their noses buried in their books before I unfold the note with tingling anticipation.

Because you’ve been such a good girl, I’ve left you a gift. Next time you go for your run, take the woodland path. Go to the bench near the cemetery and you’ll find it there. Accepting it means you’ll want to play again.

A gift?

My cheeks warm. Conscious of the other students around me, I stick the note away in my pencil case. The day drags. Class after class seems to be endless. Lunch comes and goes, and Miles sticks to my side like glue. Even though he makes me laugh with his jokes, I can’t stop thinking about the dare in my bag. It’s my dirty little secret.

The second the last class ends, I’m out the door and tearing across the campus before I can even think. I get back to our room way ahead of Lacy. I yank open my dresser drawer to find my running clothes. It takes five minutes for me to strip and change.

I push my earbuds in and tap on a song. Fall Out Boy’s ‘My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark’ blasts through the speakers.

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