Page 147 of Out of Bounds

I didn’t need them though. They were fine right there at the door. Walking over, I flicked back the latch. Adam and King watched me until it clicked into place and Henry and I were the only two people in the room. I flexed the fingers on my right hand.

"See, I was hoping you’d say that," I said, my voice low. "My art girl’s been trying to convince me to relax but, really, I was hoping you’d say that."

57

Kassie

Missing In Action

I woke up with drool on my pillow, in yesterday’s clothes, sore as all get out. Trying to blink myself awake, I pushed up on my elbows. Goddamn. My whole body ached. I groaned and put my head in my hands, thumping back down to the pillow.

Ryan. Pussy-eating. UrgentCare.Gianna’s.

"Oh…shit," I whispered.

What woke me up wasn’t any of those things though. It was my phone ringing on the nightstand.

Cleo?

"Uh—what’s up?" I muttered, barely drawing legible sentences together. "Cleo?"

"We have the photographers here for the team photos."

"What?"

"Whereareyou?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Where are…? That’s at one."

"Kassie. I’m getting tired of you and Ryan going dark on me."

One look at my phone made me swear again. It was a quarter to noon, and by Cleo’s timing, we were late for the one o’clock appointment. I thumped back against my pillow. My mouth tasted like I’d licked the inside of a Build-a-Bear. I was absolutely not ready.

"Kassie, please tell me Ryan’s with you."

Ryan, the football player who’d presented me with a pre-prepared formal address to start dating? Ryan, the team captain that would rather chop off his own fingers than be late for anything? Gingerly, I leaned up. Nope, not in my dorm. But after the UrgentCare fiasco and us going dark on Cleo, how could I tell her that?

"Uh…yes."

"Tell him to turn his damn phone on. I'll put a tracker in his neck if he doesn’t."

"I’ll pass on the message."

Maybe Cleo couldn’t reach him but I knew Ryan was asleep and the moment he woke up, he’d be calling me. I pushed out of bed. My whole body felt like I’d gone through the taffy machine at the Willy Wonka factory but for the first time ever, I could beat him to getting ready..

I took the fastest shower of my life and kept the phone on the counter, waiting for him to call. Which didn’t come. With a frown, I poked out from the shower curtains.

He’s still not awake?

The moment I stepped out, I broke down and called him. Nothing.

"Hey, Zariah?" I yelled, pulling open the now-functioning door. "Are you home?"

"Girl, I’ve been sitting on the couch the whole time."

"Can I get into Ryan’s dorm? He’s not answering." I debated it for a second. Zariah was only in training to be an RA, I had no idea if she had access to the keys of the buildings yet. But anxiety started to settle in. Ryan didn’t disappear. He was always there, maybe out of the camera’s range, but I couldn’t remember the last time I didn’t know his whereabouts. "I’m actually getting kind of worried. He always answers. But that won’t get you in trouble, right?"

"Don’t worry about it. We’ll break into the slut’s room."

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