Page 107 of Stone Cold Touch

Yeah, that would’ve gone over smoothly.

“Are you going to be in trouble?” he asked when I didn’t respond.

I squinted up at the bright sun, shivering. “Probably.”

“That’s not good.” He angled his body toward me, blocking some of the brisk wind whipping across the pavilion.

Nodding slowly, I turned my attention to the street.

“How much trouble did you get in for last night?”

I tugged the sleeves of my sweater down over my fingers and held the material tight. “Zayne covered for me. The rest of them had no idea I was missing.”

“That’s good, then.”

Turning to him, I raised my brows. He stared straight ahead, lips pursed. “You told Zayne I wasn’t with you.”

“You know why I did.”

“He didn’t believe you.”

He raised his chin. “Does that matter?”

“You let me sleep until three in the morning,” I said, voice thin. “If Zayne hadn’t covered for me...”

“But he did.” His gaze shifted to me. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Because you were afraid I was going to throw myself at you again?” The question burst out before I could stop myself.

Roth cocked his head to the side. “More like I was afraid youwouldn’tand that’s the problem.” He went down a step and turned to me. “I left you alone because if you woke up and you asked me to kiss you, I wouldn’t be able to stop a second time around.”

His words had a warring effect on me. A rush of molten heat coursed through my veins, causing tight little coils in the pit of my stomach, but that was wrong for a multitude of reasons.

“You don’t have to worry about a second time,” I told him. “I was high.”

One side of his lips curled up and he laughed softly. “You are such a terrible liar.”

“I’m not lying.”

Roth came back up the step, crowding me. As he dipped his head so that his mouth nearly brushed mine when he spoke, I refused to back away. “I know why you say that. I even understand it, Layla. I get it. I hurt you and deserve every single one of your lies.”

I stilled as his warm breath danced over my lips.

“But there is so much you don’t know or understand,” he said, tilting his head so that his words brushed the lobe of my ear, sending a shiver down my neck. “So don’t claim to know what I really want or what I would do to protect it.”

Roth spun on his heel as I blinked stupidly. He went down the wide stairs, taking the steps two at a time. I pressed a hand against my neck as I watched him walk off. There was so much I didn’t know?

When it came to Roth, I was beginning to believe that was true.

I found myself in Abbot’s study the moment he woke up and my name was bellowed through the house. It had sounded as if theCloverfieldmonster was about to knock down walls or something.

Right now, Abbot kind of actually reminded me of theCloverfieldmonster.

“Suspended?” he said, holding the sheet of paper.

I nodded. “There was a wraith at school. It attacked this kid Keith and then it went out to the hallway. I followed it and it just went crazy, tearing open lockers. What was I supposed to say when the teachers came out?”

Abbot dropped the slip of paper on his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t say anything, but Nicolai, who’d been standing to his right, inclined his head. “Since the boy’s passing, we knew there’d be a wraith created. That is what happens once a soul is stripped from a human.”

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