Page 186 of Hunting Pretty

She glanced back at me over her shoulder, her dark hair curtaining half her face. I could feel her quickened heartbeat against the soft, paper-thin skin of her inner wrist.

I squeezed her hand. “Promise me you won’t say goodbye to anyone. Not Ebony. Not even Lisa. No one can know we’re leaving. No one.”

“I promise,” Ava said quietly.

But she’d said it too quickly. Too submissively.

I suspected she was lying. I consider whether to push her.

She had to know how precarious our position was, balanced on a knife’s edge.

But Ava raised herself onto her toes and with her wrist still clutched in my grip, she kissed me.

The sweetness of her lips reminded me of my betrayal.

“Be careful,” I said as she left.

She smiled, and then the door clicked shut behind her.

I felt dirty. And I could no longer blame it on the doctor’s blood.

I knew who Dr. Vale was covering for. I knew Liath’s true abuser… had heard Liath say his name on the “insurance” tape.

I had meant to tell her.

But that was before she’d agreed to leave with me.

If I told her what I knew, she’d want to takehimdown. She’d stay.

The rotten tangle of roots that was Darkmoor would encircle her ankles once more.

This time I wasn’t sure I could prevent her from beingpulled under the unsacred ground. If I told Ava the truth, if I gave her his name, I would lose her forever.

I knew if I told her, then she would want to stay, to make sure Liath’s abuser got justice.

I had to let Dr. Vale take the fall.

I could only hope that Ava never found out.

Because she’dneverforgive me.

AVA

Ishoved clothes into my backpack, my hands shaking as I grabbed at random clothes. Was it only hours ago that I was in this very room laying out clothes in neat piles, taking my time as I inspected every single piece in my closet, assessing whether to take or not to take?

Fuck, was it only three months ago that I was just a journalism student, trying to balance studying and hanging out with my friends?

How everything could change so quickly.

I snatched jeans from my dresser and spotted my face in the antique framed mirror hanging above it. I could barely recognize the pale haunted girl who stared back.

Was that… oh God, that was blood?

I touched my face and my fingers came away in damp red smudges.

Fuck. I glanced down and spotted red stains on my cream sweater.

I still had Dr. Vale’s blood all over me.

---