Page 76 of Every Broken Thing

And then the faintest voice called out, “Silas?”

Acker. That was Acker’s voice.

I slammed back into myself, eyes flying open as Eric turned to look over his shoulder. I only had a split second to take advantage of the distraction. Mustering whatever courage I still possessed, I punched Eric in the groin as hard as I could.

He stumbled back and fell to one knee, grunting in pain, and I ran.

Ms. Acker called my name again, and I cried out, “I’m here!”

I staggered out onto the stage, searching the auditorium. Ms. Acker stood by the front row of seats, purse slung over one shoulder as she looked up from her watch.

“I thought you were still here. It’s so late, Silas. You need to go home.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, glancing over my shoulder as I crossed the stage.

Eric hadn’t followed me.

“I just need to grab my bag,” I said as I ducked into the wings and searched along the ground. “I’ll walk with you. Just give me a minute.”

“Okay,” she said.

When I finally found my bag, I hurried back onto the stage and took the stairs too fast. I nearly fell down them, but I caught myself on the handrail.

“Careful,” Ms. Acker scolded.

I gripped the straps of my backpack to hide the tremors, and as Acker and I headed to the parking lot, I tried not to check over my shoulder every few steps. Apparently, I failed because my theater teacher frowned, even copying me at one point, checking behind us even though she didn’t know why we should.

“Are you all right? You look a bit—Silas, you’re bleeding!”

“Huh?” I focused on her, trying to calm my breathing. “What?”

“Your mouth.” She reached for me but stopped herself at the last minute. “What happened?”

I wiped at my mouth, the back of my hand coming away smeared with Eric’s blood. “I tripped,” I said, the lie coming easier than I’d expected. “Bit the inside of my cheek.”

“You’re white as a sheet,” she said, and this time, she did touch me. Her hand closed around my arm, and I barely resisted the urge to jerk away.

“I need to go home. My dad’s waiting for me.” I half-turned but changed my mind. Facing her again, I stepped in and hugged her.

She made a strangled noise of surprise before she said, “Oh, I could get fired for this.”

“Thank you for coming to find me,” I said before I released her, spun on my heels, and sped down the hallway. She called after me, but I didn’t respond. I stared at the doors, willing my feet not to run.

The moment I was out of her sight, however, I took off like a bat out of hell. I flew through the doors, gasping as the cold air shocked my system. The chill made my raw throat ache, but I ignored it as I ran for my truck.

I’d forgotten about Ben, though. He stood at the nose of my truck, leaning his hip against it as he frowned down at his phone. The screen illuminated his beautiful face, and it made me want to cry.

He must have heard me coming, because he glanced up while I was still a few yards away. “About time. I’ve been waiting for—”

“Get in the truck,” I ordered hoarsely.

Bending down for his swim bag, he made a face. “I’ve been freezing my ass off for fifteen minutes, andnowyou’re in a hurry?”

I slammed my fist into the hood of the truck and shouted, “Get in the fucking truck!”

His entire demeanor changed, alarm widening his eyes as he scrambled into the passenger seat. He’d barely shut the door before I was gunning my engine and peeling out of the lot.

“Silas, what the hell?”

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