Page 10 of Into Ruin

Can’t let that happen.

I watch her ignore me. She pulls on underwear, then jeans. Skips the bra and goes straight for a t-shirt, then a heavy sweatshirt. Everything is baggy. She has a killer body—knew that from the beginning—but she hides it so thoroughly.

I don’t get it.

I don’t get her.

But now… I want to know. I need to know.

“Okay.” She faces me, hands on her hips. “Are you going to continue to threaten me, or can I go to class?”

I narrow my eyes. “Like that?”

“Yes,Camden, this is what I wear.”

“You’re not wearing makeup.”

Her nose wrinkles. “To class?”

“I…” I shake my head. “Never mind.”

I feelbeat. I stride to the door and yank it open, and she slips past me. There’s a bag slung over her shoulder. She walks evenly, even though I stick close. I want her to feel I’m following her, and her gait never fucking falters.

Finally, I slow. I let her go on ahead of me, and the puzzle of my best friend’s sister only seems to grow more complex. I could spend the time putting it together. Figuring her out.

Or… I could break it and create my own art.

6

HARPER

“Are you dating Camden Church?” My roommate, Cynthia, drops into the chair across from me in the dining hall.

Her boyfriend is close behind—shocker. He pulls out the seat beside her, setting down both of their trays.

“Absolutely not.” I scoff. “No.”

“You—”

“I don’t know how you interpreted what you saw, but all that happened was unfortunate timing.”

She raises her eyebrows. We’resonot friends—kind of lost the idea of that happening when I walked in on those two boning—but she’s sitting here because she wants gossip fodder. She’ll take whatever I say and run to her real friend group, and by breakfast tomorrow, everyone would know.

Even with her proclivity for talking shit, I thought we could get along fine. Enough to survive the semester anyway.

I’m regretting that wholeheartedly.

“Unfortunate timing like, he can’t last?”

The feeling of him coming on my face rushes out of the darkness, and my cheeks heat.

“Oh my God,” Cynthia squeals. “That’s so embarrassing!”

Wait—what? “No?—”

She gets up and hurries away, and I’m left staring at the boyfriend. I don’t even know his name. He was never introduced. But he winces and shakes his head slowly.

“Stamina problems are the worst. Don’t hold it against him—it’s more like a compliment.” With that, he gathers their food and trails after her.

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