Page 29 of Into Ruin

My brows furrow, but I crack the door and peek in. The bed is a mess, but I can’t quite make out her form. I enter fully and approach the bed, then let out a huff of irritation.

Empty bed.

“Where did you go?” I ask the air.

It, not surprisingly, doesn’t have an answer.

Deterred, at least temporarily, I return to my room. But sleep does not come easily. And when it does, my dreams are plagued with Harper.

13

HARPER

“Should we take over-under bets on when you’ll go back to the hockey house?” Olivia eyes me. “Like, for real. Not just running back to get fresh clothes and go to class.”

That’s exactly where we’re going now.

We decided to walk—it’sonlytwo miles, Olivia said—and she rationalized we can call a rideshare car to get back after my photography class. The wind is cold, and my face is freezing. We’re almost back to Framingham State, luckily. We take side streets that let us avoid the arena, cutting through residential housing.

Eventually, we come up on the hockey house. My brother and Camden both should be on campus at this hour. I don’t really give a shit about the other two.

Olivia follows me up the porch steps and inside, and she closes the door fast. Inside is a lot warmer, but it’s just a blessing to be out of the wind. I pull my hood down and rub my hands together.

“What do you need for the photography class?”

“Just the camera in my closet and my backpack.” I hurry toward the stairs.

Olivia had an early class, and now she’s done for the day.Lucky her. But she volunteered to set up in the library while I’m at class, then accompany me back to St. James.IfI’m not ready to just stay here.

Which I’m not.

I’m getting paranoid. I keep thinking someone’s watching me. Or, well, more people. Everyone. They’re going to take one glance and recognize me from the WatchMe page.

It’s dumb, since my face hasn’t been in it. It’s in the tiny profile picture at the top of the page, though.

And my full name.

I grimace and continue upstairs, bypassing Camden’s and Royal’s rooms. Then Lucas’s and Connor’s. All the doors are shut except the bathroom.

At the end of the hall, I pause with my hand on the doorknob. How many times has Camden come looking for me?

Probably not often at all. I wasn’t there when he posted it, and then I spent another night at Olivia’s. Tonight will be the third.

Perhaps the final?

Depends on how many question mark texts my brother sends.

I step inside and take a breath. A floral scent hits me—it practically smacks me in the face. My muscles all lock, but my heart jumps into overdrive.

I look around the room frantically, but it’s empty. Just the air mattress, same as before. The open closet. My gaze swings back to the bed. I left it unmade, but someone clearly took the time to straighten my bedding. It looks…lumpy?

My brows furrowed, I approach like something will bite, and fling back the comforter.

Spread across the sheets are a dozen pink roses.

Max.

Or a sick joke by Camden?

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