Page 55 of The Wrong Play

Heat flooded my face. I nearly stumbled over my own feet. “Jace!”

He just grinned, gripping my hand tighter. “Come on, Riley-girl. Let’s get you home.”

And then he was leading me down the hallway, like he hadn’t just stolen my underwear, my self-control, and possibly…the last shred of my resistance.

Because that was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced in my life.

Jace led me through the hallway, his grip firm, and every step felt surreal, the haze of what had just happened in the elevator wrapping around me like a dream I hadn’t fully woken from. The air between us crackled, a residual charge left behind from the way he had touched me, the way he had looked at me like I was the only thing that had ever mattered.

I was lost in my head as we walked outside and down the sidewalk, jumping however long later when he stopped, and I realized we were standing outside my dorm—a dorm name I hadn’t given him as a matter of fact. But why was that not surprising to me anymore?

He’d figured out my name, got my credit card, transferred to my class, and found out where I worked. And every time I was in an enclosed space with him, I practically jumped him. My cheeks heated.

Jace turned to face me, his fingers still loosely wrapped around mine. His other hand came up, knuckles grazing along my jaw, tilting my face up until I was staring into those warm, knowing brown eyes.

“You can run, you know,” he murmured in a teasing voice. “You can pretend all you want. But the thing about fate is, it doesn’t take no for an answer.” His smirk softened, just a little, replaced by something quieter, something deeper. “You feel it, too, don’t you?” It was a question he’d asked me before, but now there was an edge of vulnerability in his voice, like I had the power to break his heart with my answer.

My breath hitched, but I couldn’t answer. I didn’t trust my voice, I didn’t trust the way my body was still shaking from him,from everything. I hated how much I wanted to believe him, how much I wanted to lose myself in the comfort of his words.

And then…he ruined it.

“Be a good girl for me, darlin’,” he murmured, his thumb brushing against my lower lip as he leaned down for a kiss.

The ground beneath me vanished.

I was in a cold bedroom.Silk sheets against my skin. Callum’s voice,low and amused as he dragged a finger down my arm.

“Be a good girl for me,darling,”he whispered,his lips barely brushing my ear as his fingers traced the bruises on my wrists.“You don’t want me to be disappointed in you,do you?”

I shook my head,my throat too tight,my heart too frantic.Because disappointment led to worse things.Disappointment meant I had failed him.And failing him meant I didn’t deserve to be seen,didn’t deserve to be touched.

Didn’t deserve anything at all.

I yanked my hand away from Jace’s like I had been burned, my breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. My vision blurred, my body locked in place, frozen in a past I couldn’t outrun.

Jace frowned, the playful ease on his face disappearing in an instant. “Riley?” His voice was different now—concerned, cautious. He reached for me again, but I flinched.

His jaw clenched. “What just happened?”

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak, willing the trembling in my limbs to stop. I wasn’t there. I wasn’tbackthere.

But in that moment, it didn’t feel like Jace was standing in front of me.

It felt like Callum had never let me go.

My throat was tight, air refusing to come in full breaths, like I was being squeezed by invisible hands.

I had to get out of here.

“I—I can’t,” I whispered, my voice breaking over the words.

Jace stilled, his whole body locked in place, his grip hovering like he wasn’t sure if he should reach for me again. His jaw clenched, that sharp, unreadable stare flickering between my face and my shaking hands.

I turned before I could see his expression fall, before I could second-guess myself. My legs felt weak as I ran inside the building, the door clicking shut behind me. I didn’t stop until I was inside my thankfully empty dorm room, and I could sag against the door, pressing a hand over my mouth to silence the jagged breath that tore from my throat.

I shouldn’t have let it get this far. Because Jacewasn’tCallum.

But that didn’t stop the past from sinking its claws into me, dragging me back into the dark.

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