Page 61 of Redeemed

“Probably back to her dorm,” Colton says.

“Or she went to find Athelia,” I counter.

Lucas glances back the way we came. “Or she’s still at the party, hiding in plain sight.”

“Fuck,” Colton grumbles. “We need to split up.”

“We’ll go back to the party,” I say, gesturing between me and Lucas. “We’ll look for Haven and try to figure out where Athelia went at the same time.”

Colton nods. “All right. I’ll check her dorm.”

I take a few steps toward the house, Lucas beside me, before I stop. “What’re we gonna do with her once we find her?”

Fists clenched, Colton turns to his car. “We’ll make her pay. No one tries to humiliate me in public like that and gets away with it.”

I’m not sure what exactly making her pay means, considering that’s all we’ve made her do for the past three years, but I trust Colton with my life. Whatever he has planned, I’ll back it wholeheartedly.

Haven

I’macoward.

Guilt pangs in my chest as I run through Birchwood’s streets. Even though I know there’s nothing I could’ve done, leaving Aaron with Colton, Lucas, and Xander feels wrong.

But I don’t turn back. He kept them distracted so I could slip out unnoticed. I’m not going to let his efforts go to waste, no matter how awful I feel for leaving him beaten and bloody on the basement floor. Hopefully, his injuries aren’t as bad as they look.

My boots pound against the sidewalk. Even though I’m out of breath and my heart is beating so fast I’m worried it’ll give out, I push myself to keep running. I’m not sure how much of a head start I really have. It could’ve taken them two seconds to realize I was gone or two minutes.

As Pemberton’s campus comes into view, I risk a glance behind me. So far, it doesn’t look like anyone is following me.

Again, I check my phone, ignoring a missed call from Julie for now. I found that masked guy Athelia was hanging out with at the party, but he said she fucked off a few minutes after I left her, and he hadn’t seen her since. My hope is that she decided to go back to our dorm, but that doesn’t explain why she isn’t answering my calls or texts.

I hope she’s okay.

When I finally get back to our dorm, I throw open the door. It’s dark inside, and my heart sinks.

“Athelia?” I call out.

The door behind me opens, and I spin around. One of the girls who lives across the hall is standing in a pink pajama set, a green face mask covering her skin. Marie, I think.

“Hey, some guy was looking for you. He left a couple minutes ago.”

“Was it Colton Heverly?”

She frowns. “What? No. I don’t think the guy was a student. He looked like he was in his late early thirties? Honestly, I’m confused how he got in here without a key card.”

What? Who the hell could that have been?

“What did he look like?” I ask.

“Ummm. Blond hair, blue eyes? Kinda tall, acted a little weird. Oh, and he called you Heaven, which I thought was strange.”

Fear grips my chest and squeezes tightly, which makes it even harder to catch my breath.It can’t be. No, no, no.

“Didn’t think your name was that hard to pronounce,” Marie says, laughing.

“Happens more often than you think,” I say weakly. “Do you know if he left through the front?”

Fuck.I didn’t see him on the way in, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t see me. Although… it’s been years since we were last together. With my dyed hair, my clothes, and my makeup, it’s possible he could look me straight in the eyes and not even recognize me.

---