Page 93 of Saint

“So, you’ve never chased a girl through the forest?” I narrow my eyes, trying to hide the fact that if he says yes, I might lose my mind.

Kole reaches for the back of my head, lacing his fingers through my hair. “No, I haven’t. I’ve never even kissed agirl until you. What I do for you is onlyfor you, Violet. Just like I promised.”

My jaw goes slack. Butterflies flutter wildly in my chest.

I’m his first kiss?

His confession makes me desperate for him to lean in. For him to seal his mouth to mine so I can taste the truth of his statement. But I’m frozen. Drowning in his gaze. Speechless.

The library door slides open again, and from the corner of my eye, the uniforms draw my attention.

Kole releases my hair but doesn’t force me up or take his arm off my waist. We both watch the cops as they move to the woman sitting at the front desk, and my heart drops when she points over to me.

I knew this was coming. The rumors have already started spreading, with cops crawling the campus seeking answers. But I’m still not ready to face this.

“Kole—”

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Violet.” He rubs my thigh. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

The cops weave through the tables, and the temperature in the room drops a degree for every step they take. My spine tingles, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on its ends.

They make their way toward us, and I wish they’d keep walking.

Please keep walking.

Please keep walking.

But I already know that won’t happen as they both watch me. Their eyes dart from me to where I’m sitting in Kole’s lap, and I wonder what’s going through their mind. Are they here for me or him? Do they already have the answers they’re looking for, or did Kole really bury it?

Finally, the officers reach the table, and my heart beats so hard it might burst through my ribs when they focus on me.

“Ms. Morrow?”

“Yes?”

“We need to ask you a few questions.”

30

One Loose String

Violet

I’ve never been insidea police station, so the moment I step inside, my palms are clammy and my heart is racing.

I expect the officers to lead me into a room with a mirror on one wall and a table in the center. Instead, I’m ushered to an oversized office that is more intimidating than any interrogation room.

At first, it’s a relief until I spot the nameplate on the desk.

Captain Evans—Kole’s stepfather.

When they said they were taking me down to the station to ask me a few questions, I knew it was possible I’d face someone from Kole’s family, but not like this. Not in a one-on-one interrogation with the police captain.

Kole didn’t have the chance to say anything to me before the officers led me away, and I wish I felt betterprepared. If I knew this is where I’d end up, I could have asked him how much his family knows.

Although, if he told them anything, I think he’d probably already be in a jail cell.

---