Page 58 of Stop and Seek
Thatwas against the rules. Plain and simple.
Noah tilted his head to the side. “Seriously? What’s this doing? Is it—is ithelpingyou? I don’t think so. Just tell me.”
Theo’s hands were still shaking. He clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms.
“I’m.Fine. Tag me out.”
Getting into Jagger was going to send himright backinto that place he’djustcrawled out of.
No.
Not happening.
Noah took a slow step forward, bulky-ass body blocking out whatever light coming from the hallway. Now it was too dark.
The walls pressed in—hungry, tight, waiting.
“You’refine?” Noah asked. “I don’t think so. You know, you don’t gotta keep pretending. I can tell when you’re lying.”
How?
“I don’t know you,”Theo spat, the words coming out before he could stop them. “I don’t! We went tohigh schooltogether, tenfuckingyears ago!”
Noah took another step forward, and Theo took one back.
“Here’s the thing!” Noah said. Too loud. Theo flinched. “Youdoknow me. You just haven’t put the pieces together.”
It felt like that one time Theo mixed speed and coke—everything jerky, bright, and about to blow.
His bones were threatening to leave his body.
This was nuts.
Noahwas nuts.
But Noah was still moving forward, and when Theo hit the desk behind him?
That was it. He couldn’t go any further.
Noah leaned over him, hands sliding onto the top of the desk until he wasso fucking closeTheo could watch his pupils dilate and contract.
“You wanna play a guessing game, Theo?” Noah asked in some screwed-up sing-song tone.
“N-not really…”
“Then you wanna tell me what has you looking so spooked?”
Not at all.
Noah’s breath touched his cheek. “It’s just us here. I swear I won’t tell a goddamn soul. You trust me, right? I know you do.”
Theo didn’t know what scared him more—Noah’s carefree,confident, bullshit, or the part of him that didn’timmediatelyscream no.
His whole body locked up. “Tag. Me. Out.”
“I gotta admit, I kinda love when you play hard to get.”
“Time’s up!” Decker’s voice came through the PA system. “How’d we all do?”
