Page 29 of The Casualty of Us
A forceful pound comes from out in my room. “You stole her key from me, you fucker!”
Ollie’s voice breaks the bubble, and I immediately snort, shaking my head with the excuse to look past him. “You didn’t.”
“I was desperate.” He shrugs, dropping his hand and stepping back. “I meant what I said, though.” He leans back up against the doorframe. “So what’s it going to be, Ophelia Sage? Because I locked your door, but I don’t think that will work for long either.”
And it’s his presence I already miss pushing into mine that has me whispering, “I’ll think about it.”
Already knowing that I can’t turn down a dare.
Especially this dare.
His dimples twitch. “Does this mean I get to do your tie in the mornings again?”
“Shut up,” I scoff softly, pushing past him and calling out over my shoulder, “Don’t push your luck. I said I’ll think about it.”
Hayes’s quiet laughter fills the air behind me as I make my way to the door and quickly unlock it before throwing it open to find Ollie standing there. An unhappy scowl screws up his face, and he’s dressed in a full Batman costume, with Holden and Marley looking on from the living room with interest. Ollie holds out a hand without saying a word, and Hayes comes up behind me before dropping my extra dorm key into it.
I watch Ollie’s suspicious gaze move between us a few times before rolling my eyes at him. “Hayes needed help with his grim reaper makeup. Chill out.”
“Then why was the door locked?”
“I was inspecting the quality of her ties for next week.”
I reach back and smack Hayes’s stomach out of instinct, glaring up at him with a hiss. “Not helpful.” Turning back to the others and walking past Ollie’s freakily still form while ordering everyone. “Time to go, people. Graham texted me the directions.”
A grunt comes from behind me along with some scuffling, but I choose to ignore it, focusing on Marley and Holden instead as they stand from the couch.
“Very cute.” I grin at Marley in her Lycra pants and red tank top with a little bit of blood smeared in the corner of her mouth before turning to Holden. The plain orange pumpkin shirt he’s wearing makes me cover up the giggle trying to escape with a quick, “Clever.”
“What?” His brows drop. “It’s a costume.”
“Let’s hope they think so,” I sigh, glancing back to see Ollie and Hayes staring at each other like they’re the ones having a silent conversation now. “All right, everyone out, let’s get walking.”
“Walking?” Marley pipes up as we all make our way to the door and start to trickle out. “Through the woods, I’m guessing?”
“Yep.” I walk down the hall toward the stairway with the boys trailing behind us while passing along the info. “Apparently, they mark the path for everyone with white flags on the trees or something. Graham said if we couldn’t find our way, we obviously weren’t worthy of being there.”
“Ridiculous.” Ollie huffs.
“He did say that he’d make a special exception and come get me if we get lost, though,” I toss back cheerily. “But only me.”
A choked sound comes from behind me before Hayes breathes out tightly, “Let’s not get lost.”
The forest breaksup around us as we come to the edge of the treeline and the last white flag hanging there. I look from it to the old church standing in a small clearing with its stained glass windows lit up dimly and its foundations crumbling around the edges. People trail in and out of the wood doors that stand open at its front with music thrumming through the air and making its way to us.
“I think we made it.”
I glance at Marley beside me, excitement lighting up her face. “Yeah, I’d say so.”
“Okay, some rules for the night,” Ollie starts seriously. “Both of you need to stay with me at—O, that is not following the rules!”
A giggle bubbles past my lips, and I continue toward the front doors of the church with Marley laughing at my side. The guys catch up by the time we make it to the stairs, and a fewupperclassmen eye us curiously, but I just grin back. Meeting their gazes purposefully to make sure they know I’m completely unconcerned about being here.
I take my first step into the church with my gaze immediately rolling over the inside of the place, noting how it’s completely absent of any pews and instead has some couches filling up the spaces in the corners. People spread out across them with drinks, and a collection of tables stands in the center where others are playing beer pong as well. A few groups are scattered around dancing to the music, and a small glassed-in room beside us seems to be acting as the kitchen, with bottles of liquor and stacks of beer filling it.
“Fitzroy!” Graham’s voice has me turning to see him rise from one of the couches on my right. Some kind of toga and fishnet hanging off him with a crown on his head. “You made it!”
“I did,” I call back, eyeing his costume as he comes to stand beside me before guessing. “Poseidon?”
