Page 17 of Panic-Button
It was a pleasant night, warm with a slight breeze. There were so few peaceful moments in life that avoiding this one seemed a shame. If I weren’t already late, I would’ve taken a second to enjoy the moon’s bright glow. Or the empty pathways around me. Seeing the campus so desolate was a touch unnerving.
I was used to pushing my way through other students, not hearing my footsteps thundering through the air. What was it about sandals that girls liked? The straps dug into my skin every time I took a step. Then there was the ridiculous slapping click sound they made. Almost as if the shoes themselves were taunting me.
Click.
Everyone can see you, Marnie.
Clack.
All your curves are on display.
Click.
If you tempt a beast, he’ll poke back.
Clack.
And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself, just like when you had to wear that dress.
I rubbed my arms, attempting to shake away the shiver of a long faded touch. Nash was gone, and I wasn’t seven years old anymore. Yet I could still hear his voice.
“That’s such a pretty dress, Marnie. Did you wear it just for me?”
“No.” I shook my head and balled my fists.
It’d been years since that ghost haunted my mind, and I’d be damned if I would let him come back. Nash Hunter didn’t own me then and wouldn’t own me now.
I rolled my shoulders back, lifted my chin, and cut through a dimly lit field. At least the grass dampened my footsteps. It was more of a swishing now than the sharp echoing that had invaded my ears.
Wait…
I stopped and glanced over my shoulder at the shadows behind me.
Was someone following me? I could’ve sworn I heard a soft click followed by a flash of something.
There was nothing there except me and the breeze toying with my hair.
Still…
“Is someone there?”
No answer.
The grass swayed as I scoured the empty pathways and lit up windows. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel it. I could feel him and those cold gray eyes watching me.
“Have you been a good girl Little Bird?”
That was the last thing he said to me almost six months ago. I hadn’t seen him since. That didn’t mean…
Stop being paranoid, Marnie. Preston’s gone.
Sighing, I shook off the eerie sensation and ducked down a path to the right. Preston was gone. I was pretty sure he had left town because I couldn’t find him. And I tried. I had to be sure I wasn’t being watched before I left for college. No one knew where I was going. I kept that information to myself until the last second. So there was no possible way I could be followed.
That knowledge didn’t help calm my fluttering pulse. However, the music that soon assailed my ears did. I never thought I’d be happy to see a crowd. I didn’t even care that most of them were stumbling around. Like it or not, there was safety in numbers.
One girl tripped over her own feet, scraping her knees on the cement while giggling. That was one of the many reasons I’d never touch a drop of alcohol. I’d never understand why anyone would want to dull their senses to that extreme.
I waded deeper into the crowd.
