Page 137 of Freshmeet
Carter reached behind his back and placed a large knife on the counter. “Put the glass down.”
I dropped it as if it burned me. “What are you doing with that knife?”
“We need to have a little chat, and I want to make sure I have your attention.”
Taking a step back, I hit the wall next to the door. I sized him up, quickly realizing there was no way in hell I was outrunning him. “Okay?”
Carter grinned, his gums bloody from the fight with Connor.
Connor!
I glanced hopelessly at the door. He was outside during a tornado, likely bleeding out next to my car, or worse, dead. Guiltoverwhelmed me as I thought of his confused expression when I yelled at him. And now I’d probably gotten him killed.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I swallowed back a sob.
I guess we’ll be even soon.
“None of that,” Carter said, pointing the tip of his knife at me.
I sucked in a deep breath, wiping my cheeks with the palms of my hands. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t steady my breathing.
“Fuck. This isn’t how I wanted it to go.” Carter started to pace back and forth, his gaze locked on me as he muttered to himself.
“Are you going to kill me?” I asked, my voice breaking as I flattened against the wall.
Carter stopped moving. “That all depends on you, Sarah.”
Hearing my name come out of his mouth made my skin crawl. How had I never noticed what a slimeball he was?
I twisted my trembling hands in front of me and nodded.
“Great. Why don’t we go sit in the living room?” He stepped aside, making space for me to pass.
Summoning all my courage, I walked to the living room as if it were a typical day and there weren’t tornadoes and a psycho holding me at knifepoint.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing with the knife.
I did, and then I waited.
Carter perched on the arm of the loveseat across from me and smiled. “Do you remember the first time we met?”
Of course I didn’t. He was one of a hundred or so frat boys to stagger in and out of my social circle.
“Um, during rush, freshman year?” A safe bet considering all the events. I kind of remembered him being around during Homecoming.
He laughed and shook his head. “We were thirteen.”
I frowned, desperately combing through memories from nearly a decade ago.
“We were at the country club, and our parents made us have dinner together.”
A flicker of a memory surfaced, and I slowly nodded. “Your dad owns those boutique hotels, and Dad wanted to furnish them.”
Carter pointed the knife at me with a smile. “You do remember.”
“I don’t understand what that has to do with any of this.”
“That night, I decided you were the one. Imagine how disappointed my parents were when I chose this shitty little college and not one of the Ivies they had their hearts set on. But I couldn’t be too far from my girl.”
