Page 137 of Fall

I bite Micah’s hand, and he moves it just long enough for me to get my own words out.

“I will kill you where you stand.”

“That’s it,” Elijah grumbles. He lifts me off the ground and carries me, kicking and screaming, in the opposite direction.

* * *

Islam the door, unintentionally but intentionally hitting Elijah in the face as I walk into the small townhouse they’ve brought me to.

Beyond the foyer is an open concept living room that leads to a dining room and ends in a kitchen. On my left is a set of stairs, presumably leading to the bedrooms. My eyes follow Caleb as he disappears upstairs to drop off the luggage.

“I don’t understand why the hell I have to stay here,” I snap, throwing an empty water bottle across the room.

“Will you just calm the fuck down for a second,” Elijah snaps.

“Why can’t I stay with Celeste?” I continue to gripe. “What is this place, anyway?”

Micah speaks calmly. “Celeste is staying with Taylor at the house, and we can’t have you on campus right now. And as for this place, it’s one of our safe houses, babe. It’ll be okay.”

I pace around the dining room table a few times, head to the fridge to see if there is anything to drink, and slam the door when I find nothing of interest.

“This is bullshit,” I grumble and go back to pacing.

Elijah looks to Micah, raising his hand to me. “Will you do something with her? She's raising my blood pressure.”

Stomping over to him, I look him dead in his face and then smack him across the cheek.

“You’re an asshole,” I sneer and move to hit him again.

He catches my wrist before I can make a connection and growls to Micah. “Is she like this with you?”

I snatch my arm out of his grip. “No. I actually like him.”

Micah snorts, and Elijah raises both of his hands as he walks to the kitchen. “I give up.”

Caleb stalks down the stairs and blocks my path around the dining room table.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I roll my eyes. “Peachy,” I deadpan.

He sighs. “Evelyn…”

“Let’s see… My sister was pregnant, my therapist was beaten, and I was arrested. I found out that I have a grandfather—oh, wait, I had a grandfather—Professor Wessex was stalking me, and the icing on the motherfucking banana split sundae… Genna fucking Dupre didn’t get her ass beaten like she should have.”

I move around him and continue pacing the dining room table. “So, no, Caleb, I’m not okay.”

He clenches his jaw and tightens his fists.

“Woo-sah, man. Woo… sah… Just let her get it all out.” Micah chuckles, pulling a chair to sit in the corner farthest away from me.

Smart man.

“Fuck this,” I say, throwing my hands up in the air. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Good. And you can wash that damn attitude down the drain,” Elijah mumbles.

“Fuck you, Elijah,” I say, stomping up the stairs. “Fuck you.”

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