***
I left the study halls of Peel Castle around 8:00 p.m. I’d spent a good portion of the afternoon thinking of how I was going to find my attacker, bring him—or her—to justice, and manage to stay alive, all in under one week. Three hours later and no closer to solutions, I decided to pack up and head home.
Outside, rain was coming down in torrents. Dang. I’d forgotten to bring my umbrella this morning. The walk across campus to my dorms was a good hundred yards, so there was no way I’d make it back dry. I just hoped the notes inside my bag didn’t get wet.
As I got closer to my dorms, a figure came into focus, somewhat obscured by the downpour. Andre.
He stood out in the rain, drenched from head to toe. He hadn’t even bothered to try to keep himself dry. Too bad the look suited him so well, the moisture giving his face a healthy sheen and the water dripping from his hair making him all the more wildly sexy. I was sure I looked like a drowned rat.
I was tempted to turn around and walk back to Peel Castle. But just as soon as the thought crossed my mind, his gaze captured mine. My heart thumped a little faster, and I tried to convince myself that it was because I was scared and not because of how much I still achingly loved him.
He wasn’t going to attack me here—that much was certain. Too many potential witnesses.
I walked up to him. “So you found me.”
He ran a hand through his hair, his tell. He was anxious or—more likely—annoyed. “I’m not even going to go into all the ways you could’ve been hurt leaving like you did.”
I gave him a look. Overbearing much?
“So I’ll just ask you why—why did you leave? What did I do to push you away?” The hurt in his eyes constricted my heart. I was expecting a whole lot of anger, but not this. Perhaps I had it all wrong.
But how could I know? A guy wasn’t worth risking my life over … even one that I had fallen for—hard.
“This is all happening so fast,” I lied, using our budding romance as the excuse. “I think I need some distance.”
His mouth thinned, and he looked grim. “That’s what you want? Even with your attacker still at large?”
“Yes.”
He stared at me for a long time before speaking. “Fine,” he said eventually. “I’ll give you your distance, and I’ll leave you alone. But I will have around-the-clock security watching over you—”
“Andre—”
He put a hand up. “No.” His voice was hard, and for the first time I felt his coldness, his distance. He was pushing me away. “I think we can both agree I’ve been exceptionally lenient,”—true, at least for Andre’s standards—“so this is non-negotiable.
“Lastly,” he looked across the campus, “there’s a gala at the mansion on Saturday—for my birthday of all things—I hope you’ll come. It starts at eight.”
For a moment I forgot my problems. “You’re having a birthday party?”
He looked chagrined.
I held up my hands. “I’m sorry. It just seems so … normal.”
He shrugged and glanced at his watch. “I have to get going. Just promise me you’ll stay safe.” His eyes were intense.
I was wrong about Andre. I had to be. “I promise.”
“Call me if you get nervous or just need to talk. I’ll be waiting.” He turned and walked to his car. I watched as he got in and drove away, feeling like mistrusting him was a big mistake.
***
When I walked into my dorm room, Leanne and Oliver were watching funny videos on my bed, as if the world had not shifted on its axis. I’d avoided coming back here this evening for this very reason. I’d have to tell them about my visit with Principal Hazard—eventually.
“Hey gorgeous!” Oliver said around a mouthful of chocolate. How much chocolate could I possibly have left by now? “Come join us!” He scooted over to make room for me, a huge feat for Oliver.
My throat constricted. I’d lose this in a week. All because someone was trying to kill me. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.
***
I yawned as I flipped the page of my textbook that Friday evening. My eyes blurred as I tried to read about early Viking settlements on the Isle of Man.
It was one of the lamest Fridays I’d had in a while, sitting in the library, catching up on my reading. However, following my conversation with Principal Hazard, I’d decided out of spite that I would do all my homework inside the castle. This way if I was attacked, it increased the chances that the castle would also get maimed. Petty, but possibly effective.