Page 8 of Running Winter

Chase:

Have a wank. I’m at this shitty party. I said sorry, stop whining.

Rayna:

Urgh. I hate you.

Chase:

Nah, you don’t. I’ll come round after if it’s not too late.

Rayna:

It’s too late now!

Chase:

Night then!

I shoved my phone back in my pocket when a girl ran into me on the stairs—the same girl from the fair.

What the fuck is going on?

“Can you watch where you’re going?” I snapped, pushing a hand through my hair.

The girl glanced behind her, and I saw a group of guys leering at her from the bottom of the stairs. I frowned as one of them called to her.

“Heather! Come down, baby. We promised Jared we would look after you.”

The girl bit her lip then and scowled.

“Fuck you.”

“Oh, just as soon as you get down these stairs, baby!” One chuckled, and I turned to her.

“You okay?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, her face suddenly showing her vulnerability.

I knew if I could get her back to her boyfriend safely, or even Jared, that she would be okay.

“Have you got your phone? Can you call your boyfriend?” I asked, sending a glance down the stairs to where the group of guys were waiting, eyeing me with annoyance.

I knew I couldn’t take them all on my own, but no way could I leave this girl alone.

“What?” the girl frowned, pushing her hair behind her ear. “Oh, Sam. He’s my cousin; I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Oh, Rafe would be pleased.

“Jared then, shall I call Jared?” I offered, hoping she had his number.

The girl shook her head suddenly before turning to me.

Her eyes were the lightest shade of green I’d ever seen other than Rafe’s, and only when she whispered that I needed to play along did I understand what was going on.

Her lips crushed against mine, and her arms laced around my neck. I heard complaints from the bottom of the stairs, but I was too far gone to care.

The kiss was ridiculous, to be honest, her tiny body pressing against mine. I moved her around so that we were walking back up the stairs, and I pushed open a bedroom door, hoping no one else was in there.

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