Page 127 of Dare To Live

“You know, technically, that’s stealing?”

He leans in and brushes his lips over mine. “A beautiful flower for a beautiful woman. ”

A flood of warmth washes through me. “We’re getting left behind.”

He doesn’t look away. “After you, my gorgeous girl.”

I was in love with this man when I was eighteen. I’d told myself for years that I was over him, yet right at this second, I am crushing on him hard.

If this is Eli flirting, I’m not sure I would have ever had the strength to walk away from him when I did.

Chapter 70

Eli

We stroll along a little way behind the rest of the group, hand in hand. Occasionally, I let my thumb stroke across the sensitive skin of her inner wrist, just to feel the way her fingers squeeze around mine.

I’m testing the waters. We fooled around a little last night, by the bench in the dark, in a game of role reversal, then she sneaked into my bed and behaved as though she hadn’t received a video of me jerking off for her pleasure. The way she’s behaving fascinates me. I’d hidden the two sides of myself all those years ago for a reason—a stupid reason older me can admit—and I wonder what reason she has for doing the same now.

“As you can see, the locker area hasn’t changed other than a clean-up of the paintwork. Our intention is to replace all the lockers before the school reopens, but we thought you’d all like the opportunity to gather any of your belongings that may remain inside them.” Miss Winters looks over the small group, before pausing on me. “Mr. Travers, I believe you were the sole heir for Kellan Fraser.” I tense at his name but manage to keep my expression clear. “I have his locker key here. Principal Warren suggested I offer it to you along with yours.”

All eyes are on me as I move forward and take the offered keys. “Thank you.”

She smiles and switches her attention to the woman beside me, her gaze dropping briefly to our linked fingers. “Ms. Gray, it’s nice to see that you and Mr. Travers appear to have resolved whatever troubles you had between you.”

I lift Arabella’s fingers to my lips. “I’m working on it.”

“Well, judging by how red she’s just turned, I think you’re doing rather well.” Miss Winters laughs and turns to the rest of the group. “I’ll give you twenty minutes to go through the lockers. There are bags on a chair at the end of the hallway for you to put your belongings in, and then we’ll move through to the main area of the school.”

“Do you want to open your locker first?”

She shakes her head. “I’m not sure I want to look.”

“Well, I know I have at least one sketchbook in mine that I’d like back, so what do you say? Want to go and see what dark and dirty things eighteen-year-old Eli Travers kept in his locker?” I waggle my eyebrows at her.

She stares at me for a second, then laughs softly. “I am curious.”

She follows along to where mine and Kellan’s lockers are located, and I unlock mine. We both look inside.

“That’s … disappointing.”

I laugh at the despondent tone in her voice.

“What did you expect to find in here?” I pull out the English textbook, a case full of pencils and pens, and two sketchbooks. “Condoms? Dirty photographs?” I reach to the back of the locker and take out a scrunched-up strip of silky material and hold it up, hooked over one fingertip. “Or your missing pair of panties?”

Her jaw drops. “Oh my god!”

I chuckle softly. “It was before all the shit started. Just after we started hooking up at the tomb.” I lower my head and rest my lips against her ear. “I spent a lot of years reliving those nights in my head. Of you spread out on the tomb, my tongue between your legs, while you moaned for me.”

She makes a strangled sound, cheeks bright red, and snatches the panties off my finger and stuffs them into her bag.

“Those memories got me through some very dark nights,” I tell her quietly, then straighten and turn to Kellan’s locker.

“You don’t have to open it right now.” Her hand rests against my back. “We could come back when no one else is here.”

One side of my mouth tips up into a smile. “And give Lacy and her minions the idea that I can’t bear to be reminded of what happened to Kellan?”

“It doesn’t matter what they think.” Her voice is fierce.

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