Page 120 of Dare To Fall

“Easy target?”

I flick my lip ring, thinking it over. None of those reasons feel right. I shake my head. “No. I don’t think that’s it.”

He blows out a breath. “Then we’re back to square one. With no fucking clue and no way of working it out.”

“Oh, we’ll work it out.” My voice is soft. “The game has changed. Now we’re playing by my rules.”

***

“Fuck. Fucking fuck!”

Kellan’s curse snaps me out of the doze I was in. Popping an earbud out, I look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I think I have a flat tire.” He pulls off the road and parks. “Fucking thing.” He throws open the door, unclips his seatbelt and climbs out.

I meet him at the back of the car. “You do have a spare, right?” The look he throws at me makes me chuckle. “Fine. Flashlight?”

“In the trunk with the jack.” He pops the lid, and we haul out the suitcases, flip back the carpet and take out the spare wheel. “Not how I wanted to spend Sunday evening,” he mutters as he takes it around to the side of the car.

It takes both of us to get the wheel off and replace it, and we’re both covered in dirt and oil by the time we’re done.

“How far from school are we?” I ask once we’re back inside.

“Another three hours, give or take. We better hope security on the gates are in good moods; otherwise, we might have to drive into town and stay in a hotel for the night.”

“They’ll let us in.” I rest my head against the back of the seat. “Wake me when we get there.”

Chapter 80

Arabella

The gates of Churchill Bradley Academy come into sight, and the emotions inside me solidify into a cold, hard lump in my chest. I wrap my arms around myself and bow my head. There’s a song playing quietly on the radio, but I can barely hear the words.

The longer we drove, the more the stolen moments I had with Eli grew cold and faded. All my worries and fears have come roaring back. I don’t know what to expect. For the past week, I’ve been cocooned, protected from the harsh reality, and I’ve enjoyed being with Eli. I was happy. More like the Arabella Gray I’d been before arriving at Churchill Bradley. We’d shared things—fragile, precious moments.

But then, two miles into the journey, I learned that Kellan didn’t give Miles my phone, only my bag with my wallet inside. With no way to contact Eli at all, it left my mind open to all the negative thoughts again.

“You okay?”

Miles’ soft voice breaks through my thoughts. “I just—I wasn’t planning on coming back.”

He glances at me, then returns his attention to the road as security waves us through. “You didn’t have to come back, Arabella. You know that, right?”

“I do, but Eli pointed out that I might not get accepted for an internship or college if I don’t graduate.”

“I can see his point. Churchill Bradley is ranked up there with Harvard and Yale. It looks good on your resume and will open doors for you.”

“If I survive until graduation.”

“Hey, none of that. You’ve got me, Kellan, and Eli looking out for you.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“I am!” he insists. “I’m keeping an eye on everyone surrounding Lacy and Brad.”

I turn and stare at him. “You’re spying on them?”

A faint smile appears on his lips. “It was Kellan’s idea.”

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