Page 177 of Dare To Fall

“We were ten. We were sent around Eli’s house to play. He impressed everyone with all the stuff his parents had bought him, and he chose Jace to play a game with him. I saw the fun they had. His mom came in with cookies, and everything was so fucking perfect. It was all a plot to take my friends for Eli.”

He’s insane.

My lips part as his thumb brushes over them. “Why would he do that?”

Evan’s expression darkens. “My mom died when I was four. My dad pretended everything was perfect without her, but it wasn’t. I needed to smash the illusion. Show them what it was.”

His words leave a cold hard lump inside my chest. “Evan, what did you do?”

“I tampered with their car. Eli was supposed to die that day, with his mom.”

“You caused the accident, but … but you were fourteen years old.” I can’t keep the horror from my voice.

Tilting his head, he studies my face, stroking my cheek and neck with a gentle touch.

“It didn’t take much to find the information I needed online. You’d be surprised what you can find if you search hard enough. My dad got suspicious after that. Started asking questions. He’d had glimpses of how clever I was, and I realized then that I would have to play a part. I couldn’t let him see all the things I’d done.”

I’m shaking, his body pressed into mine, and all I want to do is run as fast and far away from him as I can. I twist my wrists together, still tied behind me, but the ropes bite into my skin.

Keep him talking.

“Eli came back to school after the crash.”

Evan grunts. “I thought I’d gotten rid of him, but he just wouldn’t fucking die. So, I had to rethink. It was easy enough to spread the name. He became the Monster of Churchill Academy, but it didn’t work out as I had planned. He accepted the role I’d given him even when everyone turned their backs on him.”

“But Kellan remained his friend.”

“Fucking Kellan.” His lips curl up. “No matter what I did, that bastard would not walk away. He thought he could trick me. In the end, I proved to him which one of us was smarter.”

Another memory hits me.

Kellan is unmoving on the altar while Eli screams his best friend’s name begging him to wake up.

Evan groans quietly. “Don’t cry, Zoey. I told you you’re safe now.”

It’s only when he wipes away the wetness on my cheek that I register my silent tears. “O-okay.”

“Shh.” He presses his warm lips to mine.

Everything inside me recoils, but I force myself to remain passive.

Chapter 117

Eli

My dad is onto the police, speaking to the detective who is dealing with the case. When he ends the call, I swing around to face him.

“Well?”

“They’re on their way here. They want to see the texts and the photographs.”

“And what are we supposed to do in the meantime? He’s going to fucking kill her.”

“Eli, you need to stay calm. If you—”

“Calm? Did you see the photograph?” I shove my cell in his face. “She’s unconscious. What the fuck did he already do to her? How do we know she’s not already dead?”

“Eli—”

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