Page 136 of Starcrossed Colorado

Nothing.

With careful footsteps, I went into the hall and then climbed the stairs. The house looked the same as before, bright andinviting, yet everything now seemed slightly off. Like the wood floors and plaster walls were rotting just below the surface.

My heart hammered my ribcage as I stepped onto the landing. Elias’s bedroom door was closed. Had he gone to bed? He’d left all the lights on, but maybe he’d assumed I would turn them off after Ashford arrived.

What if I was overreacting, and all of this was some kind of mistake?

But if itwasn’t?

I reached into my back pocket, touching the edge of the photo. That picture didn’t lie. Nor did the inscription on the back. Elias was hiding a major secret, and I couldn’t afford to find out what he’d do to keep it.

In the guest room, I ran my hands over the bedspread looking for my phone. I could’ve sworn I had tossed it here earlier after texting with Ashford. But there was no sign of it.

I bent to look under the bed. Then searched my backpack. What the hell? Where was it?

Dread choked me, my stomach roiling with fear.

“Hey, Emma. Looking for something?”

The panic surged, almost whiting out my vision for a split second. “Just my phone,” I said, not turning around. I was afraid he’d see it on my face. The accusations and distrust. “Have you seen it? Maybe you…picked it up or something.”

“Why would I do that? It would be rude to take things that don’t belong to me. Don’t you agree?”

I spun around. Elias loomed in the open doorway. His usually friendly expression had morphed into something cold and menacing. His eyes were flat. Lifeless.

“Give it to me,” he said in a low monotone.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb. I just saw it in your pocket.”

Instinctively, my hand flew to my back pocket. The top of the photograph stuck out.

Elias lunged, his hands rough as he spun me and pushed me down onto the bed. I screamed. “Get off me!” He shoved my face into the mattress, while his other hand pulled the photo from my pocket.

“This is private,” he growled. “Did you tell Ashford? Does he know?” His elbow dug into my back.

“You took my phone!”

“Does he fucking know?”

“Let me go. You’re hurting me!”

Elias flipped me over. He had my phone now, like he’d just taken it from his own pocket, and held it in front of my face to unlock it. “Let’s see what else you’ve been doing.” Still pinning me to the mattress, his thumb scrolled and tapped at my screen.

Finally, he exhaled. “You have a missed call from Ashford from a couple minutes ago. Good thing you didn’t answer.” He let go of me, taking a small step back. “Look Emma, this is a misunderstanding. You need to give me a chance to explain. It’s not what you think.”

“You just showed me everything I need to know about you.”

Bending my leg, I kicked him as hard as I could in the crotch.

Elias shouted, folding in half. My phone clattered to the floor. Leaping up, I grabbed my device and ran for the stairwell. My socked feet slipped, and I nearly fell on my way down.

When I reached the front door, I flipped the deadbolt, threw the door open, and ran down the porch steps and into the cool night air.

The barn. I’d be able to hide and call the police. Plus, I would be leading Elias away from the direction of his neighbors. Maisie probably hadn’t made it there yet.

Heavy footsteps thundered down the wooden stairs inside the house. “Emma!” he yelled.

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