Page 6 of In the Danger Zone
“What?” snapped Asher, snatching at the bottle and slamming it down on the counter. “What do you mean you’re gonna go seewhat’s upwith her? Who gives a fuck about her?”
“She looked like she was about to fucking faint, dude.” I rolled my eyes at him. I didn’t know Daisy. I knew that and so did Asher. So did she. But I had been right: she looked like she was about to pass out from pure fear, and I wasn’t about to stand there and let that happen to her.
I was quick to chase after her, ignoring Asher calling out for me from behind. There was just something about Daisy that made me wildly curious.
And I needed to find out what that was.
Chapter 3
DAISY
I was certain I was going to have a panic attack. Certain. My heart was racing too fast and I could feel it beating in my ears. The cold, night air did nothing to calm me. There wasn’t a single thing in the world that could soothe me, because I had seen him.
Asher Callaway.
My breath hitched in my throat as I moved further and further away from the house. Leena was still in there. I didn’t want to leave her behind, but I couldn’t be around him. I just couldn’t. Maybe I could just text her and say I wasn’t feeling well.
My hands were shaking, though, and I needed some time before I grabbed my phone. All I could do was stand there – even though standing there was a mistake. Being out in the open could lead to danger. The danger was in that house and it could come running out any second.
“Hey, are you okay?”
The voice behind me made me jump. I turned around, arms wrapped right around myself when I saw who it was. It was the guy that had been standing next to Asher in the kitchen. His dark brown hair was neatly swept to the side. Blue eyes locked on to mine as he took slow steps to me. There was what seemed like a kind look on his face. But that was most definitely fake.
I looked behind the guy. I looked behind me. There was no Asher. Not yet. But he was fast.
“Are you alright?” the stranger asked.
My head shook as I slowly moved away from him. Whatever his name was. “S-Stay… Stay away from m-me.”
He looked offended, his eyebrows furrowed suddenly. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to check on you. You kinda just… ran away back in there. I hope I didn’t upset you.”
“Y-You?” I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t even know who he was. Did he think he had done something to me? Back inside I had only glimpsed at him for a second. All of my focus had been on Asher.
“I asked you if you were okay when we were back inside. And then you… ran away. I’m sorry.” He held his hands up. “I didn’t want to freak you out.”
“That’s n-not why I ran away. I… I w-wasn’t running away f-from you. I d-don’t even know…” My voice trailed off, still not sure who the hell he was. I was doing my best to get a hold of my stutter, but the shock of seeinghisface was getting the better of me.
“Evan,” he said softly, a little smile on his face. “My name’s Evan. Evan Wentworth.”
“I w-wasn’t trying to r-run away f-from you,” I explained. “It w-was… It was…” I felt embarrassed just saying the words. It felt shameful. I had spent a year and a half being home schooled, and every day had been spent trying to focus on myself. I wanted to be confident, I wanted to be the girl that could walk with her head held high. But one look at Asher and I was shaking from head to toe.
“Asher?” Evan suggested.
I cleared my throat. Evan was clearly friends with Asher, or at the very least knew who he was. And if Evanwasfriends with Asher then there was no way he was the good person he was pretending to be. I was stupid for standing outside the house, all out in the open. Just like on that hill. Just like that day.
My eyes shut. I held back a cry. But I had to be alert. Asher couldn’t be trusted. His friend couldn’t be trusted either – no matter how handsome he was. And he was. Steely blue eyes, perfectly styled hair. He was tall too. Taller than Asher, and Asher was already pretty big. I knew that all too well.
My chest was aching with the pain of my past, but I couldn’t stay around and dwell on that. Not when Asher was inside that house.
“Get away from m-me,” I said instead. “Just… Just stay away from m-me. Please… I don’t… I didn’t come here to… Just stay away from m-me.”
Once again, Evan looked insulted. That was fake, though. That was a ploy to get me to let my guard down. I had learned a lot since the last time I saw Asher.
Evan held his hands up. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I was just—”
“Don’t call m-me that.” The words came out all harsh. Did he think some dumb pet name would put me in a daze or something? “You’re n-not… Just leave m-me alone.”
Evan’s eyes widened a little and he took a step away from me, just like I had asked. He listened. But he still couldn’t be trusted. The friend of my enemy was my enemy.
