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“No, stupid,” Wren speaks firmly, “Stonehaven. You just disappeared. Where did you go?”
Of course, Wren should be curious. “I did homeschooling and stayed close to the hospital. I was prepared for the worst, so I wanted to be nearby.”
“Then aren’t you worried about being so far away?” she asks.
“Dad’s in remission,” I reply cheerfully, “I’m concerned, but Dad insisted I go away. He didn’t want me putting my life on hold. He cares about my future. You know he’s like that.”
Wren nods but says nothing. Not even to agree with me. We leave the block with the frat houses and walk through downtown. The buildings don’t look cute and quaint in the darkest dark. The streetlights barely cast a circle of light on the ground, and the storefront doorways are completely hidden in black shadows. Immediately, my shoulders tense up as I try to see what could be waiting. I can’t foolishly assume everywhere is safe anymore.
“Why are you so jumpy, Charlotte?” Wren scoffs. “It’s only crickets making a lot of racket.”
“Hey, girls. You go to Ivymore?” Across the street, a man calls out to us. He’s not visible, preferring to remain unseen in the dark doorway.
Wren strains her neck to try to see him. But I keep my focus straight ahead and pick up speed. I want to hiss at her under my breath and tell her not to fucking stare. Staring gets you in trouble, and avoiding their eyes keeps you safe.
“Girls, come talk to me.” The man’s voice slurs as he shouts louder. “I want to ask you about school! You must have a dollar or two on you, rich girls.”
Wren hurries her steps, and then she giggles nervously. That’s not good. That’s never good— nervous or not. He must have heard it because he steps out of the shadows to watch us. He’s an older man dressed in a ratty cold-weather puffer that goes past his knees. Glaring, he has his hands on his hips as he starts to call us obscene names.
I grab Wren’s arm and yank her forward. “Stop paying attention to him. Come on, hurry up.”
“Do you think he’ll follow us?” she asks, bewildered.
The man shouts louder, and his demands for our money become threatening. My shoulders start to tremble as Wren stares into the dark, trying to determine if he’ll leave the doorway. Is she dense? That’s the difference between us now—she has no understanding of how dangerous life can really be outside of Stonehaven.
“Stop looking,” I hiss, pulling at her. “Come on.”
From a different direction, footsteps hurry behind us, accelerating fast. “Hey, wait up.” Hudson falls in between us, catching his breath. “I saw you two leave, and I wasn’t sure if you should walk alone.”
Wren sighs, placing her hand daintily on her chest. “Thank you so much. That strange man was speaking to us.”
Hudson turns and shoots a look into the darkness that chills. His eyes are overloaded with hate that leaves a hard lump in my throat. But the creepy shouting stops immediately as Hudson walks with us back to campus.
“Thanks, I was getting freaked out by that.” Wren wraps her arms around her body and shivers. “I thought this town was safe. Not like Weymouth.”
Hudson laughs. “No place is as wicked as Weymouth.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Besides, two good-looking women shouldn’t walk alone this late at night.”
Yes, we needed his help, but his superior tone puts me off. “We can handle ourselves,” I mumble. “I don’t think he was going to try anything.”
Hudson shakes his head. “You shouldn’t risk it.”
“Seriously, her sister is an MMA fighter,” replies Wren. “She can fight a big man and win.”
“Astrid is not an MMA fighter,” I sigh, defending my sister always. “She’s a student at NYU, studying sociology.”
“Well, New York is miles away.” Hudson wraps his arms around both our shoulders. His hold is firm, and I like how his protective arm feels so safe. “So in the meantime, I’ve got you covered.” He smiles at me and then winks. He looks so clean-cut, but at the same time, he makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong.
“Thanks, Hudson,” I say quietly, “I really appreciate it.”
His smile is like a mask, and I can’t look away as chills race down my back. “Whenever you need my help, Charlotte,” he says, “just let me know.”
Chapter 11
Charlotte
It’s not even 10:00 p.m., but I’ve had enough of college life for one night. I’m never going back to the frat houses after dark again. Those terrible things that the homeless man shouted frightened me. I thought he was going to attack us because Wren kept laughing as if it were unreal. She doesn’t understand how rough things can be when you don’t have Stonehaven to run back to.
I quickly change into my sleep shorts and decide to run to the bathroom while the floor is quiet. The hallways are arranged in a square, with the lounge at the west end and the dorm rooms circling around the bathrooms in the center. The women’s bathroom is to the left of my room before entering the lounge, and the men’s is on the opposite side of the square, sharing a center wall.
