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In response, she flipped up her middle finger and grasped the curtains again with the clear intention of closing them. Until her bedroom door busted open. My shoulders tensed as River ran into the room. She spun around, pointing at the door, wanting him to leave. River’s eyes snapped to us before he started talking.
His arms waved around as he spoke, and he was talking too quietly for us to hear, but I knew exactly what he was saying. He was telling Kat everything he’d heard in the locker room. She went rigid before glancing back at us. Her face gave nothing away, but she moved farther from the glass door.
“Fuck,” Eli hissed. “He’s going to take her somewhere.”
Kat grabbed something small off her dresser and slid it into her pocket before River grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room. I was already moving back to our room with Eli at my back.
“Go to the front,” he told me as we reached the bottom of the stairs. “I’ll take the back.”
I nodded, not slowing down as I ripped open the front door. I made it to the grass just in time to see River and Kat getting into her car. They sped off, and I reached for my phone to call Eli.
“They left,” I said once he answered. “In her car. We can track it.”
“Hopefully we can catch up before they ditch the car.”
“She can’t avoid us forever,” I muttered, seeing Eli walking around the side of the house.
“No, she can’t.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
“We should go somewhere else,”I muttered as I bounced my leg.
“Where else would we go?” River asked, not looking nearly as nervous as I was feeling. “The Estate is out of the question. So is your room. And pretty much anywhere else in town. Public is best, so they can’t get you alone.”
We were at the campus bar, sitting at a table. I was on my third glass of water since I wasn’t about to get drunk when Eli and West were looking for me. The place was usually packed on Fridays, but tonight was the bonfire, so it was nearly empty. We had driven my car off campus and taken an Uber to the bar. It bought me time, but I knew they’d catch up eventually.
“I didn’t do it,” I told him for the tenth time. “I don’t know who it was, but it wasn’t me.”
“It looks bad, Kat,” River murmured. “It’s exactly what you did last year.”
“I know,” I muttered. “Eli looked so pissed. He’s not going to listen to anything I say.”
“We’ll give him time to cool off.”
I scoffed. “That’s not going to happen. I could leave for a year, and he still wouldn’t have calmed down by then.”
“The families won’t let you leave,” River said, grabbing another fry. “Or I would have taken you out of Braidwood as soon as we left your house.”
“Where would you have taken me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It doesn’t matter,” he muttered, his face going blank.
We’d been here for a couple of hours, and every time the door opened, I waited for Eli and West to walk in. My heart hadn’t slowed since River had showed up in my room. I took another sip of water, wishing I could ease my nerves. After everything I put them through last year, they weren’t going to believe this wasn’t me. Even if it was true. I wasn’t dumb enough to do that again when I was stuck in the same town as them.
“It’s late. I can probably take you back to the house, and you’ll be good for the night.” He looked at his watch. “They won’t come busting in and wake up your team. But if I were you, I’d crash in one of the other bedrooms.”
“This is ridiculous. I’m not going to spend all year hiding from them.”
“I’d give it another couple days, at least. When they’ve calmed down a little.” His hand landed on my thigh to stop my bouncing leg. “They won’t hurt you, Kat.”
I pushed his hand away and shook my head. This was the longest amount of time I’d spent with River in years. He was being nice, trying to show me he cared. I didn’t trust him. He’d already proved that he could turn at the drop of a hat. I wasn’t giving him an option to hurt me again. But I wouldn’t turn down his help with Eli and West. I stood from the table, and River scanned the room in alarm.
“I have to go to the bathroom.” I’d been guzzling water since we got here since I didn’t have anything else to do. “I’ll be right back.”
River nodded, sitting back in the chair. I made my way to the short hallway where the bathrooms were. I cracked the door slowly and checked that it was empty before I stepped into the bathroom. I was jumpy, but it was for good reason. When I’d stared at Eli through my glass door, I’d never seen him so angry. River was right; hopefully I could stay away from them until they calmed down somewhat.
After leaving the stall, I washed my hands, looking in the mirror. I detested what I saw. Anger began heating my veins as I stared at myself. My reflection was showing a version of myself I’d never wanted to see again. A terrified little girl. I wasn’t that person anymore. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to allow Eli and West to close me back into that shell.
