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“Let’s get this over with,” mutters the guy next to me.
I smile to myself.
I couldn’t agree more.
* * *
Harper lookslike she’s about to puke.
“This is the last exam for today. Are you ready?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “As ready as I’m going to be. You?”
“Honestly, I’m feeling pretty good about all of my tests so far.”
“Good. Then I’ll cheat off of you.”
I roll my eyes with a smile. “Whatever.”
The professor walks in and opens his laptop that’s connected to the projector, and on the whiteboard is a timer. “You’ll have sixty minutes to complete the test,” he says. “I’ll start the timer as soon as all of the exams have been distributed.”
The T.A. places one in front of me, and I pick up my pencil with trembling fingers. Only this time, I’m less nervous and more excited. This is just another step toward me taking control of my future.
“All right, students, you may begin,” he says, clicking a button on the laptop. The timer starts counting down from 60:00.
I write my name at the top and focus on the test, blocking out the people around me. The scratches of pencils and the rustling of papers quickly fade into the background. I work through the questions methodically, keeping an eye on the timer.
With thirty minutes left, I pause to stretch my arms and roll my neck. I delve back in, pushing away thoughts of Hayden whenever they try to creep through my mind.
I’m close to finishing when there’s five minutes left. After filling in the final question, I relax and lean back in my chair. The numbers on the projector continue downward until they disappear. Before the time is up a message appears in their place:“I’ll always chase you, Mrs. Bennett.”
I swear my heart stops. The letters seem to pulse and grow, filling my vision completely. There’s a series of gasps and whispered words as students begin to notice the change. Dimly, I hear the professor saying that the timer must’ve malfunctioned, but it’s drowned out by the blood roaring in my ears.
Hayden has found me.
I stumble from my seat in a daze when the professor calls time. Clutching my exam to my chest, I hurry over to his desk to turn it in before racing from the classroom. Harper catches up to me in the dorm room.
“What the fuck was that?” she says, her eyes wide. “Never mind. We’ve got to get you out of here.”
When I shake my head, she frowns at me. “At first, I wanted to run away, but there’s no point. I have nowhere to go, and I’m tired of hiding. It’s been two months, and this is the first time he’s contacted me. I think I’m ready to talk to him.”
Harper opens her mouth to argue, but I hold up a hand. “Please. I’m not asking you to agree, just to support me. I need to do this. He has a right to know about the baby.”
She folds her arms and gives me a pointed look. “You still love him.”
I release a hollow laugh. “Yup.”
“Okay, but make sure you call me after. That way, I’ll know you’re okay. If I don’t hear from you, I’m calling a hit man. If I don’t take him out myself. I know you said he won’t hurt you, but he’s not above kidnapping.”
She’s not wrong.
“Agreed,” I say. “Can I borrow your phone?”
Harper blows out a breath, disturbing the loose tendrils around her forehead. “Sure. I’m not going to lie, I’m sad our girl-time is over.”
When she hands me her cell phone, I take it with a frown. “You’re acting like I’m not coming back.”
“Girl, I know you aren’t. You’re going to take one look at his baby blues, or his dick, and become a puddle on the ground.” She holds up her hands. “Not that I blame you. Just make sure it’s whatyouwant.”
