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I stand, kick him a few times in the ribs for good measure, and cock the hammer of the gun.
The sound of footsteps is faint behind me.
“Evelyn,” he whispers. My eyes close briefly at the sound of his voice.
“Elijah,” I whisper back, but I refuse to look at him. “How’d you find me?”
My arms steady themselves as I keep the gun cocked and aimed at Professor Wessex’s unmoving body.
“Taylor called me when he couldn’t find you on campus. I used the tracker that Micah put on your phone,” he says, walking into my periphery. “Have you ever killed anyone before?”
“No,” I reply softly. “But how hard can it be?”
I tighten my grip on the gun as Elijah lifts his hand and places it on top of mine.
“It changes you,” he explains. “You really don’t want to cross that line.”
My body remains still as my eyes find his. “He killed my grandfather. I didn’t even know I had one.”
Elijah nods his head and gently pries the gun from my hand.
“I’ll take care of it.”
My eyes search his, and for the first time in forever, I only see the boy I fell in love with.
“I should do it,” I say into the quiet of the abandoned home.
“Turn around.”
When I do, Elijah takes the life of a man who threatened mine without a single hesitation.
35
Iopen the car door and stare at the entrance of Stratham University, unsure of how I feel about this place now.
“Come on, they’re waiting,” Elijah says, placing his hand at the small of my back.
After confirming that both Professor Wessex and Dr. Weaver were dead, Elijah made a number of phone calls in quick succession as he drove me back to campus.
“What about—”
“You’ve got to trust me. Everything is being taken care of,” he attempts to assure me.
I snort. “Trust. To have confidence in—”
“Stop it,” he snaps.
I fold my arms over my chest. “You left. You lied. You—”
He pushes me into a small alcove, his hands gripping my shoulders as he stares at me.
“I lo—” He pauses and clears his throat. “I. Made. A mistake,” he says each word slowly.
I close my eyes and breathe in the scent of fresh linen and soap.
“Don’t do it again,” I whisper.
He lets me go, and we walk through the courtyard to Emily Hall. Three quarters of the way there, the doors to Emily Hall open and Celeste runs to meet us.
