The heat. The force of the grip.
They could only belong to one person.
“We’re leaving,” Kai grates into my ear.
I dig my heels in, but he’s already moving. “I’m not done?—“
“Oh, you’redone,” Kai snarls. He shoots Blake a look so full of malice, the guy actually takes a step back. “And so are you.”
“Haven!” Teagan shouts, but she doesn’t come after me, and I can’t blame her. When I look up at Kai, a chill rushes through me at the rage on his face.
He shoulders past a guy in a toga and nearly knocks over the lovesick couple slow dancing to a one-fifty BPM hardstyle track.
We burst out of the side doors and the chilly night air hits me in the face.
The doors swing shut behind us, cutting the noise to a dull thud of bass through the stone walls, and the sound of my ragged breathing.
I wrench my arm out of Kai’s grip.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I scream. “I was defending you!”
“You’re just feeding the trolls,” Kai snaps. He runs a hand through his hair, knocking his top hat crooked. He looks uneasy. Pale.
I lay a hand on his bare chest. He’s clammy and shivering. “Kai, it’s okay. They don’t have anything on you. That’s why they let you out.”
His lips flash into a bitter smile. “Not yet,” he mutters.
“What?”
He pulls his phone out of the pocket of his tattered jeans. I spent an hour sewing patches onto the fabric to match it with the coat. Sewing is an essential skill when you’re trying not to look like a homeless person.
“Look…” I run a hand over my hair, nearly dislodging the big bow clipped to the top of my head. “Let’s go back inside and talk to him. Right now, it’s Melissa’s word against yours, but no one’s even heard your side of the story?—“
“My side?” He steps closer. I try to move back, but I’m too slow—he grabs the top of my arm and holds me in place as he leans in, forcing me to arch my back.
His voice drops to a dangerously low whisper. “You mean the part where you gave your professor fuckingpermissionto frame me for kidnapping and assault?”
“I said I was sorry?—”
“Sorry won’t fix anything, Haven. Only way you can fix this is if you had a time machine.” He releases me with a shove that nearly sends me sprawling.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yell as soon as I’ve found my balance.
“Me? Nothing. I’m fine. You’re fine. Everyone’s just fucking fine.” He looks at his phone again. “We gotta go.”
“Go?” I yank at my costume. “Fuck that. I’m not leaving.”
I storm past him, but he grabs my arm—again—and spins me to face him. “You want to fix this so bad?” he says, glaring down at me. “Then come with me.”
He’s shaking, his green eyes glinting…and it has nothing to do with the lasers piercing through the church’s stained glass windows.
“Hey? What’s going on?”
His lips seal, his jaw bunching.
“Please, Kai. Tell me. I can help.”
He scoffs, shaking his head, his grip on my arm tightening and loosening like he can’t decide whether to hold on or let me go.
