I’m about to tell them I have to run, but I see Winter open her mouth and then hesitate beside him, like she’s debating whether to say something.
Then she looks directly at me.
“Sebastian… I know you’re not going to like this,” she says carefully. “But the girl you’ve been watching…” Winter is still speaking, but my ears are ringing, and I’m not computing what she’s saying on any level in which I can respond.
Everything inside me goes still as she tells me about her interaction with Livy.
The words hit like a punch to the gut. She’s going to be pissed about the cameras, and I was going to tell her about them, but I wanted to ease her into it. I want my girl to be happy. I want herto be the happiest person on this earth, but the cameras are non-negotiable. I must have an eye on her at all times.
“Fuck,” I breathe.
The curse slips out before I can stop it.
“Fuck, fuck.”
“How long ago?” I ask, though I barely hear my own voice, and if I’m honest, I’m not really paying attention to what they’re saying.
“Fuck,” I mutter again, running a hand through my hair as frustration coils tight in my chest. Now I have no way to monitor her.
Tristan watches me carefully.
“Who is after her?” he asks. “I know her parents were murdered, but why exactly is she here?”
I barely glance up from my phone.
“I guess the better question is who isn’t after her,” I say quietly. “And now she has no protection.” I need to get my phone and see if Riven has sent me anything.
My brain is already moving through possibilities, trying to figure out where Livy could be and how quickly I can reach her. She’s used to packing up quickly and moving without notice. I am going to be a fucking monster if she’s disappeared on me again.
“What do you need?” Tristan asks. “We can stay. I can make some calls.”
Winter nods beside him, but my focus is already somewhere else to be able to answer their questions.
I’m already ten steps ahead with three separate scenarios.
My eyes lift and lock with Tristan’s.
“Whatever it fucking takes.”
LIVY
Ishould have known a hockey party would be worse than a rugby one. I haven’t been to a rugby one, but the vibes are just…gross here.
The courtyard behind the hockey house is packed so tightly with people that every few seconds someone bumps my shoulder or sloshes beer dangerously close to my shoes. Juniper insisted on dressing me up in something in her closet, and I decided to go for it. I have been running, hiding, trying to not be perceived by anyone for so long. I just want to have one normal night before I leave St. Killian. I was madder than hell when I decided to come here, but I’ve cooled down this evening and I’ve decided I can’t stay here. I can’t be on the same campus as Sebastian and watch him with other girls or run the risk of him pulling me back under his spell.
I can’t deny the connection I have with him. It might be one sided on my part and fake on his part, but I still feel it in my chest. This dull ache pulls me to wherever he is. I don’t think I’ll ever feel that for anyone else, and I wish I knew what it was about him that made me feel that way.
Everything, I suppose. I love everything about him.
I love Sebastian, I realize. I really do, and I guess it’s better that I saw what I did today before I let myself fall any deeper.
The grass is already worn down to dirt in the middle where people have been standing all night, and someone dragged a metal firepit into the center of the yard like they’re trying to recreate a bonfire with whatever scrap wood they could find. This can’t be allowed, and I’m looking around for the nearest exit because I’m not about to get expelled from a school over a fire pit.
Juniper was true to her word and didn’t leave my side when we got here, that is until Kalen found us and dragged her off. He legit parted the crowd of people like the Red Sea using only his grumpy face and threw her over his shoulder a few minutes ago. I’d be worried for her, but let’s be honest, both of them are right where they want to be. He stormed off with her, hand planted on her ass right in front of everyone. In hindsight, I’m not sure why I didn’t see that coming. She turned off her phone so he couldn’t track her location, and she called it ‘playing hide and seek.’ I guess he’s better at the game than we are because we haven’t been here long.
It suddenly hits me how he knew. Riven Kozlov plays hockey, and Sebastian mentioned he is part of their little crew. I’d be willing to bet he was keeping an eye on us while the other guys were at their game tonight.
I thought Sebastian would never think to look for me at a hockey party, but now I know I’m a sitting duck. Who knows, maybe now that he knows I caught him and I’m aware of the borderline serial killer-ish surveillance setup he had going on, he won’t even try to find me.
