“I don’t love you, Hailey. Stop getting in the fucking middle.”Alex loosens his hold, then shoves me back, watching as I slide down the wall, coughing and pumping air into my lungs.“Stay the fuck out of this. I’m warning you.”
And with that he storms off, slamming the door shut, his footsteps thundering further and further away. I gather myself off the floor and take a step. Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet stops being so solid. The memory bursts like a bubble gum balloon. Reality rushes back and the world tilts.
I’m teetering on taking an unplanned dive into the cold lake when strong arms circle my waist, snapping me against a firm chest.
I’m dizzy, nauseous, shaking so hard my teeth clatter, but Nash’s rapid heartbeat and the heat of his body anchor me in the present. He holds me close, his warmth seeping into my skin as the remnants of my memory dissipate around us.
“You back yet?” he asks, waiting for me to nod. “What the fuck happened? You stepped off the platform like you were certain you could walk on water.”
I wiggle out of his embrace, still lightheaded as I touch the back of my hand to my forehead. I’m cool to the touch, cooler than the evening air. I feel pale.
“I... I remembered something...” I inhale a few deep breaths to regain some sense of balance. “My memories are returning.”
“Bad ones.” The hostility’s gone from his tone. He’s not asking, he’s stating the facts as if he had a front row seat to the flashback. I arch a brow at him so he’ll explain. “You scratched your neck. Looked like you were trying to get someone’s hands off you.”
My fingers fly to my throat, the scabs are gone, torn off, my skin raw and tender. I breathe a sigh of relief when I find my necklace is still there.
I’m almost certain it’s something my mother gave me, and I’d hate to lose it.
“It’s nothing...” I mutter. “I’m fine.”
His jaw tightens. “Didn’t look like nothing. You were beyond terrified, Hailey. What did you remember?”
My defenses shoot up faster than a camera shutter. Nash spent the past ten minutes weaving threats into the conversation, and now he’s acting concerned?
I’m not buying it.
I catch movement in the corner of my eye and remember Jensen’s still here, silent, his eyes flicking between us like he’s watching ping-pong.
“Thank you for catching me.” I take a cautious step from the edge—away from Nash.
Lacking better ideas for a quick getaway, I add “Goodnight”, and spin on my heel, not far off running toward Jensen.
14
Carter
Aday. That’s how long I had to study my new bio before I got here. Twenty-six, dropped out of college after third year. Deceased mother: died during birth. Deceased father: died during deployment five years ago. Damn, this Nash had it rough. Army brats always do.
Nash himself—well, technically me now—served five years in the army. A noble guy, following in his father’s footsteps.
He sounds nothing like me. I’m not noble. Not admirable. Not an army man. Not even close.
The only thing we have in common is that I’ve seen people die but... they died atmyhands. Under my orders.
Not the same.
Still, I’m grateful that Rhett didn’t go to the extreme of listing Nash’s favorite color. I’ve let the details be me. After all, the farce is only for the admissions office and Vaughn. He’ll have scrutinized every student on file before sending his preciousdaughter here and it’d be a damn shame if I were found out before exacting revenge.
Whatever that may be.
My initial ideas fell apart at light speed.
Hailey’s not what I expected. Nothing about this fucking task or situation is as I expected.
I had a clear picture of Hailey Scarlett Vaughn’s personality from what Rhett told me. I also knew exactly what she looks like: blonde head, pretty, innocent face, button-like nose. Perfectly ordinary, but the girl that arrived at Lakeside on Wednesday is far from ordinary.
There’s a radiance about her the headshot couldn’t capture: killer legs, round hips, small boobs. Wasp waist. Delicate hands and that soft skin on her nape, always kissed by a few loose baby hairs falling from her ponytail.
