kelly favor - book 4 - wrong (naked)

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She's broken because of something that was done to her--something she can't even bear to think about. So she does the only thing she can think of...she runs. Away from her Ivy League college, away from her perfect life, and away from the man who hurt her. Only she runs straight into...Elijah

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WRONG (NAKED, BOOK 4)

by Kelly Favor

© WRONG. 2013, all rights reserved.

Caelyn tried to understand was Elijah had just said to her. His lips had moved, he’d spoken words,but she couldn’t seem to make sense of them.

“What?” she said, and her voice sounded far away, as if coming from somewhere else.

“You need to get out of here,” Elijah told her, as he closed the door behind him and immediatelybegan stripping off his bloody clothing.

Caelyn was still standing beside the kitchen table. In fact, she was still holding her cup of coffee, as ifElijah might decide to sit down and join her at the table for a morning chat. She watched as hestepped out of his pants. He was now wearing only his boxer shorts, standing just inside the doorwayof the apartment.

His legs were muscular and powerful, like a sprinter. His torso and shoulders were perfectlysculpted. Everything about him was like a statue—the body of a god—

come to life.

Except for the blood. Splotches of blood were still visible on his forearms, his hands, even his neck,and there was a smear of red on one cheek.

It suddenly occurred to Caelyn that he’d gone out and murdered someone, and that’s why he wasbloody and ordering her to leave the apartment. He’d killed a man—

maybe more than one man.

Or perhaps Elijah was hurt. She didn’t see any wounds, but all of that blood…

The thought of him being injured jolted her out of her strangely unreactive state.

She sprang into motion, putting her cup down and running towards him. “What happened?” she asked.“Are you hurt?”

Elijah shook his head. “No.” He held out a hand for her to stop. “I don’t want you getting any bloodon you.”

She stopped and looked at him. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I need you to get me a garbage bag from under the sink, and some paper towels,”

was all he said. His expression was neutral, his voice firm and calm.

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Caelyn felt confused. “What happened, Elijah?”

“Just get me what I asked for.”

She turned and went back to the kitchen, returning to the entrance of the apartment, where Elijah wasstanding beside the pile of bloody clothes. When she got within a couple of feet, he reached out andtook the garbage bag and paper towels from her.

Then he knelt down and scooped the clothes into the trash bag in one quick motion. After that, hecleaned the worst of the blood from his hands and arms using the paper towels.

Standing up, Elijah finally turned his attention to her once more. “I know you’re scared and I get thatyou want to know what happened. But there’s no point in telling you any of it. You need to get out ofhere, Caelyn.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she said, and only as the words left her mouth did she realize how much shemeant them.

Elijah smiled a little at that. “I wish it was as simple as us wanting to be together,” he told her.

“It is that simple.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “it’s really not.”

“Tell me why you’re kicking me out.” She felt the tears starting to burn her eyes and blinked rapidly,frustrated at her own weakness. But she was even more frustrated with Elijah’s heartlessness.

“I’m not kicking you out.” He picked up the trash bag and tied it.

“Look at me, Elijah.”

He looked at her and his eyes were pained, but his expression was determined.

“This is what needs to happen. If there was any other way—“

“Of course there’s another way.” Her voice was choked.

“If you stay here with me, something bad will happen to you. And I’m not going to let anything badhappen to you.”

“Then we can leave together, go to a motel, somewhere far away from here.”

He shook his head slowly. “It’s time for you to go now.”

“Will I see you again?”

He turned away from her then, walking to the bedroom as she followed behind him, desperate for

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answers, clinging to the slim hope that she could convince him to change his mind.

Elijah put on a fresh pair of jeans and a new t-shirt.

“Can’t you at least stop for one second and tell me what’s going on?” she asked.

When he was dressed, he ran a hand through his hair. Somehow he managed to look perfect oncemore, as if he’d spent the morning lounging around the apartment instead of engaged in whateverviolent acts he’d been doing while he was away.

“I don’t want to incriminate you,” he said. And then he began moving again.

She followed him back into the hallway, where he picked up the trash bag and opened the door to theapartment. “I’m going to throw this in the dumpster behind the building. Get your purse and anythingelse you need—and then go. I can’t drive you anywhere, but there are plenty of cabs on Mass Ave.I’ll give you some money.”

Caelyn shook her head as a silent sob wracked her body. She held it back, resolute that she wouldn’tlet Elijah see her cry and freak out. He didn’t deserve to see her true emotions anymore. He wasrejecting her—sending her away after everything they’d been through together.

All of the betrayal and rage she felt suddenly coalesced into an icy calm that flowed through her veinslike a drug. In seconds, she became strangely composed and unaffected. “Okay, I’ll get my things.”

He turned to her once more, his face a mask of barely concealed agony. “I need to tell you somethingbefore you go. The truth is, I—“

“Don’t bother,” she replied, cutting him off intentionally, wanting to hurt him.

She saw that she’d been successful, as he flinched as though she’d slapped him.

He blinked at her. “Caelyn, you have no idea how much you mean to me.”

She almost laughed at that, but contained her laughter into a tiny smirk of disbelief. Is this how hetreated someone that meant a lot to him? “I’d really hate to see how you treat someone you don’t careabout,” she said.

“I guess I deserve that.”

“You should probably just go and throw away the evidence,” Caelyn said, pointing at the trash bag,“instead of wasting time talking to me.”

Elijah looked down at it as if he’d forgotten he was holding it. “Caelyn,” he sighed. “I don’t want it tobe like this. But I can’t allow you to be hurt by my actions and my life. You understand, don’t you?”

She nodded curtly. “Sure.”

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“Okay, I’m going to dump this stuff.”

“I won’t be here when you come back.”

His jaw tensed and she saw his throat working. “I know,” he said, after a moment.

“Bye, Elijah.”

He started to say goodbye to her in return, but then his voice choked a little and he simply turned andleft. As he turned his back to her, Caelyn couldn’t believe the pain she felt throughout her entire body.

It was as if someone were pulling her apart from the inside.

***

Caelyn didn’t take a cab. She took a bus and then the red line across the Charles River, getting off inHarvard Square and then walking half a mile to Cambridge University.

When she finally opened the door to her college suite, Nellie was standing in the middle of the dormroom. Her mouth dropped open when Caelyn walked inside, waving halfheartedly.

“Hey,” Caelyn said softly.

“Hey,” Nellie replied. “You’re the last person I expected to see. Alicia said you weren’t ever comingback to school.”

“I’m still not sure what I’m doing—but I have no place else to go.”

Caelyn and Nellie hadn’t ever gotten quite as close as Caelyn and Alicia had become during the timethat they’d been rooming together. Caelyn had always suspected that Nellie felt somewhat excludedas her two other roommates had grown to be better and better friends.

“Well sit down,” Nellie said, gesturing to the chair nearby. “Tell me what’s going on. You lookcompletely drained.”

Caelyn shrugged, but did as she was told. She sat down in the swivel chair and Nellie sat nearby onthe small couch. Nellie watched her expectantly. When Caelyn didn’t say anything at first, Nellieleaned forward and grabbed her hand. “It’s okay. I won’t be mad.”

And that simple, kind gesture caused Caelyn to burst into tears. She sobbed like she hadn’t sobbed inher whole life—big, heaving cries as if someone had died.

She put a hand over her face and cried, unable to even say an intelligible word or stop the flood oftears.

“I’ll get you some tissues.” Nellie went to the bathroom and came back with a box of tissues andhanded it to Caelyn, who was finally starting to get control of herself.

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She wiped her eyes, laughing with embarrassment. “Sorry, I don’t even know what came over me.”

Nellie looked at her with big, serious brown eyes that seemed to know more than they should. “Youdon’t have to apologize for anything.”

“I feel like I should be apologizing for everything.”

“Well whoever made you feel that way is an asshole.”

Caelyn laughed, blew her nose, crumpled the tissue and threw it in the trash nearby. She sigheddeeply. “I can’t understand how everything that I thought was my life could just change so fast.”

Nellie leaned towards her again. “Sometimes life just turns us upside down.”

“Did that ever happen to you?”

She nodded once. “Yes.”

Caelyn could see that her roommate didn’t want to tell her exactly what had turned her life upsidedown. But something told Caelyn that the other girl understood perfectly how she felt right at thatmoment. “I’m really confused right now,” Caelyn groaned.

“It’s okay to be confused. You’ll figure this out.”

“I will?”

“Yeah.”

Caelyn nodded gratefully. “Thank you so much, Nellie. You know, I’m really sorry if me and Aliciaever made you feel—“

Just then the door opened. “I heard my name,” Alicia said, striding into the room with color high inher cheeks. She saw Caelyn and didn’t bat an eyelash. “Were you saying something?” Aliciacontinued, staring right at Caelyn.

Caelyn had wanted to apologize to Nellie for not including her, for allowing Alicia to become thecenter of attention, but Caelyn knew that Alicia was already angry and would use any excuse to start afight.

Caelyn shook her head. “I was just…whining.”

“What a surprise.” Alicia folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. “You look like something the catdragged in.

“Alicia!” Nellie cried. “That’s not nice.”

“I’m not always nice, but at least I’m honest.”

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“Sometimes it’s better to keep your opinions to yourself,” Nellie replied.

“Not my style.” Alicia walked over to the bookcase and started searching. “I could’ve sworn I stillhad my old statistics textbook here somewhere. I had the best notes and Ben was saying he’d love touse them.”

Nellie looked at Caelyn and mouthed a silent apology as Alicia continued to browse through thenearby bookcase. She seemed to suck up all the air in the room, Caelyn thought.

Caelyn finished blowing her nose and wiping her eyes. “Thanks, Nellie.”

“I didn’t even do anything.”

“You did though,” she replied.

Alicia pulled a book from the bookcase and stood up, spinning to face them.

“What did Nellie do?”

“She just listened,” Caelyn said. “And she didn’t get mad at me.”

Alicia pursed her thin, red lips. “I know you don’t want anybody to be mad at you, Caelyn. But youhaven’t exactly made it easy for anyone to understand why you’re acting this way.”

“I know I haven’t made things easy.”

Alicia glared at her with annoyance. “So what is it? You don’t trust me now?”

Caelyn sighed deeply. “Of course I trust you.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Alicia was clutching her textbook so hard that her knuckles had turned white.“It feels like you suddenly decided that I’m not worth keeping in your life anymore. And I reallythought we were friends. Like—I considered you my best friend, practically. I imagined us years fromnow, still meeting for coffee and laughing about the crazy college days.”

“Nothing’s changed on my part,” Caelyn told her.

“Nothing’s changed?” Alicia shook her head. “How can you seriously say that after the way you’veacted? And now it seems like you think you can just come here and pretend everything’s back tonormal.”

Caelyn felt her blood starting to boil. “You have no idea what I think.”

“That’s right, I don’t. Because you refuse to tell me anything.” Alicia’s voice was shaking a little bit.

“Alicia, this isn’t about you. This was something that happened to me, and I needed to deal with itmyself.” Caelyn met her roommate’s gaze and held it firmly.

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Alicia looked away. “Whatever. I’m going to bring this book to Ben. Maybe I’ll see you later if youhaven’t decided to disappear again, Caelyn.” And then she turned and left, the door closing with aloud bang behind her.

***

Not long after Alicia left the room, Nellie had to go to class.

Caelyn finally got the suite to herself, which was kind of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, shedesperately needed sleep, and time to herself. On the other hand, the time alone brought her face-to-face with just how much she missed Elijah already.

She imagined him standing there in her dorm room near the mini fridge, that mischievous gleam in hiseye, the next witty remark poised on his lips. Somehow he always knew just what to say to disarmher, to confuse her, to make her want him more.

Elijah was someone that she knew could only bring trouble to her life and her world. And yet, he alsoseemed to be the only person who could heal her, soothe her, make it all okay again.

Was such a thing possible? Was she simply going crazy?

Most would say yes, she supposed.

But as she lay in her old bed, curling up with her familiar blankets, looking around at the samefurnishings and décor that she’d moved into at the beginning of the school year—she couldn’t help butfeel that she wasn’t supposed to be there.

I’m supposed to be with him. That’s my home.

But he didn’t feel the same, which was why he’d kicked her out, refused to explain any of it to her,and decided that their relationship was no longer worth fighting for. How could Elijah be anythingsafe, how could she have a home with him when he didn’t want to have that with her?

Soon the tears came again, predictable and somehow stale and used up. The tears didn’t last verylong. She was spent. She’d already cried so much about Jayson and then her family, and now she wasmostly cried out.

Eventually she just lay in bed, staring as if in a catatonic state. The thoughts had mostly ceased. Therewas just a big black hole and she seemed to be falling into it, falling and falling and there wasn’tmuch left to think about.

Just falling.

And then she fell asleep. She slept a long time.

When Caelyn woke up, the light had changed in the room. From the angle of the sun outside thewindow, she thought it must be afternoon, and her glance at the clock showed her that she’d slept for

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hours.

Caelyn’s bedroom door was open enough to see Alicia sitting on the recliner in the middle of thesuite, typing away on her laptop.

Yawning, Caelyn got up out of bed feeling groggy but somewhat refreshed, and her mood wasn’t quiteas dark as it had been before her nap. She padded out into the common area of the suite.

Alicia had her earbuds in and was writing a paper or something.

Caelyn tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

Alicia started, pulled one earbud out and glanced up at her. “You scared me.”

“Sorry.”

She shrugged. “Something wrong?”

“I just wanted to say that I should have told you more about what was happening to me. You’re mybest friend here and I should’ve trusted you.”

Alicia frowned. “I just don’t understand. Did I ever do something to make you think that I wouldn’t beon your side?”

“No.”

But you have now, she thought. You’ve shown your true colors.

Still, Caelyn didn’t want to have any awkwardness with her roommates. If she was moving back tothe dorms for good, she needed to get along with Alicia. Even if, in reality, she didn’t trust her quiteas much as she once had.

“So why don’t you tell me what happened? I’m still completely lost as to why you left school.”

“I didn’t leave, it turns out,” Caelyn grinned. “I’m still here.”

“You still don’t feel like telling me what happened,” Alicia said, nodding as if it all made sense now.

Before Caelyn could respond to her statement, Alicia spoke again, her expression softening. “Youmust be hungry. Want to grab a bite at the caf?”

Caelyn took a deep breath. Part of her still felt too raw and fragile to go someplace so public, whereshe might be forced to interact with other students, maybe even teachers, answer questions about herabsence.

But then again, she didn’t want to reject Alicia’s offer of support, so she smiled in return. “Yeah. I’mkind of famished.”

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“You look it. Get dressed, run a brush through your hair, and we’ll be off.”

Run a brush through my hair?

Caelyn’s belly tightened but she held onto her smile. Now was not the time to call Alicia on her meanremarks. It was just a minor comment and they were finally starting to be friendly to one anotheragain.

“Sounds good,” Caelyn smiled. “I’ll be ready in a sec.”

She got up and went to the bathroom, applying enough makeup to hopefully hide just how emotionallywrecked she felt. She especially needed to cover up the dark circles and puffiness around her eyes.

But she didn’t run a brush through her hair, even though it might have benefited her to do so.

A few minutes later, they were in the quad and headed to the building across the way. Other studentswere walking inside, most of them people she didn’t know personally—but a few that she recognized.

Alicia kept up a steady patter of conversation as they walked, most of it petty gossip or sillyobservations about students and teachers they both knew. It occurred to Caelyn that either Alicia hadcompletely changed into a mean girl in the few days since Caelyn had been gone from school, orAlicia was the same as always and it was really Caelyn who had changed.

They went inside the building and down the stairs to the basement, where the cafeteria was packedfull of students.

At first, she felt a strong urge to turn and run out of the place. Maybe if she hadn’t been with Alicia,she would have run. But there was just enough fear of looking foolish in front of her roommate, of notwanting to rock the boat anymore than she already had, so she somehow forced her feet to keepmoving.

If only Elijah were here with me, I wouldn’t be so scared.

But then an opposing voice spoke up.

You shouldn’t need Elijah to do something as simple as go to the cafeteria.

What’s wrong with you? Maybe the two of you really weren’t good together.

“…grab a salad. Okay?” Alicia said, her eyes narrowing. “Hello, earth to Caelyn. Are you evenlistening to a word I’m saying?” she asked, snapping her fingers in front of Caelyn’s face.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about how I’m going to need to talk to my teachers.”

“Yeah, of course you are. Do you have any idea how much work you’ve missed?”

Caelyn shrugged. “I have an idea. I missed a big test and I’m late on a paper in my philosophy class.

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I’m way behind on reading with some other tests coming up soon in my other classes. But I can getback on track.”

“Anyway,” Alicia said, “I’ll meet you after I make my salad. If you see a table, grab it, okay?”

“Okay.” Caelyn felt like she was taking orders from a superior officer or something.

She’d only been back at school for a few hours and she was already sick of it, and sick of Alicia’sattitude. But she smiled and faked enthusiasm, not knowing what else to do.

Caelyn knew she had to make it work here, because she was out of options.

Elijah had kicked her out and she certainly wasn’t going home to her parents’ anytime in the nearfuture.

She went to the pasta station and got herself a plate of rigatoni and red sauce, some Italian bread witha couple of pads of butter, and a sugar free vanilla pudding.

Then she went to the cashier and swiped her card.

She was on a meal plan that her parents had paid for and so didn’t have to pay cash. The money wasdebited from her account on the card.

Caelyn spotted a small table opening up and grabbed it just as the three people were leaving it.

Her shoulders relaxed a little as she sat with her back to the wall and began eating, watching the otherstudents socialize and laugh and eat, feeling invisible as she observed the simple rituals of collegelife.

They no longer felt like rituals that applied to her own existence—the girls tossing their hair, giggling,talking and flirting with the boys who postured and joked and tried to impress. All of them looked soyoung, so naïve to the realities of the world, the harshness of what lay outside the Ivy League hallsthat they so comfortably inhabited.

“You’re doing it again,” Alicia said, startling Caelyn out of her reverie. Alicia sat down at the table,watching Caelyn warily.

“Doing what?”

“Staring off into space. Are you on drugs?”

Caelyn giggled so hard that she snorted and had to hold a napkin over her mouth and nosemomentarily.

“What’s so funny?” Alicia asked.

“Nothing,” Caelyn said.

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“Well you obviously found it hysterical.” Alicia speared a leaf of lettuce aggressively, then brought itto her mouth and chewed mechanically.

“It’s just the way you said it.”

“Well are you on drugs or not?”

“No, of course not.”

“Plenty of people do drugs and you’re acting like someone who’s doing them.”

“Well I’m not.”

For the first time, Alicia’s face showed real concern. “But you’d tell me if you were?”

“Yes, I’d tell you. But I’m not. Maybe I should start.”

“Don’t even.” Alicia went back to her salad.

For the next few minutes, things almost felt normal again. Caelyn started eating her pasta, findingherself suddenly hungry. Alicia was talking again, snarking on the other girls at nearby tables,critiquing their hairstyles, their shoes, their outfits. Then she was bemoaning the fact that Ben hadbeen less attentive to her lately, had maybe even blown her off the past weekend.

For the first time, Caelyn felt a pang of real sympathy for her roommate. “It sucks when guys changeon a dime.”

Alicia looked slightly alarmed. “Do you really think his feelings have changed?”

“No,” Caelyn said, trying to recover. “I was probably thinking of my own situation.”

“You mean Jayson?”

Just saying his name sent a bolt of terror through Caelyn’s heart.

Caelyn swallowed hard, shaking her head. “Let’s not go there right now.”

“Well, you might have to go there, sweetheart,” Alicia said, “because Jayson just came down thestairs.”

Caelyn froze momentarily. She could actually feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.“Please tell me you’re joking,” she whispered through a choked throat.

“No, I’m serious. Why?” Alicia asked. “Did something happen between you guys? Is that why you leftschool?”

But now Caelyn had turned and seen him, and he had seen her. Jayson was with a couple of his

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buddies from the rowing team, but he said something to them, and split off as they continued towardsthe food stations.

Jayson was heading Caelyn’s way, and she could hardly breathe.

Alicia seemed to notice that Caelyn was freaking out. When Jayson approached, Alicia stood up andsquealed happily. “Oh my God, Jayson! What are you doing here?”

Jayson looked surprised. “Just eating. Like everyone else.”

“I haven’t seen you in, like, forever.”

Jayson’s eyes flitted to Caelyn, filling her stomach with dread. But then he looked back at Alicia, whocontinued babbling. Finally, after she’d chatted at him for a couple of minutes straight, he took theopportunity to turn his attention to Caelyn.

“Howdy,” he said.

“Hey,” she replied, her mouth dry.

“Mind if I pull up a chair?”

Alicia saw Caelyn’s face and shook her head. “Sorry, Jayson. We were actually just about to go. Ihave to run to meet Ben and Caelyn promised she’d come with me.”

Caelyn took the cue to stand up, her legs like rubber. She smiled artificially as Jayson met her gazewith his cold, dead stare. “That’s a shame,” he said. “I thought maybe I’d get the chance to hang withyou guys for a bit. Maybe next time.”

“Oh, definitely,” Alicia said. “Tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Jayson said.

Caelyn grabbed her purse, as Alicia started for the exit.

“Come on, we better hurry,” Alicia called out. “Ben is pissed, I’m already late.”

“You’re not even going to clear your trays?” Jayson said.

“Can’t. Gotta go.” Alicia sped up.

So did Caelyn, but then she felt Jayson hand lock around her wrist in a tight, uncompromising grip.“Wait a second. Wait a second.”

She spun to face him, instinctively trying to pull free from his grip. But he didn’t let go, although hisface was relaxed and he appeared to be smiling in a friendly way.

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Anyone watching wouldn’t think he was hurting her or anything of the sort.

“Let go of me, Jayson.”

“Just hold on a second, Caelyn.” He stepped closer to her. His eyes were deadly still. Somehow, hestill smelled vaguely of pizza, as if all ever did was eat the same old greasy pizza that she’d sharedwith him the night he raped her.

“I need to go, we’re meeting Ben.”

“Yeah, I know.” He smiled again, but his eyes were getting somehow meaner.

“But the thing is, you promised we were going to talk. You promised we were going to give thisanother try, and then you disappeared and I never heard from you. So what’s the deal? Was that justsome line of bullshit to get me to do what you wanted me to do?”

Caelyn licked her lips. “Let. Go.” She gave a hard tug and Jayson let go at the same time.

The force of her own effort propelled her backwards, and she stumbled against a group of guyswalking into the cafeteria. They laughed as she apologized for her clumsiness.

Jayson folded his arms, smirking, as Caelyn tried to regain her composure.

“We’re going to talk again, one way or another,” he said. “Because this isn’t over.”

“It is over, Jayson. Leave me alone.”

His grin widened. “Whatever you say, Caelyn.”

“That’s right. Maybe you should try listening for once in your life,” she told him, then turned andheaded clumsily up the stairs. The adrenaline was flowing through her veins and she was full ofpounding fear and terror and her limbs trembled with it as she found Alicia waiting at the top.

“Are you okay?” Alicia said.

“Yeah, just need some air.”

When they got outside, Alicia didn’t say anything for a while. They walked together for a time, andthen finally she turned and looked into Caelyn’s eyes.

“Something bad happened between the two of you,” she said.

Caelyn nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Like, really bad,” Alicia continued.

Caelyn nodded again, her jaw trembling.

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“Will you tell me?”

“I can’t. I can’t. Not now. Not here”

“Okay. It’s okay,” Alicia soothed. Her voice was surprisingly compassionate.

She reached out and took Caelyn’s hand in hers. “Come on, let’s go home.”

***

Some hours later, Caelyn was finishing telling Alicia the story that began with Jayson raping her inhis apartment and ended with Elijah breaking up with her and sending her away.

Caelyn had finally spilled her guts, and it had been a relief to just say it all, to tell the truth and nothold back for once. Somehow, even though she knew Alicia couldn’t fully be trusted, it had beenimpossible not to tell her everything.

It was like she’d been ready to burst and Alicia had stuck the pin in and pierced the balloon that washolding it all inside.

Alicia had hardly asked a single question, but had seemed to hang on every word just the same.

When it was over, and Caelyn had cried a little, Alicia patted her shoulder.

“Thanks for trusting me, Caelyn. It means a lot that you told me all of that.”

Caelyn sighed, wiping her eyes. She was sitting on her bed and Alicia was next to her.

“I needed to tell somebody. It was killing me, all of that…just sitting inside me.”

She pushed a hand against her own stomach, pressing hard. “It was like a lead ball, growing andgrowing, expanding until I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“It’s out now,” Alicia said. “I wish you’d told me about Jayson when it happened. He should be injail right now.”

“I know. But I was scared. And then everything got out of control with Elijah and...” she trailed off,not knowing what else to say.

Alicia got off the bed and paced a little bit. “I’m glad you got away from Elijah, too.”

Hearing those words hurt.

Caelyn felt it like a punch to the gut. “I don’t know. Being away from Elijah is hard. I just want tohear his voice. That’s all.”

“But you know that he’s bad news, right?”

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“I mean…I know he’s got a lot of issues.”

“Issues? The guy is way beyond just having issues. He’s a criminal. He did you a favor when hebroke up with you this morning.”

“I know that he sounds bad, but if you knew him—“

“Oh come on,” Alicia scoffed. “Now you sound like every other battered woman who keeps lookingto find the next man who can victimize her all over again.”

“Elijah never hurt me.”

“Didn’t he? Didn’t he put you in danger when he lied to a police officer right in front of you, andcarried a gun, and assaulted his neighbor, and beat up Jayson, and all the other crazy things you toldme about?”

Caelyn nodded sheepishly. “I guess so.”

“I know so.” Alicia pointed down at Caelyn. “And now you’re back where you belong, at school,with your friends who care about you. That’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, I know,” Caelyn sniffed.

“And I’m not going to let Jayson or Elijah get within ten feet of you again. You need to get back tolooking after yourself and building up your self esteem so no creepy guys think they can prey on youever again.”

Caelyn nodded, but inside she resisted the notion that Elijah and Jayson could ever be mentioned inthe same breath. Still, she understood why Alicia believed that, and she knew that Alicia wouldn’tunderstand the difference even if Caelyn could somehow explain how wonderful and caring Elijahhad been throughout their time together.

Besides, it didn’t matter. Elijah had sent her away and so it was probably better to write him off. Ifshe glamorized him, if she continued to tell herself that she’d lost her chance at the love of her life,than she would only feel worse.

Instead, she would try to put Elijah in the past and not think of him.

Eventually, the pain would fade. The memory of him would fade.

“Someday you won’t even be able to remember what Elijah looked like,” Alicia said, as if she’dbeen reading Caelyn’s mind. “Someday you’ll just look back on him and wonder what the hell youwere thinking. You’ll be a mom, and you’ll have some amazing husband and kids, and you’ll justthank God that you weren’t dumb enough to get knocked up by that loser.”

“He’s not a loser,” Caelyn said.

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“Don’t defend him. Don’t defend either of them.”

“He’s not a loser, Alicia.” Caelyn met her friend’s gaze unwaveringly.

Finally, Alicia relented. “Fine. He’s not a loser. The point is, you need to move on.”

“I agree. I get it, I really do. Can we just stop talking about it now? Or do you just want to see me cryagain? I don’t think I have any tears left.”

Alicia laughed. “Come here. Let me hug you, silly.”

And then they hugged.

“Thanks,” Caelyn told her.

“No worries,” Alicia replied.

No worries, Caelyn thought. Wouldn’t that be nice? Would there ever come a day when she could beworry free again? Or was this to be her new life—full of pain and loss and friends who she wanted totrust, but couldn’t be certain of. Everyone seemed to have agendas and plans and none of thoseagendas took into account what Caelyn wanted or needed.

Only Elijah had ever seemed to care about her and her alone.

But he’s gone. He’s gone, and that’s that.

***

Professor Tull was a tall, thin man with a receding hairline and a birdlike nose.

His eyes were light blue and impossibly smart. He was her philosophy teacher, and he’d always likedher a great deal.

She’d come to find him during office hours the next morning to see about retaking the test she’dmissed the previous week.

“So you weren’t ill, then?” Professor Tull said, putting on his glasses and sitting up straighter in hischair.

“No, I wasn’t ill. I had…a kind of freak out, I guess.”

“A freak out?” he asked, cocking his head. Around him, stacks of books and papers leaned lazily toand fro. His desk looked exactly like what you’d picture the desk of an intellectual professor withlittle regard for the mundane tasks of daily life to look like. “Please do explain this freak out, Caelyn.Because, you see—I’ve had this happen before, where a student begins to miss class without givingany notice or providing any compelling evidence for said absences. And in the past, I’ve made themistake of being too lenient with such students. I find that leniency doesn’t help them or me.”

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“I’m not looking for leniency,” she said, surprised that Professor Tull wasn’t just accepting herexplanation and telling her how she could make up the work.

“Aren’t you, though?” His blue eyes pierced hers. “You missed a major test and failed to hand in atwo-page essay. You don’t have a doctor’s note or any other strong reason for your absences.”

“I know, but I was hoping that based upon my previous work in your class—“

“Your work was excellent, but I’m concerned that by allowing you to simply make up the test andessay you missed, you’ll possibly fail to learn an important lesson.”

“I’ve learned a lot of lessons lately, Professor Tull,” Caelyn said, gripping her purse strap tightly asshe sat in the creaky leather chair across from him. “I really hope you don’t force me to learn anotherone—especially when it’s one I already know. I know that I can’t miss any more work. I know thatI’m dangerously close to failing your class.”

Professor Tull sat back, took off his glasses and wiped them with a white handkerchief. “Please tellme more about this existential crisis you had. Why did you leave school?”

“I sort of ran away,” Caelyn said. “Something happened—something I can’t really discuss. And thisthing that happened upset me to where I didn’t think I could continue with school here.”

“And what brought you back?”

She thought about whether to lie or tell the truth. The lie sounded better, but she liked Professor Tulland wanted to show him the respect of the truth.

“What brought me back was that I realized I had nowhere else to go.”

He put his glasses on again and fixed her with his bright blue eyes. His long nose twitched a little.“So essentially you’re here because you have no better ideas.”

“I’m here because I can do the work, and I want to do it. I want to prove that I can succeed here.”

“Miss Murphy, I think you’ll find that as you get older, one thing keeps getting clearer.”

“What’s that?”

“The one thing that keeps getting clearer is that the biggest failure you can have is failure ofimagination. It disturbs me that you had no better ideas than to simply come back to school here, ifyou truly would rather be somewhere else.” He sighed. “That being said, you’re a talented mind and Ican’t bring myself to fail you. So let’s figure out when to retake the test, and I’ll allow you to turn inyour essay late.”

Relief flooded through Caelyn’s body. “Thank you so, so much, Professor.”

“I will be docking you a full letter grade on both the test and the essay, Miss Murphy.”

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“That’s fine.”

“No, it’s really not. But it will have to do, just the same.”

After thanking Professor Tull and scurrying out before he changed his mind and flunked her anyway,she went to her other teachers and had similar (but easier) conversations. All of them agreed to allowher to make up for the missed work.

They tended to give her the benefit of the doubt that something pretty awful had happened to her.Maybe they could see the truth of it in her face.

A few suggested counseling through the school’s health program. Her psych professor had said thatperhaps she needed to take a semester off to go backpacking in Europe.

Caelyn had assured all of them, whatever their concerns, that she was going to get her act together andwas doing all the right things to make strides in that direction.

But the truth was something else altogether.

Maybe she did need therapy, but Caelyn wasn’t getting any. Instead, she threw herself into herschoolwork. And she tried her best not to think about Elijah.

Unfortunately, her heart wasn’t so cooperative.

It seemed like every few seconds she would be compelled to check her cell phone, hoping againsthope for a missed call from him, a text, anything. Anything.

Sometimes, when she was walking in the quad or on the streets of Cambridge, she would think shesaw him. It was as if he was a ghost.

But all of the men who seemed to be him at first glance, turned out to be nothing like him. They werejust temporary figments of her imagination.

So mostly she was either at class, or in the library, or in her dorm room, working, trying her best toforget.

She’d just finished up her essay for Professor Tull, and was tucking it away in her backpack to bringto class the next morning, when Nellie and Alicia knocked on her bedroom door.

She opened it to find both of them laughing in the common area of the suite, as if they were in on somegiant conspiracy. “What?” she said suspiciously.

Nellie and Alicia didn’t usually get along this well.

“Come on, Caelyn,” Alicia said, walking past her into the bedroom and making a beeline for hercloset. “We need to find you a nice little outfit.”

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“Why?”

“Because,” Nellie said, “we’re taking you on a girls’ night out.”

“I don’t think so. I’m tired and I just finished writing this essay. I’ve got a headache.”

“After a few drinks, it’ll go away,” Alicia told her. Then she threw a pair of jeans and a top onto thebed. “That’ll do.”

Caelyn looked to Nellie for help. “Come on. You know I’m not up for this.”

Nellie shook her head. “You need to go and have some fun. You were away for so long and thenyou’ve been holed up in your cave ever since you got back. I think it’s time for a change, Caelyn.”

Caelyn’s shoulders slumped as she realized they wouldn’t be talked out of their decision. So sheshrugged. “Do I have time for a shower, at least?”

“You’ve got fifteen minutes,” Alicia said, checking her phone.

“Why? Are we meeting someone?”

“No, but the longer you take, the better the chance that you’ll get cold feet and try and back out. So getmoving.”

Caelyn laughed, a little bit pleased that her roommates cared enough about her to try and help her thisway.

She took a quick shower.

I wonder what Elijah’s doing right now, she thought for the millionth time that day.

She got out of the tub, changed into her outfit, put her hair back, and was soon ready as she wouldever be.

“Where are we even going?” she asked, when she was done and the others had remarked on how niceshe looked in her outfit.

“Someplace where alcohol is served.”

“But not a Cambridge hangout, right?”

Alicia sensed her concern about seeing Jayson and shook her head no. “Of course not. We’re goinginto Boston.”

Nellie looked at them. “Something wrong with Cambridge?”

“No,” Alicia said. “It’s just fun to see new places and new people. Cambridge is too small. Same

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old, same old.”

But Nellie’s expression told Caelyn that she knew she’d been shut out again.

***

One cab ride and two beers later, and Caelyn was actually glad that she’d let them force her intogoing out.

For the first time in days, she actually felt a little bit human again. Sure, she was still thinking aboutElijah, but it hadn’t stopped her from having some fun.

Maybe, just maybe, I won’t always feel this horrible, Caelyn told herself.

“Ready for shots?” Alicia said.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Nellie said. “We don’t want to make her throw up.”

“Why would I be the one to throw up?” Caelyn replied, offended. “Look, I just had a bad few days, Ididn’t turn into a total basket case.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Alicia giggled.

“Okay, you’re on,” she said. Caelyn raised her hand to get the bartender’s attention. The bartenderglanced over at Caelyn while pouring a beer for another customer.

“What do you need?”

“Three Alabama Slammers, please,” Caelyn told him.

The bartender turned and started preparing the shots, while Alicia and Nellie continued crackingjokes about Caelyn’s new hard drinking attitude.

Caelyn was starting to almost feel good again. The bar was getting progressively crowded, but themusic was good and not too loud, the people friendly. She was experiencing that pleasant mixture ofwarmth and fuzziness that she normally experienced when she first started getting a little buzzed.

Her friends were here with her, and for a brief moment, Caelyn thought that it was almost as if the lastdark chapter of her life had never happened.

Jayson and the assault felt like something of a dream, as did the trip to Florida with Elijah. But thesecond she thought of Elijah again, the warm beer buzz immediately receded and she was cold allover again.

The emptiness in her stomach was suddenly a huge, aching void, and she could barely keep herselffrom crying, where just a few seconds ago she’d been smiling and happy.

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“Three Alabama Slammers,” the bartender called out, pushing the three shot glasses toward Caelyn.

She paid for the drinks above the protests of her roommates, and then they each picked up a glass andheld it.

“Here’s to new beginnings and strong friendships,” Alicia said, raising her glass.

“Strong friendships,” Nellie echoed.

Caelyn nodded, and they clinked glasses and then drank their shots.

The alcohol soared down her throat, burning as it went. Caelyn closed her eyes for a moment, whilethe burning slowly faded.

“Easy does it, kid,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

It couldn’t be. It was impossible. Caelyn opened her eyes and turned to find Elijah standing next toher at the bar, his impossibly handsome face somehow even more gorgeous than she remembered.

His eyes were soft and kind, but concerned.

“What…what are you doing here?” she said, her voice fluttering as she tried to sound composed.

Alicia was watching them closely. “Hey, we’re just having a girls’ night out,” she said to Elijah.“Sorry, not trying to be rude or anything. It’s just not that kind of night.”

Elijah grinned his lopsided grin at Alicia. “Oh, yeah? What kind of night do you think I was hopingfor?”

Alicia rolled her eyes. “Listen, you’re cute and all, but we’re not interested.”

“I didn’t realize I was talking to you all. Last I checked,” he said, his voice showing that he found thewhole conversation entertaining, “I was only talking to one person here. And she can decide if shewants to have that kind of night or not.”

Alicia grabbed Caelyn’s hand and started to tug her away from Elijah. “Let’s get out of here. He’ssuper cute but definitely not marriage material.”

“Hold on,” Caelyn said, resisting. “I can’t just leave.”

“Why not?” Alicia said. “I get it, Caelyn. He’s hot and all. But you don’t need to jump into some onenight stand after everything else you’ve been through.”

“I know him.”

“You know him?”

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“That’s Elijah.”

Alicia’s eyes widened. She looked at Elijah again, and her eyes narrowed. “So you’re the mysteryman that Caelyn’s told me so much about?”

Elijah’s smile faded. He glanced at Caelyn as if trying to evaluate the truth of what Alicia was saying.“She talked about me?”

“Of course she did. Girls talk to their friends.”

“Alicia,” Caelyn said. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Alicia asked, feigning innocence. “I’m just talking to him.”

“Don’t be mean to him, okay?”

Elijah was watching Alicia with a new expression—he was suddenly less friendly.

“Look, I don’t know what Caelyn told you about me—“

“Enough to know that you should leave her alone. I don’t know what you’re doing here,” Alicia said.“Stalking her or something.”

Elijah laughed harshly. “I just got here. This is a place that me and my friends come to all the time.Not my fault you decided to show up here for your girls’ night out.”

“Well, either way, I think we should go or you should go.”

“I think Caelyn can decide for herself,” Elijah replied. “What are you, her chaperone?”

“I’m someone who actually cares about her.”

Finally, Caelyn had had enough. She turned to Alicia and put her hand on Alicia’s arm. “Okay, that’senough. I need to talk to Elijah alone for a minute.”

“Caelyn, don’t let him sweet talk you. He’s just going to try and charm you, make you think he’schanged, but guys like him never do.”

“It’s okay, Alicia. Really, I can take care of myself.”

“All evidence to the contrary,” Alicia muttered.

Caelyn felt her stomach tighten. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Whatever,” Alicia said. “Nellie, want to get out of here?”

Nellie shook her head. “Why don’t we stick around for a few?”

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“God, I’m so sick of hanging out with weak willed little girls.” She stomped away from them and intothe crowd.

“I’ll go check on her,” Nellie told Caelyn. “You okay to be alone?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Caelyn told her.

Nellie gave a comforting smile and then went after Alicia.

Caelyn turned back to Elijah, who stepped closer to her at the bar. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt and jeans, and she could already see other girls nearby were watching him with furtive, intriguedglances.

But Elijah was only looking at her. His eyes were intense and dark and hungry.

“Didn’t mean to piss off your friend,” he said, but his voice told her that he wasn’t all that sorry.

“She’s just overprotective,” Caelyn sighed.

“I know how she feels.”

Caelyn looked to see him smiling a little. She smiled back. “So, what are you doing here, Elijah?”

“I came out to celebrate.” He held up a beer that was a little more than half full.

He took a sip and licked his lips. “You’ll be glad to know that I’m still a free man.”

“What do you mean…” she started to ask, and then she realized that he must have had his courthearing about his parole violations. “You don’t have to go back to jail?”

she said, her heart soaring for him.

“Nope, the board was lenient because my parole officer said that I’m a nice guy who’s been makingstrides to improve my position in life.”

“Oh my God, Elijah, that’s so amazing.” Caelyn couldn’t help herself, and she threw her arms aroundhim without stopping to think if that was such a good idea.

The moment their bodies connected, she found herself bathed in his protective heat, and it was asthough she’d truly come home. He put his arms around her in return, squeezing her close to him. Hischest was strong and hard and his shoulders were like a knight’s, with armor that could never bepenetrated.

I’ll never be hurt again if he just holds me like this forever.

Elijah looked down at her. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you. Not for a single second.”

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“Elijah—“ she started, but his lips were so close to hers, she could hardly think straight.

“I prayed to God to find a way to make things right, to make it so that you and I could be together.”

“Don’t joke like that,” she told him.

But his expression was sincere. “I’m not joking. I’ve never prayed, not even when I was facing hardtime. But I prayed about you and me. I asked for a sign. And then here I am, going to some randomBoston bar, and who do I see?”

“Me.” She looked into his eyes and it was as though she was falling into them somehow.

“You.” He leaned down and kissed the corner of her lips. “It’s always going to be you, Caelyn. And Ithink I’m finally getting that simple fact.”

“But what about the other morning? You said I wasn’t safe with you. You said I had to leave andnever come back.”

“It was complicated.”

“It’s not complicated anymore?” Her hands wandered across his strong, broad back, as she pressedherself even closer to his body.

“No, it’s still just as complicated,” he grinned.

“Then what’s changed?”

Elijah hesitated. He looked away, but then his eyes returned to hers once more.

“I’ve changed. Or…I guess the truth is that you changed me.”

“But we still have all the same problems.”

“Yeah, but problems are made to be solved.”

“That’s not what you said before.”

“Forget what I said before.”

She laughed. “Elijah, this is crazy.”

“When hasn’t it been crazy with you and me?”

And then they laughed together, because something really had changed. Caelyn didn’t know what itwas, didn’t understand what it was that kept bringing Elijah back into her life again and again. All sheknew was that being with him, being close to him, felt right.

It felt right even when it was wrong.

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“Let’s get out of here,” she whispered in his ear, her hand against the back of his neck. She could feelthe strong cords of muscles as she caressed his hot skin.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “What about your friends?”

“They’ll be fine. I’ll text them.”

“Okay.” He grabbed her hand and started for the exit. “Come on,” he said.

She knew that this was dangerous, and that leaving with him went against everything she should havedone. She knew that being with Elijah would throw her whole world into disarray again, when she’donly just started putting the broken pieces back together these last few days.

But Caelyn couldn’t help herself. She was free, and she was wildly excited and Elijah was everythingshe’d ever wanted.

She didn’t care what it would cost her to be with him again. She was willing to pay any price.

***

Elijah threw open the door to his apartment and began kissing Caelyn passionately as they walkedinside.

His lips were somehow more seductive, more sensual than they’d been the last time she’d felt them.He was probing, wanting, needing, and as his tongue slid into her mouth, she moaned softly.

The first and only time they’d made love, it had been sweet and beautiful and amazing.

But somehow, this time, Caelyn was ready for a more intense experience. Maybe it was the alcoholflowing through her blood stream, maybe it was the time they’d spent apart making her moredesperate for his touch. Whatever it was, all Caelyn knew was that she wanted him inside her, wantedto feel Elijah’s naked body pressing down on her with the fullness of who he was.

She wanted to be enveloped by him, taken by him, she wanted to give herself over without anyrestraint.

After all, she reasoned, this might be their last night together. Everything with Elijah wasunpredictable, anything could happen. She didn’t want to waste a single second of their time with oneanother.

They were still kissing with the apartment door open. Elijah broke off and took a breath. “Jesus,you’re gonna kill me, Caelyn.”

She leaned against the wall, watching him. “What do you mean?” she asked him innocently.

“I mean, you’re going to kill me. I can’t take it.” He shut the door and ran a hand through his hair.

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“Well don’t worry. I think I’m the one who’s going to have to take it,” she said, grinning.

He looked at her, and his eyes blazed again. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never felt more sure of anything in my life, Elijah.”

And then he was coming to her, only this time there was more certainty, more knowing in hisexpression. Caelyn could see that Elijah could hardly contain himself.

This time, when they kissed, it was like an explosion inside her. She nearly convulsed with thepleasure, the heat, the intensity of everything that her body was experiencing.

It almost seemed as though she could die from how much she needed him.

As his hands moved to her hips, then slid down to her buttocks, as his lips continued to tease her lips,as his tongue played with her tongue.

She moaned louder this time.

Elijah’s hands were in her hair now. He was kissing down her neck.

He was kissing her breasts.

Pulling off her shirt.

Once her shirt was off, she pulled his shirt off too, and again she was shocked by the power and rawexcitement that his muscular torso made her feel. She ran her hands over his chiseled stomach andover his chest.

He unsnapped her bra and it fell to the ground with a gentle whisper of cloth.

Now she was exposed, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t mind at all.

Before long, they were both on the floor of his living room, kissing, their bodies intertwined, writhingagainst one another, grinding into each other.

Elijah’s body was slick with sweat from the heat that was being generated as the two of themcontinued to kiss and run their hands all over one another’s bodies.

His skin was hot to the touch, his muscles firm. She could sense his strength even though he wasrelaxed and gentle with her. At times, he grew slightly more aggressive as his need for her seemed togrow and become more intense.

She almost thought she heard a low growl, or perhaps it was a groan, coming from deep within histhroat as he kissed her breasts and then slowly moved down her stomach.

She closed her eyes as Elijah began unbuttoning her jeans. He licked along her lower belly and then

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kissed along the top edge of her panties.

“Elijah,” she whispered. She couldn’t take it.

He slid her pants down her legs and then he pushed her legs apart and moved between them.

“I need you,” he said, hovering above her and then leaning down to kiss her.

“I need you more,” she replied, grabbing him by one of his belt loops and pulling them further towardher. She unzipped his jeans with her free hand, as Elijah looked down at her with his burning gaze.

“Are you still sure it’s okay?”

“Yes. Yes.”

Now his pants were off too. She was still in her panties, Elijah in his boxers, as he slowly loweredhimself on top of her.

They kissed again, and the passion had grown, because now they were almost completely undressed.

She could feel all of him and she wanted all of him this very second. She was moaning, her musclesquivering to his touch, everything was so sensitive that she wanted to cry out.

Gently, he took her panties off and then removed his boxers. He was on top of her again, and nowthere was nothing between them.

Nothing at all.

When Elijah thrust into her, Caelyn cried out, but it was with pleasure. There was no pain, only theexquisite sensation of Elijah molding against her in total perfection, a perfect fit.

She trusted him completely. There was no fear, no regret, no thoughts of the past.

They looked in one another’s eyes, both of them knowing that this was what each wanted, and asElijah gazed at her, she wanted to cry.

Emotion welled up inside of her.

He loves me.

And then he was moving, slowly at first, but then faster, and eventually she saw that he couldn’t stophimself.

He was a force of nature, and he was hers.

***

When it was over, they went to the bedroom and lay together, still naked. Their bodies were soft and

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warm, but there was none of that restless, anxious energy that had been present earlier in the night.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this relaxed in all my life,” Caelyn said, as she drowsily ran her fingersacross his chest.

Elijah stroked her hair softly. “Me either. I guess maybe I didn’t even know that’s what it meant tofeel relaxed. It’s totally new to me.” He chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“I never even thought something like this was possible. I never thought I’d meet someone like you.”

“Why not?”

“It’s just not how things are around here. I didn’t grow up with romance and puppy dogs and icecream. Everything was dirty and grimy and rough. I always had to fight for every single thing that Ineeded in life. But somehow, with us, it’s totally different. Like I opened a door and it let me intosome new world. A world that looks the same as the old one, but it’s totally different.”

“Maybe we each fell into each other’s universe by accident.”

“Or maybe it was fate,” Elijah said.

“I don’t care what it was. I just care that we’re together now.”

“And tomorrow?” he asked.

She sighed, listening to his heartbeat as she laid her head against him.

“Tomorrow is already here. And we’re still together, Elijah.”

“That’s why you go to that good school,” he laughed. “You’re so damn smart.”

She looked up at him. “I think sometimes you’re just waiting for the next bad thing to happen.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“But maybe nothing bad is going to happen, this time.”

“Something bad always happens.”

She lifted her head up and drew closer to his face. “You really believe that?”

He nodded slowly. “I’ve got a lifetime of experience that backs it up.”

“This is the new world, now, Elijah. What happened in the past doesn’t matter.

It’s what we do next that matters.”

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He caressed her cheek softly, and his expression changed from serious to sweet.

“That’s what I love about you, kid. You’re innocent.”

She sat up, making a face. “I’m not that innocent.”

“Okay, whatever you say, Miss Spears.”

“Shut up.” She playfully slapped his arm.

“Come back here. I want you to stay in my arms all night.”

So Caelyn laid back down, her head on his chest. And she did lay like that the rest of the night,sleeping so soundly that she didn’t wake up again until the sun was well up in the sky the next day.

Elijah was already out of bed and in the bathroom as she opened her eyes and tried to remember howthe heck she’d gotten there.

And then it all flooded back to her—the bar, the drinks, the ride home, the amazing sex, everything.

She thought of Alicia and Nellie—she’d texted them quickly on the ride home, just to reassure themshe was okay. But they’d probably texted her back.

She got out of bed and walked to the living room, where she found her discarded purse, phone inside.

It said she had six new texts.

When Caelyn looked at them, only one was from Nellie. All it said was: Have

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fun but be safe.Then there were four texts from Alicia. The first text said, Are you serious????

A minute later, another one: This is a bad idea, Caelyn.

So you r just going to leave us hanging?

And then the final text, a few minutes later. I should have known u would go

back to him. I never should have believed anything u said.

The last couple of texts really stung, but Caelyn tried not to let it get to her. After all, Alicia had beendrinking and was probably just hurt at the time. She likely didn’t feel as strongly now as she had then.

But it was the sixth text that really made her stomach curdle.

The sixth text was from Jayson.

I’m going to hold you to your promise.

That’s all he’d written. It had been sent at three in the morning, which was creepy in and of itself. Butthe idea that he was still thinking of her and trying to hold her to their agreement, even after she’d toldhim she had no intention of honoring it, made her want to jump out of her skin.

Couldn’t Jayson understand that she had no interest in ever seeing him in person again, let alonesomehow trying to revisit their relationship? Of course he couldn’t, because Jayson was insane.Jayson was a rapist.

Maybe Elijah’s right , she thought. Maybe bad things are going to keep happening. Maybe lifereally is like that.

Elijah appeared in the hallway as she was putting her phone back in her purse.

“Hey,” he said, smiling a little uncertainly. “Everything okay?”

She felt guilty for some reason, even though she’d done nothing wrong. “Yeah, everything’s fine.How’d you sleep?”

He continued to look at her for a long moment, as if he knew she was trying to change the subject.Elijah was shirtless, wearing only boxers, and he looked magnificent as always. A Calvin Kleinunderwear model had nothing on him.

“I slept great,” he said. “Woke up feeling like king of the universe.”

“What are you doing today?”

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“Hanging with you.” He grinned.

“Seriously, Elijah.”

“I want you to stay here with me again,” he told her.

“Tonight?”

“Every night.”

She nearly dropped her purse in shock. “Elijah…”

“I’m serious.” He came towards her, his grin twitching into an even bigger smile.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”

“Of course I have. But you kicked me out, remember?”

He took her in his arms, and immediately she melted into him.

“I was an idiot. I thought we already figured that out last night.”

“You can’t do this to me.”

“Do what?” he said, kissing her neck softly, sending chills up her spine.

“Mess with my mind. First you tell me to stay, then you tell me to leave, and now you want me backagain. It’s crazy, Elijah. You’re all over the place.”

“Correction. I was all over the place.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her breasts now,causing goose bumps to break out across her shoulders, chest, and arms.

“Elijah!” she squealed.

“Now I know what I want and I’m not going to let anything or anybody stand in the way.”

“What about school?” she asked him.

“What about it?”

“How will I go to class? I’m back in school now and just starting to get caught up.”

“I’ll drive you. You can take the train once in a while. We’ll get you a car soon enough, and then youcan drive yourself. It’s this new thing called commuting.”

“I don’t know. You’re really serious?”

“Yeah, I am.”

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“And the danger’s gone?”

He licked his lips and his smile went away momentarily. “The danger’s not exactly gone. It’s justdifferent now.”

“How so?”

“Now I’m the dangerous one,” he told her.

***

Caelyn decided that she needed to go back to the dorms and grab stuff (again), and Elijah told her hewould come with her.

Despite her protests, he refused to let her take the train and go alone. He said he wanted to be withher when she went to her dorm room, as if he was afraid that somebody would convince her to changeher plans.

On the ride into Cambridge, Elijah was buoyantly happy, talking away like she hadn’t heard him dosince first meeting him. He was drinking coffee and telling her about his parole violation hearing,making fun of the different board members, doing impressions, mimicking their body language and theway they’d talked down to him.

Caelyn was content to simply be in his presence and to know that he was happy and enjoying himself.

Of course, she was worried, a little bit. She wondered what he was going to do for work now, butwas afraid to ask, especially after his comment about being the dangerous one now.

The thing was, she had to trust him. It was either trust him or break things off completely, and Caelynwasn’t willing or ready to break things off with Elijah.

So she enjoyed the ride, sipping her coffee slowly out of a plastic cup, watching the passing scenery,listening to Elijah make his jokes about the craziness that was his life.

Eventually, he finished his story and stopped talking for a minute or two, and the car was silent butfor the hum of the engine.

Somehow, a question popped into her head, as if from nowhere.

“Why were you covered in blood the other morning?” she asked.

He didn’t look at her, didn’t even react at first. “The other morning?”

“Yeah. When you came home totally covered in blood.”

His knuckles tightened against the steering wheel. “You don’t want to know. It’s not going to changeanything.”

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“It might.”

“How so?”

“Well, if you did something really bad, I’d want to know.”

“Why, so you can turn me in?”

“No, Elijah,” she sighed. “I just don’t want there to be secrets between us. I want to start things offthe right way if we’re really going to do this. I want to make it work.”

He glanced at her, then back to the road. “Okay, fine. I was covered in blood because one of the guysI was with got stabbed and I was trying to apply pressure to the wound. Obviously, I didn’t do a verygood job of it.”

She felt relief flood through her body. “So you didn’t hurt anyone, then.”

“I never said that.”

She looked at him closely. “So what happened? Did you get your money back from that rival gang?”

He shook his head and made a grunting sound. “There was no money to get back.

At least, not from them.”

“I don’t understand.”

“That’s because the whole thing is ridiculous.”

“So they never had your money?”

Elijah’s jaw twitched. “It was a setup. My brother and his crew—my old crew—

robbed my apartment to make it look like Haley’s new boyfriend and his crew hit us.”

“But why?” she asked, shocked. “Why would your own brother do that to you?”

Elijah half-grinned, half grimaced. “Because, Jake knew that if he could get me heated and fighting,I’d be back involved in the life again. He wanted me to owe him—

Jake wanted me to think he’d done me a favor. Unfortunately for him, I figured out the truth.”

Caelyn was still reeling from what he’d told her. The whole thing sounded like something out of a badmovie. Certainly not a movie she wanted to star in. “How did you figure it out?”

“We went to jack Haley’s friend and his crew at their apartment. We got in, took them by surprise,cracked a couple of people upside the head, but nothing too rough.

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They weren’t prepared for us. We thought we were getting in and getting out easy, but then as wewere leaving, one of our guys got stabbed.”

“How bad was it?”

“You saw the blood on me. It was pretty bad. Got him right in his shoulder. A few inches the otherway and it would’ve hit his carotid artery and he’d be dead right now.”

“Elijah, that could’ve been you.” Caelyn was starting to shake from just the thought of it.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t me. We didn’t stick around after that, just kept going—got out of there with somedrugs, a few pieces of jewelry. But no cash.”

“Drugs?” she asked, disgusted. “And what will you do with them?”

“That’s Jake’s area. I don’t ask,” Elijah replied.

She shook her head. “It’s bad. Worse than bad.”

“You wanted to know. I never said it was right, Caelyn.”

She sighed, feeling sick to her stomach. “I still don’t understand how you found out the truth.”

“While I was applying pressure to his wound, my so-called friend apologized to me. I guess hethought he was dying or something. He said sorry, and I told him he had no reason to apologize to me.And then he said that if he died, I should know that he’d never wanted to set me up like that.”

“And your brother heard him telling you that?”

Elijah shrugged. “Yeah, he heard the whole thing. We were sitting in the back of Jake’s car gettingblood all over the place while he drove to the hospital.”

Caelyn didn’t even know what to say. “I’m sorry, I guess,” she told him.

“Why are you sorry?”

“Sorry I asked, and sorry that your brother did that to you.”

Elijah grunted. “Payback’s a bitch,” was all he said.

And then they stopped talking until they reached Cambridge University.

When they parked and got out of the car, it hit Caelyn that this was real. The two of them wereactually going to go and pick up her things from the room. If Alicia or Nellie were in the room, itmight get very awkward. Caelyn didn’t want to think about that.

Nellie, she could handle, but Alicia—that was a different story. Alicia and Elijah had hated one

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another on sight.

They walked onto the quad, where students were milling about, heading to and from classes anddormitories.

Elijah was watching everything around him with a strange look on his face.

Caelyn couldn’t decide if he was scornful or just amused by these privileged kids who seemed tothink they owned the world, rather than the other way around.

Passing by the building where the cafeteria was, Caelyn just happened to see a familiar face from thecorner of her eye. She froze in her tracks, and Elijah followed her gaze over to the entrance of thebuilding.

Jayson and a couple of his friends disappeared into the entrance of the building just as Elijah lookedover.

“What’s he doing here?” Elijah whispered, the vein in his forehead pulsing.

“Elijah, he goes to school here. And he’s probably going down to the cafeteria to eat. It’s not acrime.”

“He’s committing a crime just by breathing, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Come on,” she said, grabbing his arm. “We should go to get my stuff.”

Elijah looked at her, not budging from where he was standing. “Has he tried to contact you?”

She looked away from his penetrating stare. “Elijah—“

“Tell me the truth, Caelyn.”

“This isn’t the time. We’re not here for that.”

“Maybe we should be.”

“Just answer the question. It’s a simple question. Has he tried to contact you?”

“He texted me,” she sighed. And then she thought about the other day when he grabbed her wrist andhow she’d tried to pull away, but Jayson had continued to grab her.

Elijah’s stare had intensified. “He texted you?”

“Please, don’t get mad.”

“I’m not mad. I’m just hungry.”

And then he was walking at a fast pace towards the building where Jayson and his friends had just

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entered.

Caelyn followed after him, trying to convince him not to go in there. He was moving so quickly thatshe could hardly keep up without running.

“Elijah, please.”

“I’m just going to grab a quick bite.”

“Don’t make a scene. You’re still on parole.”

“Me? Make a scene?” he laughed as if she was crazy for even suggesting such a thing.

They got inside the building and he hesitated, watching where the other students were going. Theyfiltered downstairs into the cafeteria, and Elijah made his move, blending into the throng. Caelynwent with him, not knowing what else to do.

When they got to the cafeteria, Elijah scanned the room quickly.

Caelyn spotted Jayson almost at the same moment Elijah did, only Elijah was heading towards him sofast that she was again caught off guard.

Jayson was in line, waiting for food behind a few other students. One of his friends was next to him,and they were chatting to one another, oblivious to what was going on around them.

Elijah moved right behind them in line, while Caelyn hung back a few steps, her hands twistingnervously together as sweat broke out on her forehead.

Elijah tapped Jayson on the shoulder, and Jayson turned to see who it was. He was probablyexpecting to see his other friend, but when he realized it was Elijah, Jayson’s expression changedcompletely.

He was simultaneously shocked, but also angry. He had his friend with him, and maybe that made himbolder. “What do you want?” Jayson said.

“Just saying hi.”

“Shouldn’t you be in prison or something?”

Elijah grinned at him. “No. I’m off for good behavior. But that could change any second now.”

Jayson’s friend glanced at Elijah uneasily, then back at Jayson. “Who is this dude?” he said softly.

Jayson didn’t look away from Elijah as he answered. “He’s some loser ex-con that’s botheringCaelyn.”

Caelyn met Jayson’s gaze with her own, stepping forward. She wasn’t going to make Jayson think he

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could like about Elijah. “He’s not bothering me, Jayson. You are.”

“That’s right, Jayson,” Elijah said, folding his arms. “You’re bothering my girl.”

Jayson’s cheeks flamed red. “How about I call the cops and get you hauled off campus right now, youfucking loser?”

His friend fidgeted nervously. “Take it easy, Jay.”

“Yeah, take it easy Jay,” Elijah said, stepping forward and uncrossing his arms.

His shoulders seemed to expand. Even though he was smaller than Jayson, he somehow appearedbigger. It was like an optical illusion.

Jayson was studying Elijah as if he was a foreign species—an alien. Jayson couldn’t seem tounderstand who this guy was that dared stand up to him. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with,pal,” Jayson said softly. “You don’t know me.”

“Maybe not,” Elijah said. “But here’s the difference between you and me. I’ve already been to jail,and I don’t mind going back.”

“And you will go back,” Jayson said. “You’ll always be a loser, buddy, and I’ll always be a winner.”

Elijah took yet another step toward him, and now the tension in the air was so charged that Caelyncould literally feel it. Something was about to happen—something bad.

“You stay away from Caelyn,” Elijah said, his voice deep and low, like a threatening thunder rumblein the sky.

Jayson’s Adam’s apple bobbed and his lips twitched. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now turn the fuck back around and pretend you never saw me, bitch.”

They continued staring, like two pit bulls ready to spring at one another. Jayson’s friend grabbedJayson’s arm. “Come on, Jay, it isn’t worth it. This clown wants to get in trouble.”

Finally, Jayson’s gaze wavered and he looked down at the floor, his shoulders sagging. He glancedonce at Caelyn, his expression baleful and wounded, before he turned away from them.

Some of the other students had been watching, and Caelyn was worried that things were going tocontinue to spiral if she didn’t get Elijah the heck out of there.

“Come on, we have to go,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him toward the stairs.

“I should have crushed him,” Elijah said, following her regretfully.

They went up the stairs and back outside. “Elijah, you can’t handle things this way. You need to stop

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trying to solve every problem with violence.”

“I don’t solve every problem with violence.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“When my toilet breaks I don’t beat it up, I fix it.” He grinned at her, suddenly back to his old self. Heseemed to have let go of the anger, at least momentarily.

“You’re crazy.”

“But you love it.”

I do, she thought. God help me, I do love it.

***

When they got to her suite, nobody was there. Caelyn let out a deep sigh of relief, because she had nointerest in dealing with more drama after what had already happened in the cafeteria.

Quickly, she grabbed a bag and started filling it with all her clothes and necessities.

Elijah wandered around the common area, checking out the pictures, books, and various knickknacksthat were placed around the dorm room.

Then he wandered into Caelyn’s room, leaning against the doorway with a relaxed smile, watchingher pack.

“Don’t forget to pack your jammies,” he chuckled.

“I didn’t have them last night and you seemed okay with it,” she replied.

“Good point.”

Just as Caelyn was about to finish up and leave, the doorknob rattled and opened, and Alicia cameinto the suite. The moment she saw Elijah, her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”

He nodded casually toward Caelyn. “I’m with her.”

Alicia looked over to Caelyn, her lips tightening into a disapproving line. “You shouldn’t havebrought him to the dorms. He’s making me uncomfortable.” She brushed past Elijah and confrontedCaelyn from a closer distance. “And what was with you just taking off last night?”

“I didn’t just take off. I texted you.”

Suddenly, Alicia’s gaze dropped to the bag on the bed that Caelyn was packing.

“What’s that for? Are you leaving school again?”

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“I’m really not going to fight with you about my choices, Alicia.” Caelyn zipped the bag up, althoughshe thought it was going to burst. Finally it closed.

“You can’t just come and go like this,” Alicia told her. “It’s not fair to us. I’m going to report you andask for a roommate transfer.”

“Do whatever you need to do, Alicia.” She tried to heft the bag on her shoulder, but it was so heavyshe nearly dropped it.

In a flash, Elijah had scooped the bag away from her and put the strap over his own shoulder.“Ready?” he said.

“Caelyn, don’t bother contacting me ever again,” Alicia said. Her voice was shrill with anger. “Andyou’re not welcome back in this room, either. I’ll be letting the school know.”

“If that’s what you need to do,” Caelyn shrugged. And then she and Elijah were leaving.

“He’s going to hurt you again!” Alicia cried out as they left. “He’s no good!

Everybody but you can see that, Caelyn!”

Alicia’s voice echoed through the dorm hallway as Elijah and Caelyn walked down the steps. Theydidn’t talk for a minute or two, as they left the dorms and walked through the quad.

“I’m so sick of everyone thinking they know how to run my life,” Caelyn said, finally. “Why doesAlicia think she can treat me like that? Do I have a target on my back or something?”

“She’s just bitter,” Elijah said. “I’ve met plenty of girls like her. She hates her own life and doesn’tlike people who might have something she doesn’t.”

“And what do I have?” Caelyn said.

“Me,” he said, and when she glanced at him, he wasn’t joking. He meant it.

She smiled. “Then it’s all worth it.”

He held onto the bag with one arm and threw his other arm across her shoulders, pulling her againsthim. “What we have is worth fighting for, Caelyn. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

***

They got back to the apartment and Caelyn unpacked her things, then took a shower.

When she came out, Elijah was cooking in the kitchen.

He glanced at her and gave a low whistle. “You clean up good.”

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She blushed a little. “I’m not dressed up or anything.” She was, in fact, wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt.

“I didn’t say you were dressed up. I don’t care if you’re wearing a t-shirt or some fancy dress, kid.”

“Okay, well…thanks.” She sniffed at the air. “Whatever it is you’re making smells really good.”

“Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy.”

He was moving around the stove with ease, all of his actions composed, not rushing anything. And thefood really did smell delicious.

“I should help,” she told him.

“No,” he said, shaking his head as he stirred the potatoes. “You go sit and relax in front of the TV. Iwant to celebrate that you’re here, and I don’t want you to even lift a finger.”

Caelyn sighed, but inside she was more than happy. She watched him as he worked for anothermoment or two, then went and sat down on the couch. She turned on the television and startedwatching Friends reruns on cable.

Between the mouth-watering aromas drifting out of the kitchen and the warmth and contentment shefelt at knowing that she was back with Elijah again, Caelyn thought she’d never been happier in herentire life.

Soon, Elijah called out that the food was ready, as he began serving her at the kitchen table.

He sat across from her and they both started eating.

“How is it?” he asked, watching her take the first bites.

“I’ve never had chicken fried steak before,” she said. “It’s amazing.”

“And good for you too,” he winked.

Of course, it wasn’t good for her, she knew that. The gravy alone was probably a thousand calories.But it was comfort food, and it seemed right, because that’s exactly what Elijah was making her feelright then. Comfort.

They ate and Caelyn told Elijah about her philosophy professor, Mister Tull, who’d given her such ahard time about making up work in his class. Elijah told her about a time in junior high when he’d hadto do an entire semester’s homework in a week so that he wasn’t held back.

It was nice, Caelyn decided, to just eat and talk like normal people. She liked being normal withElijah. It wasn’t boring either. Every second spent in his presence was amazing, somehow.

As she was almost finishing her food, there came a buzz from the intercom.

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Elijah’s expression darkened, as he slid his chair back and stood, throwing his napkin down on hisplate and moving toward the door.

“Who is it?” she heard him call into the intercom.

There was a muffled sound and then a voice cutting through static: “It’s Dad, Elijah.”

“Shit,” she heard Elijah mutter, and then the distinct sound of Elijah pressing the buzzer to let him in.

Dad? Caelyn thought, her heart immediately speeding up, and she instinctively began straightening herclothes, running a hand over her hair, hoping she didn’t look too disheveled.

Elijah hadn’t talked about his father, not ever. It was as though he didn’t even have parents, shethought. And yet, here his father was, coming up the stairs and into the apartment like it was nothing.

Clearly, Elijah wasn’t happy that his father was coming, but he didn’t seem all that surprised either.Caelyn joined him by the front door.

“Is there anything I should know?” she asked him.

He glanced at her briefly, his face stony and unreadable. “Like what?”

“I don’t know,” she said, jittery and anxious now. “Like, does he even know I exist?”

“He will now.”

“Oh. Great.”

Elijah looked at her. “Don’t be like that. My Dad’s not really that kind of Dad.

You’ll see.”

And a few seconds later, she did see, because there was a knock at the door and then Elijah wasopening it. In stepped a man about the same height as Elijah, but the resemblance stopped there.

Elijah’s father was bald, wore glasses, and had a graying goatee. He wore a beaten up leather jacket,and underneath that, a lime green button down shirt. His stomach bulged out and hung slightly over thetop of his jeans. He had on cowboy boots, which Caelyn found somehow humorous.

He shook Elijah’s hand in what struck her as an official sort of gesture, and then he turned to Caelyn.“Hello, I’m Gabe.”

“Hi, I’m Caelyn.”

He stepped forward and shook her hand too. His eyes behind his glasses were green, and very sharp.He seemed to be analyzing her like a scientist putting a bug under a microscope, although she knewthat it was impossible to tell what his attitude was upon just meeting him.

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“So, why are you here, Dad?” Elijah asked, folding his arms. His mischievous smile was nowhere tobe found.

“Quite the greeting. No ‘how are you, how’s things?’”

Elijah shrugged almost imperceptibly. “How’s things?”

“Not bad,” his father said, glancing around the apartment. “Business is good.

Or—it was…until recently. Things got a little bit complicated.” He turned back to Elijah and the twoof them stared at one another.

Elijah’s posture stiffened. “That’s what I figured you were here for. I’m not interested in discussingany of that.”

“Maybe if we had some privacy.” Gabe looked at Caelyn.

“Oh, I can go in the other room, or leave for awhile—“ she started.

“No,” Elijah said sharply, raising his hand to halt her. “You don’t have to leave.”

He looked at his father with a cold expression. “She knows everything.”

“Everything?”

“She knows enough.”

“Enough.” Gabe looked at Caelyn and smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile.

“You know what that means, right?”

Caelyn shook her head, confused about what was even going on. “No, I don’t.”

“That means he’s told you just the right amount to make you see it his way.

Elijah’s good at making people see things his way.”

“That’s because I’m honest. People can trust what I say.”

“So tell me, then,” his father said, looking at him again. “Honestly, Elijah. Are you planning onhurting Jake?”

Elijah licked his lips and slowly scratched his chin. “Right now I’m only planning on spending somenice alone time with my girl. And you’re sort of ruining that.”

Gabe stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “Nice place. Haven’t been here in a long time, have I?”

“You never asked to come.”

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“And you never invited me.”

“Oh, well.” Elijah shrugged again.

Caelyn didn’t know what to do. She stood in between them, wondering what this was all about. Herhands were twisting against each other as she tried to think of something to say, some way to ease thetension. But this obviously went way back, and she didn’t know their history.

His father smirked. “You know, I doubt you could have afforded this place, and the fancy TV and allthat good stuff, unless you’d been working with Jake.”

“And by extension, you,” Elijah replied.

“That’s right. You work for me, son.” Gabe turned to face him again, and Caelyn could see that hisexpression had gotten very intense.

Frightening.

“I don’t think I do,” Elijah said, his arms still folded, but his shoulders tight, his neck stiff. “I thinkthat ended when Jake set me up.”

“He did what he thought he needed to do for your own good.”

“So you agree with what he did?” Elijah said.

“I didn’t say I agreed with it, only that he thought he was helping you.”

Elijah barked a humorless laugh. “Jake thought he was trapping me. But it didn’t work out, because hefucked it up—as usual.”

Gabe stepped closer toward his son. “You might think you’re a real tough guy because you made afew bucks, did a little time, and this girl here believes you’re king shit.”

Elijah laughed louder. “Okay, that’s it.”

“Yeah,” Gabe said, moving closer still. His presence had transformed from a goofy looking hillbillyto something more like a dangerous predator. “You might think you’re hard, boy, but you don’t knowwhat hard is.”

Elijah gave him a sidelong glance, seemingly bored, unmoving. But his jaw twitched with barelyrestrained rage. “And you’re going to show me what hard is?”

“I don’t want to, but if you force my hand—“

“Well don’t let me stop you. Do what you came here to do.” Elijah still looked relaxed, leaningagainst the wall with his arms folded. But Caelyn sensed that he was ready to act, as was his father.

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“I came here to try and talk some sense to you. Don’t let this thing—this misunderstanding—get out ofcontrol. Do what’s right and sit down with Jake, work it out.”

“I’m not sitting down with him.”

“I’m warning you, Elijah,” Gabe said. “If you try and retaliate, there’ll be hell to pay with me. Andyou know I don’t make idle threats, boy.”

“I heard you already.”

For a brief second, Caelyn was certain something awful was going to happen. His dad was going topull a gun, a knife, or maybe just throw a punch.

But just when it seemed inevitable that the situation would explode into violence, Gabe’s shoulderslowered and he sighed, looking defeated. He turned to Caelyn. “I know we don’t know each other,which is a shame. But maybe you could talk sense to him. He obviously cares for you—“

“Leave her out of it,” Elijah said.

Gabe’s eyes met hers and lingered, and Caelyn nodded once. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Thank you.” Then he turned on his heel, and left without looking back. The door slammed behind himas he went.

Elijah quickly locked it again, and then he breathed a relieved sigh.

“What was that?” Caelyn asked. “That was really your Dad?”

“Yeah, that’s Dad all right. Kind of weird, huh?” Elijah smiled at her, a bit sadly.

“I told you I didn’t have a normal childhood, Caelyn.”

“Yes, but that’s something else completely. You work for him? He’s a…you know…he’s a criminaltoo?”

Elijah ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t like talking about it, or even thinking about it, really. ButDad’s the one who got us into the life, taught us the ropes, and he’s a big part of why I thought I had toleave the state to get out from under it all.”

“I understand a lot more now,” Caelyn said. “And you think he knew what your brother was planningto do?”

“In all honesty, Dad probably was the one who came up with the idea and told Jake to carry it out.Jake’s always been his little pet, the one who thinks Dad can do no wrong. Jake always worshippedhim, always wanted to make him proud. I guess he finally got his wish.”

Caelyn was totally shocked at the relationship that she’d seen between Elijah and his father. They

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were more like friends, or maybe enemies, competing on some primal level that just didn’t seemright. No father she’d ever seen, acted and talked that way to his son.

“But what about those threats he made at the end?” Caelyn said. “Would he hurt ever you?”

Elijah’s expression grew hard, and the vein in his forehead started pulsing. “If he does try to hurt me,he’ll get a nasty surprise at what comes back at him.”

She reached out and touched his forearm softly. “Please don’t get into trouble again, Elijah. You’reon parole, you can’t afford to have any more problems like that.”

Elijah’s body relaxed as he watched her. “It’s amazing, but I’ve known you for less time than justabout anyone else in my life. And yet you care more about me than all the rest put together.”

She smiled, her body warming as he reached out and took her by the arm, gently bringing her againsthis rock hard body. And then he pulled her in for a long, slow burning kiss.

His lips were like fire, and as she closed her eyes, she had a vision of beach being burned by the sun.A white beach, of powdered sand, and the yellow sun high in the sky was throwing fire down oneverything around it. The sea was bright blue, like a gem, sparkling beneath it.

“Yes,” she whispered, as Elijah stopped kissing her momentarily.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, you’re right. I do care that much.” She opened her eyes and gazed into Elijah’s eyes.

His hands moved slowly down to her hips as his lopsided grin returned. “I don’t know. Maybe this isall just a scam because you’re interested in my connections.”

“Connections?”

“Yeah, I’m a real big player around these parts. I mean, if you want to eat at the best table at Johnny’sRoad House or you want to know where to get a stolen iPhone 5, I’m your man. And you know if youget close to me, that’s all going to be yours for the taking.”

Caelyn laughed. “You figured it out, Elijah. I’m after your connections.”

“But it’s okay,” he said, running a hand up behind her back, to her neck, and then pushing his fingersinto her hair and pulling he toward him again. “I won’t judge you for it, if you don’t judge me.”

“I’d never judge you.” Her smile faded. “I don’t judge you.”

“I know.” He kissed her, and this time it was soft, but then slowly it got stronger and stronger. BeforeCaelyn knew it, he was taking her by the hand and slowly leading her to the bedroom.

He kissed her for a long time, his lips lingering, seeming to take her in, drinking her in.

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And then they were undressing each other.

She couldn’t stop putting her hands on him, she was completely and totally in awe of his incrediblebody.

Cool skin, cast in shadow, with just enough light filtering in from the window to see Elijah’s musclesworking as he climbed on top of her.

And then everything was dark, light, shadow, and she was closing her eyes again.

Behind her eyes, the sun was burning ever hotter. It was scorching, the heat setting fire to the sand,and she was crying out, because it felt amazing, as the water exploded against the beach, the wavestossing and breaking on the shore.

***

Elijah was laughing a little bit as he watched Caelyn pack up her backpack with books for school thenext day.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, as she stuffed the last textbook inside the pack, zipped it up and threwit over her shoulder.

“I’ve just never seen you getting ready for school before. It’s weird,” Elijah replied. He was eatingsome roasted peanuts, tossing them into his mouth one at a time, and chewing.

“You seem…happy or something,” Caelyn told him. “Now that’s weird.”

He winked at her. “I got reason to be, kid.”

“Stop calling me kid, Elijah.”

“Come on,” he said, “we need to get you to class on time before your professor freaks out.”

“Yeah,” Caelyn said, glancing at the time on her phone. “And actually, I need to get there a little earlybecause I need to buy a new book for my psych class.”

“Okay, well I’m not stopping you. I’m waiting.”

“And I’m ready to go.” Caelyn brushed past him but he grabbed her backpack and pulled her towardshim.

“Hey!” she cried. “Let go!”

“No,” he said, “not until I get a kiss.”

She pretended to fight, but she wasn’t fighting very hard. The truth was, she wanted Elijah’s handsand lips on her constantly. Especially now, when she wouldn’t be seeing him until later in the day.

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He teased her for a moment, his eyes mischievous as he leaned in to kiss her, then backed off, thenleaned in again. Finally he did it, and the heat that his lips generated all throughout her body wasenough to get her sweating.

But before Caelyn knew it, the kiss was over and they were quickly heading out of the apartment anddown the stairs of the building.

The car ride over was mostly uneventful. As they crossed the bridge over into Cambridge, she lookedat him for awhile.

The sun was glinting off his sunglasses as he drove, and he looked like someone straight out of amovie poster. “What?” he said, glancing at her.

“Nothing, just checking you out.”

“Checking me out? What am I, just a piece of meat to you?” he laughed.

“So,” she said, watching him still, “what are you going to do after you drop me at school?”

His smile faded a little, and his jaw flexed. “I don’t know. Probably nothing much.”

“Elijah, don’t lie to me. I know you’re going to do something.”

He looked at her again. “Don’t ask me stuff like that, Caelyn. I don’t think you want to hear theanswer.”

“But I do. Especially if it’s something that could get you sent to jail—or worse.”

“What’s worse than prison?”

“You know what’s worse.” She had that pit in her stomach again. It was like a recurring nightmare,this sense that Elijah was determined to continue his life of crime until something irreversiblehappened.

Elijah sighed. “I got a message from Dad. He’s trying to get me to have a sit down with Jake today.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Do you think I should?”

She considered it. The truth was, she didn’t like either option. If he made up with his brother, in alllikelihood he’d go back to doing the criminal activity his brother was still involved in. But if he keptthe feud going, then it was pretty clear that something bad was going to happen between Elijah and hisbrother.

“I don’t think anything I say could help you.”

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“But you have an opinion?”

“I think you should stay away from anything or anyone that could get your hurt, killed, or thrown injail. That’s my honest opinion.”

Elijah grinned. “So basically, stay away from everyone I knew before you came along.”

She smiled back at him. “If that’s what it takes, then yes.”

They finally pulled up to the curb near to campus and she got out, but not before giving him anotherkiss.

Even as he drove off, she felt his lips on hers, like an imprint in sand, slowly fading as the tidewashed it away.

Caelyn was happy. Sure, everything was still completely bizarre and screwed up, and Elijah hadn’tmade a decision yet to give up his old ways, but she was with him. In the end, she wanted to be withElijah more than just about anything else.

And she truly believed, she had faith, that someday soon he was going to make things right. He wasgoing to walk away from his old lifestyle for good and never look back.

She walked to the campus bookstore and had to wait a few minutes while they checked in thestockroom to see if there were any copies of the book she needed.

The store clerk came back with the book in hand. “Last copy,” he said, smiling at her.

“I guess my luck’s finally turned around,” she said.

He raised his eyebrows. “I don’t believe in luck,” he said.

“You don’t believe in good omens?” Caelyn said.

He shook his head as he rang it up at the register. “Superstition is for the weak minded.”

“Geez, thanks,” she laughed, not really bothered by his opinion. There were a lot of people like himat Cambridge University.

“Cash or credit?”

“Oh, I’m putting it on my student account.” She took out her ID and handed it to him and he swiped itthrough.

After waiting a moment, he handed it back to her. “Sorry, it says insufficient funds.”

“Oh,” Caelyn said, her brow furrowing. “Could you please try it again? That’s a mistake. I happen toknow I have a lot left in my account.”

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He gave Caelyn a quick look as another person got in line behind her.

“It already said insufficient funds.”

“Please. Could you try again? It’s a mistake.”

Reluctantly he swiped the card again and waited. Then he handed it back once more, shaking hishead. “Told you, it’s not working. Would you like to use another card or cash?”

“No,” she said, gritting her teeth. “Can you hold it for me?”

He put the book behind the counter. “Only until the end of day,” he said.

“Great,” she sighed. “I’ll be back.”

He nodded disinterestedly. “So much for luck, I guess,” he muttered, as she walked out the doorheaded towards the Bursars office to figure out what the issue was with her card.

She’d just used it for the meal plan the other day without a problem, so it must have been a mistake ontheir end, or maybe she needed a replacement card. Maybe the strip had gotten worn out or something.

Caelyn crossed the quad and went into the Bursars office, knowing now that she was going to be latefor her class. But she had to go and get this figured out—something in her gut told her she needed todo it now, not later.

When she arrived in the Bursars office, she had to sit and wait while another student spoke with theolder woman who was working the desk there. The student eventually left, and then Caelynapproached.

The older woman had a head of fine, nearly white hair, and wore a very old-fashioned suit with aflower patterned blouse and pearl necklace. She smelled a little musty and her face, when she smiled,revealed the fine powder of overly applied foundation. “May I help you?” the woman asked.

Caelyn looked and saw that she wore a nametag that read Laura Westerfeld.

“Hi, Miss Westerfeld. I’m a student here, and I’m having an issue with the account linked to mystudent ID. When I tried to purchase a book at the school bookstore, I was told I had insufficientfunds. I’m quite sure that’s incorrect.”

“May I see your ID, please?” Miss Westerfeld asked.

“Yes.” She handed it over.

Miss Westerfeld examined it for a long moment, as if it had top-secret markings on it that only shecould see. She flipped it over and back again, then began typing on her computer. Apparently, shesaw something interesting on the screen, because her eyes widened briefly.

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Then she turned her attention to Caelyn. “The bookstore was correct. You have nothing in youraccount at this time.”

“That’s not possible. I just used my card the other day at the cafeteria without a problem. And Ichecked online not long ago and I had hundreds of dollars in there.”

“I’m afraid that’s no longer the case,” Miss Westerfeld stated. She typed something else and staredintently at the screen. “And I might add that you have an even more important issue, which is that westill haven’t received the payment for next semester.”

Caelyn swallowed, the pit in her stomach returning with a vengeance. “And when is that paymentdue?”

“Two days from now. After that, you’ll be overdue. Registering for classes next semester willbecome an issue, because, as you know, the process can be quite competitive. Early registration isrewarded and late registration is penalized. So I urge you to find out why that payment hasn’t beenmade yet.”

Caelyn backed away from the desk. “Yes,” she muttered, feeling dizzy and a little nauseous. “Thanksfor your help.”

“Do you need to be referred to the Financial Aid office, young lady?”

“No, thank you.” Caelyn pulled out her cell phone and immediately called her mother’s cell phone,even though it was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment.

It rang and then went to voicemail. “Mom, this is Caelyn. I know you don’t want to speak to me butthere’s some important things we need to discuss. Please call me back as soon as you can.”

Then she tried her father and got voicemail there, too. She left a nearly identical message with him.

She needed to go to class, but her nerves were jumpy, her stomach acidic, and she was sweating,feeling faint from anxiety.

I can’t do this. I can’t go to class right now.

She was already anticipating what was going to happen—the conversation with her mother or fatherwould be explosive.

Had they really decided to stop paying for college? In the recent past, they’d been insistent onwanting to cover everything, not wanting her to take out even a single college loan. But now…nowthings were different.

Still, they could have told me if they were going to stop helping.

Maybe it was all some big misunderstanding.

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She could hardly stand still, so there was no way she’d be sitting in class like this.

She texted Elijah and asked if he could come and pick her up as soon as he was able.

He texted her and said: Back in Boston. Can return now if u need me.

It’s nothing, she texted in reply. I can wait.

Do you need me? Tell me and I’m there, he said.

After thinking for a moment, she decided to be honest. I need you, she wrote him.

I’m on my way.

***

Caelyn could tell something was wrong as soon as Elijah picked her up. She got in the car and sensedhe was distracted, tense.

“Sorry I made you come all the way back here, Elijah.”

“No problem,” he said, typing something into his phone. He looked up at her.

“You okay?”

She nodded, tears at the corner of her eyes, feeling like a baby. “Yeah, now that you’re here.”

He reached out and caressed her cheek softly. “Tell me what’s up, kid.”

So she told him about the card not working and then what the woman at the Bursars office had said.

Elijah pulled out into traffic and started driving, swerving between cars, clearly trying to getsomewhere fast. “So what’s up?” Elijah asked. “Is it your folks? They cut you off?”

She nodded. “I think so. I called but got voicemail.”

He sighed. “We’ll work it out, Caelyn. How much is tuition per semester?”

“A lot. More than you or I can afford.”

“But there are loans—“

“I don’t know. I’m not sure.” Her anxiety started to rise again as the overwhelming thoughts started topile up. Did she even want to continue with school?

Did she want her parents to keep paying even if they wanted to?

Elijah answered his phone suddenly. “Yeah.” He listened. “Jake’s there now? Is my Dad with him?”

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He paused again. “Okay. Keep an eye on it. Tell me if they leave.

They’ll probably wait at least a few minutes. I should be able to get back in time.”

He hung up the phone and sped even faster through traffic.

“Elijah, what’s going on?” she asked. “You’re having the sit-down with Jake?”

“Something like that.”

“But not that?”

He ignored her question. “I need to drop you off at the apartment and then I’ll take care of a fewthings.”

“Elijah—“ she began, knowing she had to talk him out of whatever crazy thing he was planning.

But then her own cell phone started vibrating, and she pulled it out. Her heart was speeding up inanticipation of who it might be.

The caller ID said MOM.

“Shit,” she whispered. “Mom’s calling me back.” Her stomach rolled and flipped, and sheswallowed drily.

“It’s okay,” Elijah told her. “Don’t let her push your buttons.”

“Right.” Caelyn answered. “Hi, Mom, thanks for getting back to me.”

Elijah, meanwhile, seemed hyper focused on swerving in and out of traffic like a stuntman on a movieset.

“Caelyn,” her mother said coldly. “I received your message. What’s going on?”

“There’s a problem with my account at school. The Bursars office said my account’s at zero, so Ican’t buy books or even eat on my meal plan. And then they also said that I’m about to be late for nextsemester’s payment.”

There was a long, long silence that seemed to draw out forever. “Yes, that sounds correct to me,” hermother finally replied.

“So you and Dad decided to cut me off.”

“I think you know why.”

“Couldn’t you have at least told me?” Caelyn said, as white-hot rage ignited in her chest. “Are youtrying to hurt me?”

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Her mother laughed. “That’s ridiculous, and if you keep talking like that, I’m hanging up this phone.”

“Mom, you and Dad wanted me to go back to school. You’ve been the ones pushing and pushing forme to go to the best college, get a degree without any student loans hanging over my head—“

“That was before.”

Caelyn grit her teeth. “Before I was raped?”

“I will not listen to this, Caelyn. Your father and I made a difficult decision. As long as you’re seeingthat horrible young man, and as long as you continue to openly defy us—we will not contributeanything toward your self-destruction.

“That’s your choice,” Caelyn replied, her teeth still clenched. “I just wish you’d have let me know inadvance.”

“Well, we did it the way we thought best.”

There was another silence. Now Elijah got back on the phone as well. “What?”

he said. “Now? Right now?” He swerved. “Okay, you stay on them and I’ll call back when I’mcloser. Stay on them, don’t fucking lose sight of Jake.”

Caelyn’s mother must have heard his voice. “It sounds like you’re very busy doing whatever thingsyou do nowadays,” she said drily.

“Mom,” Caelyn said.

“Yes?”

She wanted to swear at her, tell her how horrible she was being, cry, scream—

anything to break her mother out of the strange icy demeanor she’d decided to put on recently. ButCaelyn knew that there was absolutely nothing she could say that would make a bit of difference, andif she carried on, her mother would use it as evidence that she was right about her daughter’sdemented mental state.

So Caelyn simply took a calming breath. “Take care of yourself, Mom,” was all she said.

After the stunned silence, Caelyn hung up the phone.

Elijah glanced at her. “You all right?”

“I’d be a lot better if you slowed down,” she told him. “You’re starting to really scare me, Elijah.”

“I’ve got something important to take care of. I don’t have time to drop you off at the apartmentanymore.”

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“What’s going on?”

“I can’t really get into it right now,” he said, staring at the road ahead as he maneuvered the car deftlythrough city traffic.

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not for you.”

“I don’t want you putting yourself in danger. Do it for me, Elijah. Stop this.”

“Listen,” he said, pulling the car over to the side of the road. “You need to get out here. There’s aStarbucks nearby. Go sit and wait—I’ll swing back when I’m done.”

“I am not getting out of this car.” She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, defiantly staring at him.

“Caelyn, I’m dead serious. I’ve got business to take care of. You won’t want to be around when I doit.”

“Then don’t do it.”

He laughed and shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t have time to argue with you. You need to get out of the car. Right now.”

“No.” She didn’t budge.

He glared at her for a long while. “So be it,” he said, and then pulled into traffic once more. Hisphone rang a second later and he answered it.

“Yeah,” he said. And then he sat up straighter. “Okay, okay. Good. I’m almost there myself. Goodjob.”

He turned down a side street, and they sped down the empty road, between buildings on either side.And then he turned down an alleyway and continued speeding, running over bits of trash, the buildingsblurring as they passed by them.

Finally, he stopped just behind a dumpster, as if to camouflage their location. He turned the car offand put the keys in his pocket. He looked at her. “You sit tight,” he told her.

She watched him, took in his body language, the way his jaw was tense and his eyes so white.Something was wrong. She felt it in her bones.

“Don’t do this. I have a terrible feeling,” she said.

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He smiled tightly. “No going back, kid. I’m doing it.”

“Please. You can’t keep testing your luck. Eventually something terrible will happen—and next time,it’ll be permanent.” She reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Please, listen to me. I just want you and me to be together, and to be okay. I don’t care if we’re poor,or if we live in a motel, or anything. Just don’t leave me again.”

“I’m not leaving you,” he said softly. “I’ll be in and out.”

“Does it have to do with Jake? Are you retaliating for what he did to you?”

She could see by the look in Elijah’s eyes that she was right in her guess.

“I have to go.” He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a gun. It was a different gunthen what she’d seen previously—larger, metallic and shiny.

“Please,” she gasped, and her voice hitched as the sob came unbidden from her throat.

“Sit tight. I’ll be back before you know it.” And then he smiled and caressed her cheek one more timebefore throwing his door open and getting out.

***

The car ticked quietly in the near silence.

Caelyn sat in the passenger seat, trembling.

She wondered what he could be doing. Nothing good, that much was certain.

Was he going to kill someone? Or was he just bringing the gun along as a threat, a way to get what heneeded or wanted?

Either way, it was bad. The whole thing was rotten to the core, and if and when he got back to the car,Caelyn was going to really put her foot down.

It was time for an ultimatum. Either he stopped this nonsense or she would have to leave. Shecouldn’t sit by and watch him commit these acts, whatever they were. She couldn’t allow him to keepputting his life and freedom at risk for such stupidity.

As she was fantasizing about the conversation to come, a loud shot rang out.

Even with the windows closed, it was so loud that she jumped in her seat.

Quickly following the first shot, three more shots rang out.

Caelyn shrieked each time, putting a hand to her mouth. She felt like she was truly going to be sick

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this time. Her stomach rose up, bile in the back of her throat.

Someone had been shot.

Someone was probably dead.

Please God, she thought , just don’t let it be him. I love him too much. Please make everythingokay, God. Just make it so that nothing bad’s happening.

Maybe they were warning shots.

She didn’t believe that for a second.

The time ticked by, each minute feeling like a month.

And then, just as she was losing hope, she saw Elijah running around the dumpster, and he wascarrying a black satchel. He opened the door and threw it in the back seat, then got in the driver’sside.

He was out of breath as he took out his car keys and shoved them in the ignition, starting the car.

“I heard shots,” she said. “What happened?”

He looked at her just for a second. “I got the money.”

“What money?”

“The money he stole from me.”

“Elijah—“ she began, but he was opening the glove compartment and putting the gun in it. And thenhe’d backed out and started driving down the alleyway.

Something was wrong, but she couldn’t tell what it was.

His face was pale and sweat beads stood out on his forehead. His one hand gripped the steeringwheel tightly while the other lay in his lap. He grit his teeth. “That stupid son of a bitch,” he muttered,shaking his head. “I should’ve killed him while I had the chance.”

“Did you shoot someone, Elijah? Please tell me you didn’t.”

“I didn’t,” he said, his voice strained. He licked his lips.

“Where are we going?”

“The hospital.”

“Why?” she nearly screamed.

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And then she saw that his hand wasn’t in his lap, it was actually protecting his stomach, holding it.And there was a dark stain spreading through his shirt. He glanced over and saw that she’d seen it.

“I’m going to be fine,” he said through still clenched teeth.

“Elijah,” she said. “You’re shot!”

“It’s all right. I’ll be fine. Just have to get to the hospital is all.”

She felt faint, truly faint. Spots appeared before her eyes, and the world was spinning.

He’s going to die. He’s going to die.

She looked over and he was green, and deadly pale.

“Elijah, you have to let me drive!”

He looked at her, and his eyes were enormous, his pupils dilated, big as black marbles. “What?” hesaid, his lips not working quite right. “Did you—“

And then she turned to see the telephone pole coming towards them. She shouted a warning but it wastoo late.

They hit the pole and she actually saw the windshield fold inwards, felt the glass shards hitting herface, tasted the metallic taste of blood.

She felt an enormous jarring impact on her head, and she heard the screeching sound of iron and thesmelled the scent of oil and gasoline, and smoke in her nostrils.

But she was floating now, floating into the darkness, as sirens cascaded in her ears, fading, fading.

Her last thought was only of him.

Elijah, her mind whispered. Elijah.

But her lips never moved.

THE END OF BOOK 4

STAY TUNED FOR BOOK 5 IN THE SERIES, COMING SOON.

Please leave a review if you’re enjoying the series so far. And follow Kelly

@kellyfavorbooks on Twitter to find out about upcoming releases.