Nightfall (Devil's Night #4) - Penelope Douglas Page 0,30

under his head as a pillow, and his lips curled with a smile.

He’d heard that. Someone brought me pizza earlier as I sat on the bleachers—maybe at Will’s behest—but I told him to screw off.

Now, I regretted it. I hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours.

The minutes passed, the chatter started to quiet, and Bryce started to snore from the other side of the gym. Arion Ashby slipped on her sleep mask and some students put on their expensive headphones to cancel out the noise.

I was too hungry to sleep, and the granola bar in my pocket called to me.

I turned my head, looking over at Will. His hair had dried, and even though I’d never seen it looking so messy, he still pulled it off, because he was born with it. Stern brown eyebrows, a sharp nose, but soft lips and the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen behind those sweet, sleeping eyelids and long lashes.

Why couldn’t guys this cute ever be nice?

I blinked, dropping my gaze. Of course, he did give me his sleeping bag.

And probably the granola bar and Godzilla, too, even though he broke into my locker to leave it for me.

“So what were you trying to do?” I asked in a low voice.

“When?”

I looked up to see his eyes still closed. “You said you weren’t trying to scare me upstairs,” I told him. “So, what were you trying to do?”

His chest rose and fell in steady breaths, hesitating a moment. “I was trying to see if you liked it,” he whispered.

If I liked what? Him?

The chase? The danger? The risk?

Well, I didn’t.

But I couldn’t help but ask, “And? What conclusion did you come to?”

The corner of his mouth curled into a smile, but he didn’t open his eyes, and he didn’t answer. “Go to sleep.”

I turned my eyes back up to the ceiling, seeing the rain still hitting the skylight.

He needed to leave me alone. Just give up. If he kept pushing me, I’d do something stupid because I could feel it coming.

I clenched the sleeping bag in my fingers.

There were moments I wanted to do something outrageous. I mean, sure, I wanted a boyfriend. I wanted fun.

But I couldn’t bring someone into my life. It was a nightmare, and I needed to keep it together for my grandma.

Just mess with someone else, Will Grayson. I don’t want your attention.

Unable to stop myself, I turned my head again, taking in the peaceful look on his face as he slept. The way his neck looked so smooth and soft, and what would’ve happened upstairs in the chem lab if I hadn’t pushed him away.

I would’ve regretted it, but I would’ve liked it, I think.

I stared at his lashes and the way they draped over his skin underneath his eyes.

My own burned with tears I refused to let loose.

I guess I understood people letting themselves be used, even for just a night if it meant not being alone for once.

I turned over on my side, watching him sleep, but then my eye caught something, and I looked down, seeing Damon lying on his stomach and watching me. His head was propped on his hand, his eyes sharp as he brought up his fingers and dragged his thumb across his throat, not blinking once as he stared at me.

I clenched the sleeping bag tighter at the small scowl in his eyes.

Rolling over, I stared at the ceiling again, getting the message. You’re not special, so don’t get confused, girl.

I reached into my pocket and fisted the granola bar.

But I was no longer hungry.

Will

Present

I stared at her through the two-way mirror as she stood on the other side, moving her gaze left, right, up and down, taking in Aydin’s bedroom.

Noticing the bathroom, she hurried through the door and turned on the faucet, filling up a glass with water. She tipped her head back, gulped down the whole thing, and refilled again, drinking that, as well.

I finally blinked, balling my fists as I watched her in her tight, cropped black pants, and her sweet little, fitted white blouse with the collar buttoned right up to the neck. She might look like the grown-up architect she was if it weren’t for the white Adidas sneakers instead of heels.

Amusement curled the corners of my lips, remembering overhearing her words in class once. “It doesn’t matter if I arrive in style if I can’t arrive at all.”

She hadn’t changed a bit. Why the fuck was she here?

I let my eyes fall down her body,