This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,5

their presence, the more I don’t trust myself.

The big truck eventually rumbles past me, just as I’m coated in sweat from the afternoon sun and my furious pace. Stone glares at me through the side mirror, and I match his stare for as long as I can, not looking away until he’s out of sight. I don’t peer over my shoulder, but I have a feeling the Audi is somewhere behind me. The prick of awareness settles along my shoulders as I hurry back to the dorms.

I walk past Norma’s Kitchen, and my stomach rumbles at the smells of home cooking wafting out the front door. Absolutely divine. I can’t help but think of Wyatt and his cooking skills—something I’ve severely missed.

It’s not only his cooking skills though. I’ve wondered how he’s been. If he’s healing okay. If he...misses me.

Fuck.

I trudge on, and my heart leaps when the old hotel that houses Saint Clary’s dorms comes into view. When I’m in my room all alone, I can pretend that the last two weeks didn’t happen. I act as if Lucas, Wyatt, and Stone never came into my life. That they never showed me how things could be while also shoving me headfirst into things that never should happen to anyone. I guess life is a give and take, and right now, they’ve taken more than they’ve given.

Like normal, the old stairs shake as I ascend them. I pull the keys from my pocket that I weaseled out of Lucas at the police station. The lock clicks, and I open the door a crack, only to see the silver Audi pull into the parking lot from the corner of my eye.

Lucas is being much bolder now, letting me see him watching me. It’s as if they were only giving me until Dickie’s funeral to recover from what happened. Logically, I know it needs to be this way. The Dragons don’t seem like the type to sit there and wait, and I promised Cole the treasure.

I had to.

If I hadn’t made him think I was the only one who could find it, all of us would be dead right now.

So no, I don’t get Stone’s fucking attitude about shooting his father. At most, I bought some time for us—even his worthless excuse for a parent. I can’t believe Lance was tracking us. I should’ve known that’s the only thing he could do, still letting Stone do all the dirty work on his behalf.

It strikes me then that I believe Stone. Maybe it’s only that I want to trust him, but when I retrace what happened that day, I think Stone’s telling the truth. He didn’t rat us out to his father. He didn’t violate the contract like Lance wanted me to conclude.

Why would he do that though? He wanted me to think I couldn’t trust his son. That Stone was just as bad as he is.

I honestly don’t understand any of it.

I wait for a second outside to see if Lucas will try to come up. I half hope he will, and half hope he won’t. When I don’t hear him on the steps, I nudge the door open wider and step inside. Turning, I lock the door from the inside and drop my forehead against it. All I want is to put on my pajamas and go back to bed. I can start adulting tomorrow. I—

“Hello, baby girl.”

My heart sinks. I spin, plastering myself against the door to find Cole sitting on my couch, his arms spread across the misshapen cushions. He smiles up at me, a toothy grin that looks far more playful than it should pulls at his lips.

The first thing that pops into my head is that I’m going to have to tell Stone he was right. The look on his face when I inform him Cole broke into my dorm…. I’m almost madder at that future moment than I am right now. Now, I’m just scared.

3

“Surprised?” Cole asks, clearly amused with himself.

I give my barren room a once-over, checking to see if he’s alone. He doesn’t strike me as the type to travel without an entourage, but what do I know? I’ve only met him once, and that is in my top five moments never to repeat again.

I move my gaze back to him, and fear settles in, raising the hair on the back of my neck. This guy is capable of so many things. I wish Lucas had accompanied me into the apartment after all. I