if that’s what happened to Reed. Did everything become too hard, and she got mixed up with something she shouldn’t? The police say the trail turned cold, and after seventy-two hours, it was unlikely we’d ever know what happened to her. The only evidence they had was a bloody dorm room with no body. One thing we do know is the blood belonged to my sister, and whatever happened to her, she didn’t go down without a fight. That comes as no surprise to me.
Reed lived her whole life fighting.
After three hours of calculus prep and another four of chemistry, my eyelids burn with fatigue. I push my books off to the side and crawl under the blanket, ready to turn my bedside light off and catch up on some seriously needed sleep. As I reach for the switch, my phone dings, postponing the sleep I so desperately want.
Marek’s name lights the screen with one unanswered message. Ding. Make that two. Contemplating what harm could happen if I answer him, I unlock the screen and read his texts.
Marek: You ran off before I could say goodbye.
Marek: Come on now, Palmer. Don’t be mad at me.
This guy is either delusional or has short-term memory loss. This morning he came in warm with a kiss, then forced me to leave due to his chilly demeanor. Being around him is like running into oncoming traffic, constantly dodging and weaving to ensure my body’s safety.
Me: I’m not mad.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
I drop my phone to the mattress when Marek’s face pops up on the screen. When it stops chiming, I pick it up, only to practically fling it across the room at the knock on the door.
Holding my breath, I hope whoever it is goes away.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Seriously.
“Palmer, I know you’re in there.” The voice doesn’t belong to who I expect.
I jump from the bed and open the door. Breaker is standing outside my dorm, his hands gripped tight to the doorframe. The ease on his face tells me he’s here more for fun than business.
“Are you going to invite me in?” He doesn’t wait for a response. Instead, he bulldozes through and jumps into my bed, making himself comfortable by splaying out on my pillows. “Cute bedspread.”
Everything about the scene seems wrong. There is nothing soft about this boy, and yet, he lies on my floral comforter like he belongs.
“Why are you here?” I search the hallway, curious if he’s alone, before turning and finding Breaker smiling.
“He’s not with me.” He shrugs. “Plus, I figured I should come check on Delaney.”
“I don’t remember asking about him.” I roll my eyes. “Now, please tell me why you’re really here.”
“Well, you see, when I dropped you off earlier, I realized I don’t really know you.” He sits up, taking in my dorm. I’m suddenly self-conscious after seeing their set-up at the top of the hill.
“And your point?”
“You aren’t curious about me in the slightest?” He swings his legs off the bed and stands to check out my bookshelf.
The dorms on campus aren’t horrible. Though small compared to how most of us live, they are livable, each with their own bathroom and kitchenette. There are apartments in New York City with less square footage.
“Your real name is Barrett, but you go by Breaker because you’re ruthless on the lacrosse field. You’re the oldest brother in your family. Following you are two little sisters. You’re gorgeous to the point that it is literally stupid. You’re a bit obnoxious, always cracking jokes, but there’s a sadness in you that you don’t let anyone see.”
What are the odds he’ll see right through my avoidance tactics? If you shove the attention on someone else, then there’s no way they’ll be able to see the truth. These boys scare me, and Breaker being in my space, after everything they’ve done in the past and what I know about them through Reed, sends me into a mini-spiral of uncertainty. I don’t know how to be me and be around them.
“How do you know about this supposed sadness, then?” He checks over his shoulder to see if he still has my attention. I hate to admit that he does.
“When no one is looking, you allow that guard to slip away. I’ve only seen it once. Freshman year. Marek and Dixon were picking on Cindy Keller, and as they knocked her books out of her hands, I caught you bending down to help her. That was the slip-up. The hidden truth was behind your impeccable