Broken Beautiful Hearts(80)

Christian bristles. “Oh, hell no.”

He starts toward Grace, but I step in front of him and block his path. “Don’t.”

“Good luck at the state championships without a flier,” Grace tells April as she walks away.

“Grace, wait,” Christian calls after her.

I step in front of him and block his path so he can’t follow her. “Leave her alone. She needs some space.”

Christian scrubs his hands over his face. “I don’t understand what the hell just happened. Why is she mad at me?”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yeah. Why?” He’s clueless.

“Maybe you should have listened to what she said.”

I don’t notice Cameron until he’s only a few feet away.

“What did you do to Grace?” Cam shoves Christian so hard that he staggers.

Christian regains his balance and gets in his brother’s face. “What’s your problem? Are you trying to get your ass kicked?”

Cam laughs. “I don’t know. Do you have someone to help you?”

The Twins shove each other back and forth.

Owen drops his cards and jumps over a crate to get to them before they kill each other. Titan and the other guys on the football team rush over just as Cameron throws a punch. Owen catches his arm, and the Twins go ballistic.

“You think you can take me?” Christian shouts.

“Any day of the week, and twice on Sunday,” Cam says.

Owen and the football players try to run interference, but they have their work cut out for them.

I’m worried about Grace.

I leave the mill through the same door we came in, but I can’t see anything. I forgot how dark it is outside. I take one of the lanterns near the door and look around. There’s nothing else out here except grain silos. She probably went back to the car.

“Grace? Are you out here?” I hold up the lantern and turn around slowly, hoping to see her.

The wind rustles the leaves on the ground, and a branch snaps behind me. I whirl around, the lantern swinging back and forth in my hand. “Grace?”

The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Someone is out here.

You’re imagining things. Stop being paranoid.

I take a deep breath and turn back to the parking lot, holding the lantern out in front of me.

Another branch snaps.

A figure moves between the trees, not far from where I’m standing.

I tighten my grip on the lantern, and the light shakes in front of me.

“Grace?” I try again. Suddenly, I feel stupid. It’s probably April and Madison trying to scare me. “Whoever is out there, stop screwing around. You’re pissing me off.”

I scan the darkness, but nothing moves.

Maybe April sent Dylan out here? I don’t think he’s smart enough to find his way around in the dark.

There’s another blur of movement in the shadows, and I jump. Am I close to the parking lot? I’m not sure.

But I know someone is watching me.





CHAPTER 33

Quicksand

THE SOUND OF leaves crunching starts again in a rhythmic pattern, like footsteps.

“Peyton, are you out here?” Owen calls from the darkness.

I’m so relieved to hear his voice that I can barely speak. “Yes.”

Owen touches my shoulder, and I flinch. He ducks his head so he can look at my face. “You don’t seem okay. What are you doing out here, anyway?”

I take a deep breath and fight off the panic. “I came out here to look for Grace. I thought she might have gone back to the car. But it’s so dark that I got turned around, and I couldn’t figure out where we parked.”

I’m not sure if I want to tell Owen the rest. “Before you came out, I thought I heard someone following me. That’s why I freaked a little.”

Owen slides his arm around my shoulders protectively. “Did you see who it was?” There’s an edge in his voice.

“No. It was probably just April trying to scare me.”

Owen rubs the top of my shoulder. “April was inside. She was still there when I came out to look for you.”

“Maybe it was Madison. Or Dylan. He’d do anything April says.”

“They were both inside, too.” Owen’s expression hardens. “It could’ve been someone from East Valley. The football teams are rivals. Not as bad as Spring Hill, but it could’ve been one of the players trying to start shit.”

My stomach feels queasy. I don’t like the idea of anyone following me, for any reason.

The sound of another branch snapping startles me. More leaves crunch—louder this time.

Owen whips around and steps in front of me. But when the figure comes into view, I immediately recognize his gait.

“Hey. Have you guys seen Grace?” Christian asks.

I step out from behind Owen. “No. I was looking for her. I think she might have gone back to the car.”

Christian trudges past us. “I’m gonna go find her. I guess I messed up again.”

Owen takes my hand as if it’s something he does all the time. “Come on. Let’s go back inside.”

“No thanks. I’m not interested in watching you and Cameron take stupid risks.”