Page 22 of The Boy I Loved (Eternal Hell #1)

The walk to my second period was slow. I intentionally dragged it out, wanting to get there as slowly as possible.

Was it too late to switch classes?

Blowing out a breath, I wrenched open the door. Silence enveloped me as soon as I crossed the threshold, but I refused to meet anyone’s eye.

My head was spinning with a multitude of thoughts—none of them favorable. Lowering myself into the seat beside Rodney, I released a loaded breath.

To my relief, everyone went right back to talking, and I heard Stacy’s name mentioned a few times. People were throwing out conspiracy theories, trying to guess what happened to her, while others were either making a mockery of it, or sobbing.

Mr. Cullen remained at his desk; his attention focused on an assortment of papers sprawled out before him. He didn’t seem to mind the loud chatter filling the room, unlike my last teacher.

“Hey.” Rodney grinned, revealing a set of pretty, white teeth. “Have you?—”

“It’s all over the school,” I stated, already knowing exactly what he was about to ask.

Rodney was a pretty boy—the kind popular girls would typically pine after. For some reason, our school had more of a thing for bad boys. But I could see Rodney being a good match if given a chance. I just wasn’t sure if I could let go of my feelings for Dominic to make that happen.

“Yeah.” He frowned, casting a glance around the classroom. “People seem really torn up over it.”

I nodded my agreement. “It’s a scary situation.”

A moment later, Rodney cleared his throat. “I-I was wondering…” he began with a nervous tilt to his words.

Oh no. Please don’t ask what I think you’re going to ask.

I wasn’t sure I could handle that on top of everything else. My stomach twisted uncomfortably as a multitude of thoughts clouded my mind. For the last two years, Dominic had been the only one I wanted—the only one I could see myself wanting. But when he came back …

My teeth sank into my lower lip. I didn’t want to rehash all of that all over again. Especially not right after he called me desperate. His words had hurt more than I wanted to admit—probably because they came from him of all people.

Tory’s words trickled through my brain. She’d encouraged me to move on, to show him that I didn’t need him and that I could move on.

Maybe she was onto something. I didn’t want to fully admit that before, not when my heart was still so set on him, and it still was to an extent.

But I also didn’t want to look pathetic, pining after a guy who made it abundantly clear he didn’t want me.

“—Hazel?” Rodney’s voice tugged me out of my thoughts, my gaze connecting with his. “Did you hear me?”

My skin warmed with embarrassment. “Oh…” I trailed off. “No. My mind has been a little all over the place today.”

His lips twitched in amusement. “Fuck,” he muttered. “You’re really going to make me ask again, aren’t you?” There was a nervous edge to his tone, and I couldn’t help but find it a little endearing.

I was the last person he needed to be nervous around, but it was nice that he seemed interested enough to react in such a way. It wasn’t something I was used to.

“Sorry.” I forced a small smile. “The whole thing with Stacy is?—”

“Insane, right?” he rushed to add, taking the opportunity to change the subject. “I just saw her a couple of weeks ago at the grocery store. She seemed normal then.”

I didn’t even want to think about the last time I’d seen her.

She was at Dom’s welcome-home party. Dominic and his friends had been all over her.

It didn’t matter that they had friends and family there.

The thought had the nausea churning in my gut more prominently than before.

He’d never seemed that interested in her before, so why all of a sudden?

“Yeah,” I agreed, attempting to keep my tone neutral despite the warring emotions pummeling through me .

The chatter amplified around us, but our teacher still made no move to quiet anyone down. He seemed to be in a world of his own, not even noticing us around him.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out Friday night,” Rodney forced out, drawing my attention back to him. “There’s a party after school. I was thinking we could go there. Tory’s coming.”

I wasn’t much of a ‘party’ person, but it could be nice to let loose. Especially with everything happening lately. It was also in a public area, so that offered me a little bit of comfort.

“Sure,” I agreed. “That sounds nice. Just text me the details.”

Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, pushing my shoulders down as I slumped toward the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but it had to be the middle of the night by now. My body was tired, but my mind was wide awake.

Used to, when I got like this, I’d go for a run to clear my head. We lived in a small, quiet town where nothing bad ever happened. Except for Stacy’s sudden disappearance. But there hadn’t been any updates about her on the news, and as of right now, the police didn’t suspect foul play.

Crossing the kitchen, I wrenched open one of the cupboard doors and grabbed the box of protein bars resting on the lower shelf.

I snatched one from the container before returning it to the cabinet.

My dad was obsessed with these, but I never understood the appeal.

Sure, they were convenient when you needed something quick and filling, but that was it. They didn’t taste the greatest.

Peeling back the wrapper, I bit off the tip of the snack. The chalky consistency drifted along my tongue, causing me to scrunch my nose up in disgust .

Once finished, I made myself a glass of water and propped my hip against the counter. The house was eerily silent at night, nothing but the sound of the air conditioning flowing through the vents. My mind was on a constant loop, always whirling, always conjuring thoughts of him.

When would enough be enough? When would I have that moment of clarity, letting me know that it was time to stop?

I thought back to my childhood, how Dominic was always there—always my anchor. Back then, things seemed so easy, like nothing in the world could squander the connection we shared. We were inseparable, sewn together so tightly, nothing could have torn us apart.

Until now.

Now, I didn’t understand it. Maybe it would be easier if he was honest with me, if he just … came out and said it—that he’d grown tired of me. It was easier to know the reasoning behind his actions and hate it, than to constantly wonder.

A shaky breath broke free of my lungs. I quickly downed the rest of my water and returned the glass to the sink.

My hands pushed through my reddish-brown hair, sweeping it behind my shoulders at the same time my gaze drifted toward the living room where the front door resided. A walk did sound nice—anything to clear my head.

With that thought in mind, I exited the kitchen and crossed the living room.

Shadows danced across the walls as I passed them, creating an ominous silhouette of my form, shrouded in the darkness.

Once I reached the door, I slipped my shoes on and reached out, fiddling with the lock on the knob before stepping outside.

The porch light was on, shining down on the cement that supported my weight.

Even after all these years, the house stood strong.

A slight breeze ran over my skin, eliciting a series of goosebumps in its wake.

Maybe I should have brought a light jacket with me, but I didn’t intend to be out for long .

Making my way down the steps, I crossed the yard, stepping out onto the empty street. Streetlamps flickered in the distance, silence stretching around me like a thick cocoon. It had been a while since I ventured out alone in the dark, but somehow, it felt different—darker almost.

A few porch lights bled out onto the front lawn of some of the houses lining the street. Some of them flickered, just like the streetlamps did, while others remained off, nothing but darkness spilling from the buildings.

It was easy to get lost in my thoughts, but maybe that was what I needed. Maybe, if I allowed myself to think—to feel —then I could move on. My stomach twisted with unease. The thought of moving on, the thought of forgetting him … It didn’t sit right with me, not after everything.

I blew out a ragged breath, the road before me stretching for miles, it seemed. My steps were slow and heavy, my mind a whirling mess of thoughts.

After several minutes, I made it to the end of the street and turned right. There were no houses over here, only trees—the same trees I’d traveled through on more than one occasion to the treehouse.

My steps faltered as I stepped out of the light and into complete and utter darkness. I’d taken this route a hundred times before, even in the dead of the night. So, why did it feel so … sinister ?

I absently rubbed my arms, continuing my descent down the blackened street.

Maybe I should have brought my phone with me. All I knew was that I needed to get out of that house—to clear my head—and running back upstairs for my phone would have been annoying.

Headlights appeared over the hill, sending a small burst of relief through my veins. But that relief was short-lived when the vehicle slowed, creeping toward me at a snail’s pace.

My heart lunged into my throat, kicking my nerves into overdrive. I knew I was being paranoid, but that knowledge did little to relieve the uncertainty and fear coursing through my body.

It’s only a car.

It’s Greenbriar. Nothing bad ever happens here.

I’ve taken this route over a hundred times.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and forced my legs forward, despite the tremble in my veins. Maybe they slowed down because they didn’t want to accidentally run me over.

The lights from the vehicle were a stark contrast against the shadows surrounding me—almost like they didn’t belong.

It wasn’t abnormal for someone in this town to take a late-night drive.

It was simply my paranoia. Dom’s words echoed through my skull; the ones he’d told me at the party.

He was paranoid then, too. Maybe I was just letting him get to me, and it meant nothing, or?—

Somehow, while I’d been lost in my thoughts, the car had crept forward even more, much more.

The vehicle slowed to a stop, but all I could see were blacked-out windows on an SUV.

I glanced over my shoulder briefly, eyeing the tree line a few feet away.

I knew these woods like the back of my hand, if I had to make a run for it, I would.

That thought brought me a small sliver of relief, and I grasped onto it.

The window rolled down, my heart palpitating as my eyes locked with a pair of light blue ones.

“Need a ride?” Mason asked, his lips kicking up into a perfect smirk.