Page 10 of The Stolen Dagger

CHAPTER EIGHT

KATHERINE

T he Hawthorn Community College was a relatively small campus but had all the basic amenities.

There were several lecture halls for every kind of major, buildings full of classrooms for more intimate learning, and vital campus amenities like the library, dining hall, and admin offices.

Divided into North and South lawns with the library in the center, most of the lecture halls were clumped next to each other on the South lawn, while the specialized and admin buildings were spread out across the North lawn.

Thankfully, all of my classes were relatively close together.

“Call me if you need anything.” Drew gave me an encouraging smile as he parked his truck along the curb on the south side of campus.

Even though my worry that Adrian was watching me was at an all-time high, I refused to show it. I refused to give him any more control over me .

Until we came up with a plan, I would pretend everything was all right.

I had to if I wanted to get through this.

I thanked Drew for the ride, stepped out of his truck, and walked across campus to my first class.

Red and gray brick buildings lined the expanse of both sides of the South campus lawn.

Thin trees were scattered in the grassy middle and along the sidewalk, providing shade for the benches placed around them.

Streaming through the clouds, the sun shone down and provided a welcoming warmth with the autumn breeze.

Students, some meandering and some fast-walking, were spaced out around me. I let out a relieving breath, being among so many other people.

Crowds were good. For just a moment, I could pretend I was an average college student who only had to worry about my next exam.

“Kat!” a high-pitched voice yelled.

I turned as Leah quickly approached me. Her honey-blonde hair swished over her shoulders, and a radiant smile spread across her freckled face.

I couldn’t help but mimic her expression as she tugged me into a tight hug. Even though the unease of Adrian was still in the forefront of my mind, this was nice, normal. Just what I needed.

Over her shoulder, Tyler stopped beside us a few feet away and adjusted his square-framed glasses as he gazed lovingly at his overexcited girlfriend. He chuckled, ran a hand through his auburn curls, and greeted me with a wave.

When Leah pulled back from her hug, she gave a teasing look. “Did I just see you get out of my brother’s truck? Did he drive you to school? Is that why you both disappeared from Jerry’s last night? You left together?”

Her questions came in rapid succession as her excitement rose. It was like her mouth was trying to catch up with her thoughts. Although I shouldn’t have been surprised by her questioning, I was still caught off guard.

Leah had always supported Drew and I ever since she caught me ogling him in that first self-defense class.

When I started avoiding Drew, I could tell she was disappointed, but she hadn’t pushed the subject after that.

Hence, her mission to set me up on blind dates, which I now suspected was to get me to open up about my feelings for Drew.

“Um, well, it’s complicated,” I muttered, unsure what exactly to tell her.

“Oh, my God,” Leah squealed. “You’re together, aren’t you? I knew it! I knew when he wanted to come with us to Jerry’s last night it was just an excuse to see you. He said it wasn’t, but I knew it was because he even?—”

“Whoa, baby, calm down.” Tyler stepped forward and put his arm around Leah’s shoulders. “You’re going to run out of breath before anyone else gets a word in.”

Leah giggled. “I’m just so excited. My brother and my best friend. It’s perfect!”

“Drew and I aren’t together,” I said quickly.

We weren’t together in the way she thought, but she couldn’t know the real reason.

Leah’s brow creased. “Then where did you guys disappear to last night? And why did he drop you off this morning?”

I didn’t want to lie to Leah, but it was the only way to keep her safe. I said the first thing that came to mind.

“Car trouble!” I rushed out. “Yeah, my car broke down, and I was having trouble with it last night. Drew offered to take me home. I completely forgot to come back and tell you, but it was a whole thing. And then Drew offered to drive me to school this morning.”

“Huh, okay,” Leah said, defeat clear in her tone. “I thought for sure there was something more going on. ”

I grasped her hand in mine. “Come on, surely you know by now if anything were to happen in my love life, you’d be the first to know about it.”

Leah squeezed my hand in hers. “I better be the first. Otherwise, we’d have some serious issues.”

I laughed it off, but knew that was something Leah was very serious about: honesty. She’d even mentioned it the first day we met and became friends. That was why it hurt even more to lie to her. If she found out on her own or from someone else, she’d never forgive me.

But for Leah’s safety, lying to her was necessary.

“As much as I love you both,” Tyler tilted his head toward the direction of their classes, “we should probably get to class now, or we’ll be late.”

Leah groaned. “You’re right.” She turned and kissed him. “Why do you have to always be right?”

“It’s a gift.” Tyler gave her a gentle kiss of his own.

I chuckled. They were high school sweethearts and had been together for years now, but they still acted like they were a new couple. I envied that.

“Yeah, I’m probably late for class, too, but I’ll see you both at lunch?”

Tyler entwined his fingers with Leah’s and pulled her toward their first class.

“Yes, I’ll text you!” Leah shouted out after me.

Relief washed through me as they walked away.

It hurt knowing I was keeping so much from them, but it had to be this way. At the moment, it was the one thing keeping them out of arm’s reach from Adrian.

The more they were in the dark, the safer they’d be.

The morning passed by in a blur of nervous thoughts. I couldn’t focus on molecular biology or the themes of Macbeth when I knew Adrian was after me.

And I wasn’t sure about Drew’s plan to wait. I couldn’t stand the idea of just sitting here until Adrian made his move.

I had to do something.

Now, as I sat in the lecture hall of one of my classes, my mind went back to that night. I couldn’t help but think that all of this could have been avoided if I hadn’t run.

But where would I be if I had stayed? Stuck beside Adrian in fear because of what I had witnessed? What kind of future was that?

I shook my head and tried to rid myself of those thoughts. I couldn’t change the past, no matter how much I wanted to.

Turning my attention back to the lecture and the topic of conditional psychology, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I sighed, knowing it was probably Drew again since I hadn’t responded to his previous “checking in” texts this morning.

I discreetly pulled out my phone from my pocket and checked the screen, but it wasn’t Drew’s name I saw.

Unknown:

I’m watching you.

My breath caught in my throat as multiple pictures popped up in a new text chain.

What the hell?

Someone sent multiple pictures of me, one after another. There were a few from last week of me in my apartment, like the photographer looked in through a window.

My window.

There were a handful from last night of me behind the bar talking to Drew and when I read Adrian’s letter .

There were even some of Drew and me this morning in his truck when he dropped me off. The last few pictures that came in were of Leah, Tyler, and me talking outside this morning.

Tears pooled in my eyes, blurring the images of me and my friends on the screen before one more text came through.

Unknown:

I’m always watching, little bird.

One last image came through the phone. It was of me, right now, staring at my phone with my hand covering my mouth, a look of horror clearly displayed on my face.

Oh, my God.

The image looked like it was taken through a window from outside. I quickly sat up straighter and looked in that direction, then around the room for whoever was taking pictures of me, but no one looked out of place.

There was no Adrian.

No man in a black hoodie.

Only students all facing the professor at the front of the room.

“Okay, everyone!” the professor announced.

I jumped in my seat, gaining the attention of a few students around me.

“That’s enough for today,” he said. “I’ll see you all on Wednesday!”

I should call Drew. I should ? —

What if that is exactly what this person wanted me to do?

Whoever sent these obviously wanted to scare me. Well, mission accomplished; I’m terrified. But they wouldn’t do anything in the middle of the day, surrounded by multiple witnesses, right?

What were they to gain from sending these to me? Just to scare me? Or maybe to let me know that he’s been watching me for over a week?

Is this the same guy I saw at the bar last night in the hoodie? Or is it someone else? Is it the same person who trashed my apartment? He had to be working for Adrian.

I needed answers from that night, and I needed them now.

Gathering my things, I followed the traffic of students and exited the lecture hall.

I thought about walking the twenty minutes back to my apartment to get my car, but it wasn’t smart being alone right now. I needed to stay on campus around other students. I couldn’t isolate myself now with a stalker watching my every move.

The library.

There are tons of students in the library at all hours. I could stay there until Drew picked me up. That would also give me time to find out everything I could about the night I ran away.

There had to be something I missed. Something that might point me toward this missing dagger.

I repeated Drew’s words to myself as I walked to the library at the center of campus.

Act like everything is normal. Don’t show you’re afraid.