Page 129 of Trapped With You

Will you love me forever?

Will you vow to never leave me again?

Tongue-tied, I was unable to echo those sentiments. Sensing my unease, Ella rose on one elbow and stared at me. She must have seen something in my transforming expression because she rushed out, “We should get going before someone finds us.”

“Do you want to leave?” I whispered.If we walk out of here, will I lose the parts of you I found in the dark?

Ella placed a hand on my cheek. “We’re way past the timer, Cade. We should leave.” Glancing at my watch, she confirmed, “Crap, it’s three thirty-three a.m.”

I sighed. She was right. “Will you let me drive you home?”

“Did you bring an extra helmet?”

Fuck, I hadn’t. “No.”

“Then I’ll have to go home with Callie.”

“I can give you my helmet. I don’t have to ride with one.”

Ella shook her head and smiled like I was being silly. I was dead serious. “You’re adorable.” She kissed my cheek and she swung off the bed. “Can you hand me my clothes, please?”

I picked up our discarded clothing. We put our armours back on and grabbed our torches. I blew out the candle and surveyed the nurse’s office, ensuring nothing was out of place.

Baseball bat in hand, Ella headed for the door, but quickly halted in her tracks. “Cade?”

I held my breath, tucking my gun into the back of my pants. “Yes?”

“Thank you for coming to Initiation Night. Thank you for telling me your truth—despite the fact that I didn’t make it easy for you to be heard—and for listening to my side of the story. I’m really glad we finally aired out our dirty laundry.”

Why did this feel so final? “Ella…”

She opened the door and stepped out, before letting loose a bloodcurdling shriek.

C H A P T E R2 6

Confessing Time

Cade

The Present

3:36 a.m.

Ella’s scream reverberated through the entirety of the south wing hallway. Pulse thundering with fear, I ran out after her, barking, “What’s wrong?”

Stupefied, she pointed a finger at…

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Despite the darkness and reduced vision, what I saw chilled my insides.

An apparition, cloaked in black with an odd beam of light flickering by its side, travelled headlong in our direction.

“What the fuck is that?” I hissed.

“Es el diablo.” Shell-shocked, she backed up. “We need to get out of here.”

“Ellaaaaaaaaa,” thethingtaunted in a garbled voice just as thunder struck outside.