I must have fallen asleep, because the next time I woke up it was morning. Sunlight streamed into the room, falling along the bed and sheets that were tangled around my limbs. I sighed into the pillow and rolled over, hitting something warm in the process.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDkxVqhDaf
Christian was staring at me, hair disheveled, his lips curling into a smirk. He lifted his hand and touched my jaw, tracing it lightly with his fingers. “Do you want to talk about it?”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jlFQlpxQU
I moved the hair out of my eyes and shook my head. “I don’t remember what happened.”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9H4gllcRV
This time I wasn’t lying. I didn’t want to remember the images and actions that caused me to wake up shrieking. I bit my lip, feeling bad that he had to deal with all of this, even though he said he didn’t mind.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJwKs0LrQo
I wasn’t stupid, but I was scared, and I know that he was too.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zBk89BWyK
“I don’t want to get up. What time is it anyway?”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VLHo2DZOW
“Shit!”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRsbriHqmN
“We’re late for school, aren’t we?” I asked.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSqCabRSe3
“Not by much,” Christian said, frowning. He wrapped his arms around my body and nuzzled my neck. “I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you all day.”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡas9RcDPnbg
As much as I appreciated the offer to skip out today, I knew we had to get ready. I nudged him and he groaned like a child before rolling entirely off the bed. He hit the floor with a thud and muttered a curse.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYbsa8K9MT
I poked my head over the edge of the mattress to see Christian lying on his back, a wild grin spread across his face. The second he started laughing, I smiled, a slight weight lifted off my shoulders.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Uws8EOCae
He stopped laughing and stared at me, a sly look coming across his face. One second I was lying on a warm, comfortable mattress, the next I was falling into him as he pulled me down off the bed.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVxWwQLpfW
“Okay, we’re both out,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “We should get ready.”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUeJloOTu0
I laughed until a scent filled my nose and I frowned, scrunching my nose. I looked at him and shook my head.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5GxW20t9o
“You smell really bad,” I said, moving away from him. I wasn’t surprised when he came after me. He pinned my body beneath his and leaned down to kiss my jaw.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡXf5TvJCSsw
“You’ve been sleeping next to me all night, and you were sweating, so you smell too.” He smirked and sat up, bringing me with him. Then he hoisted me over his shoulder.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGxZulMfaN
I tried kicking him but he had a firm grip on my legs. When he started walking toward the bathroom, I squirmed. “Come on, put me down!”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2jE3FW9tH
He opened the bathroom door and I prayed he was going to put me down. He didn’t. Instead, his body tilted and I slid as he turned on the water. He tried to right himself but I had gripped the shower curtain in protest.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5WSxg9A7k
He let me go, finally, because he didn’t want to rip anything. I was practically glued to the curtain, shifting away from him and into the shower. A cruel smile settled on his lips before he turned the nozzle on. The water pounded down on me, and I glared at him, fully cloaked and soaking wet.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1MHGfJdzg
“I’ll be right back,” Christian said, grinning, as he backpedaled out of the room.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmPvcCZluM
With him gone, I climbed out of the tub, grabbed a towel from the closet and started to dry off. Though it didn’t matter, because when Christian came back, he had his cell phone in his hand and an expression I didn’t like on his face.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVmSrAPxyu
“Don’t bother going home for new clothes,” he said, his voice strange. “School’s been called off early. Something happened.”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdXNv2fMVZ
I turned around. “What, did one of the Imposters have a break out? You know how all the students and teachers love them, so why go to school if they wouldn’t be there?”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡolpr9WU5mu
I started laughing when he looked at me, his eyes telling me to stop. He shook his head. “Kendall, stop it. It’s not funny.”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡ797ohDDoti
“What?” My mouth formed a frown. “You’re freaking me out. What happened?”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡFknEOJwOEO
He looked into my eyes and there was no warmth left in his. There was only fear. I reached behind me to grip the sink as he spoke; his words seeming distant at first, then they hit me like a ton of bricks.copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡrb5D1YUSAS
“Cassie Winters was found dead this morning. Her head was bashed in with a metal pipe.”copyright protection168ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6CAxCjj3e
By the time he was done telling me everything he found out, I was already on my hands and knees, trying to remember how I’d ended up on the floor, my eyes burning from tears. Then my stomach twisted and I threw up.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5cpNeKfxY
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