Throwing on a pair of jogger shorts and a white T-shirt, I turned back toward the bed to grab my phone. “Shit,” I cursed, remembering it was fucking toast. I made a mental note to buy a new phone as well as an Apple watch in the morning—I needed a secondary mode of communication, and I had a feeling midnight runs could be a nightly ritual in my future. At least on the days Mads didn’t stay with me.
As quietly as my size thirteen shoes allowed, I slipped out of the house. A nearly full moon shone in the dark sky littered with millions of stars. They were perfectly visible in the cloudless sky. Air still as a statue cooled the campus, a welcomed contrast to the warm days of summer that clung on. By the end of September, we would start to feel the shift into fall, my favorite season.
With the porch light glowing at my back, I kicked off down the pathway, following the trees that lined the streets, and headed toward the dorms. An owl hooted above my head, hidden in one of the oversized maple trees as I trotted by, the only other sound beside my shoes hitting the pavement.
No matter how fast or how far I seemed to run, the image of Mads lying tangled in the sheets while some other guy snapped pictures burned behind my eyes. The fact that I had a face and name to put to that guy only made the flames licking my veins grow hotter. The jog was supposed to cool the fire, but the rage only built.
The campus was a graveyard, not a single soul about as I weaved through the buildings to the other side of the grounds. Damp blades of grass clung to the edges of my shoes, and the scent of something sweet like maple syrup perfumed the trees as I ran past.
By the time I got to the dorms, my sprints had turned into an all-out run. Panting, I slowed down as I approached the building, scanning the shadows for movement. Maybe I was looking for another chance to kick Sterling’s ass, but it didn’t appear I would get the opportunity tonight.
Doing a lap around the building, I stopped under a tree and glanced up to the fourth-story window—Mads’s window. No lights were on, but I continued to stare, looking for shadows that weren’t there. I should have been relieved. The pressure in my chest should have lightened. Neither happened.
Sterling’s goal had been to rattle me.
And I let the asshole win. He had succeeded in doing just that, unnerving me to the point that I felt as if I were going to lose it.
The idea of sinking down the side of the tree trunk and camping out in front of her dorm occurred to me, but I quickly shut it down in the next thought. There was protective and then there was crazy.
Turning to leave, I took one last glance over my shoulder when something from the cluster of trees across the courtyard caught the edge of my eyes. I flattened against the trunk and watched as the shadow moved. A flash of moonlight cut through the leaves, hitting the figure for a split second. It was enough to confirm I wasn’t alone.
The black hoodie they wore cloaked their face, but judging by the stature of the figure, they were small, like female small, ruling out Sterling.
Who the fuck else could be snooping around at this hour?
Only one way to find out.
They looked left and right before coming out from the flock of trees, and once I saw their back, that was when I made my move, coming up swiftly behind them. The grass cushioned my steps as I moved, and when I was close enough, I reached out, grabbing a hold of their forearm.
I spun them around. My eyes went wide as recognition swept through me, not expecting to see this face hidden underneath the hood. Brows bunched together, I scowled at the startled expression that turned to annoyance faster than I could chug a beer. “What the fuck are you doing out here at this time of night?” I demanded, still holding them by the arm.
She tilted her head back, and Kenna’s lips unfurled into a tight smile. “I could ask you the same thing.”
I grimaced. “I’m running. Now answer me before I call your brother.” She didn’t need to know that I had no way of actually doing that. I could always steal her phone to make the call. Regardless, the threat did the deed.
“I snuck out,” she snapped, jerking her arm out of my grasp.
Of all the people I imagined could be slinking around campus in the middle of the night, Kenna never crossed my mind. “Why?” I pressed, glaring down at her with hard eyes. For once, I had no flippant comments, my voice still sharp.
Shrugging, she replied, “Old habits die hard.”
I knew all about old habits. And I knew Kenna. My eyes went to the bag slung over her shoulder and then shifted to her fingers, drawing conclusions. It was impossible to see if she had paint on and around her nails. “Are you tagging again?” Before she could respond, I snatched the bag, hearing a familiar jingle and clang of metal. “Kenna,” I growled.
Long lashes fluttered at me. “The dad vibe doesn’t suit you.”
I didn’t need to open her bag to know there were paint cans stashed inside. When things got tough or out of her control, Kenna’s outlet was to spray-paint shit. “Who are you pissed off at now?”
Her small hands reached to take her shit back. “For your information, I’m actually doing you a solid.”
“Is that so?” I asked, lifting a brow as she grabbed her belongings. The pea-size metal balls rolled around in the cans, jostled by her movements.
She held my eyes. “I’ll take your thank-you now.”
I huffed, crossing my arms. “I’m still waiting for you to tell me what kind of trouble you created tonight, and if it’s something Brock and I are going to have to cover up.”
The cockiness in her features made me nervous. Basically any time the girls got an idea, it fucking made me nervous. “Please, this isn’t my first rodeo. I know what I’m doing,” she said smugly, sounding a bit too much like me.
“The suspense is killing me,” I retorted dryly.