Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Ace nods dramatically. “So what you’re saying is we can expect this to be just as fucking hard as Lexi said it would be.”
Blake shrugs. “Pretty much.”
“Well, come on, then,” Finn directs, stepping quickly and naturally into the leadership role. “Let’s go that way before the next group gets down here and sees us doing it.”
When he takes my hand in his and pulls me straight into unthinkable darkness with him, I don’t say no.
Maybe, just maybe, what happens in the tunnels under campus tonight can stay in the tunnels under campus.
Finn
“We’re going to die in here!” Julia declares, officially flustered, as we end up back where we started the third leg of the tunnels again. I make a third mark on the wall with Scottie’s lipstick next to the others and rub a hand through my hair.
“Relax, Juju,” Ace coddles, breaking out yet another nickname for the girl he has no idea he loves. “It’s going to be fine. We have a system. We just have to try the other tunnel this time.”
Scottie lets her butt slide down the damp cement wall and takes a seat on the floor, her head in her hands, and I watch her closely as Blake starts to discuss strategy with me.
“Okay, so we know we took the left fork and the straight fork, and both brought us back here, so now we need to take the right fork. My Apple watch picked up the tiniest blip of GPS when we were at that point, and it showed us under Sorority Row.”
“It makes no fucking sense to go right if we were under Sorority Row,” I say with a snort.
Blake nods. “I know. Which actually kind of confirms it’s the right move.”
“I’m starting to hate this,” Julia says then.
I seal my mouth shut, and Blake does the same, but Ace doesn’t, laughing directly in her face. “You’re kidding me, right? I tried to get you to sit this out, but nooo, you just had to do it.”
“Shut up, Aceface. I didn’t know it was going to be like this.”
“Lexi literally said it was going to be like this!” he shouts, his voice echoing obnoxiously around us.
“Don’t yell at me!” she yells back, making Scottie stand up from where she’s sitting.
“Guys, calm down. We’re close. We haven’t seen anybody else in ages. If we just keep it together, we’re going to win the money.”
“Scottie’s right,” I agree, which actually earns me a smile. I don’t want to get too excited, but after three hours of hand-holding and working together, she seems to be thawing toward me.
Julia takes a deep breath, and Ace pulls her into a hug. I bug out my eyes at Scottie, and she mirrors me with her own.
She dusts off the butt of her jeans as Blake waves us all down the dark tunnel once again, and I hold out an outstretched hand. She takes it so willingly, I can almost forget all the stupid shit I’ve caused between us.
Ace and Julia streak past us in a blurred run, and Julia’s giggles trail behind her as they pass Blake too. I pick up the pace to keep up but meter myself based on Scottie’s much shorter legs. When the group puts some natural distance between us, I chance bringing up a topic that could very well ruin all our progress.
Still, it feels too important to ignore it.
“I really do understand that it’s none of my business,” I hedge carefully, my voice a whisper. Her hand flinches in mine, but she doesn’t pull it away. “I know I haven’t earned the right to know very much about you, really. But I’m still going to ask you about the messages.”
“Finn.” Her voice breaks in unmistakable shame and embarrassment.
“I know. I get it.” I laugh at myself. “I really do. Hell, I understand keeping shit to yourself more than anyone.”
She glances toward me, and the glow from my phone’s flashlight is just bright enough to see her features. They call me a hypocrite in more languages than either of us speaks.
“But Julia is your friend. She would not have brought this shit up without your permission if they weren’t serious.”
She sighs. “They’re just mean. Smack talk, really. They haven’t, like, threatened me or anything.”
“I’ll fucking kill whoever it is if they do.”
“Finn.”
“I’m not kidding, Scottie.”
She scoffs softly. “I know you’re not.”
“But you’re still not gonna show them to me?”
She shakes her head. “I…I can’t. I want to, but I just…”
“Can’t,” I finish for her. Fucking hell, do I understand her completely, even if I hate the shoe being on the other foot. “All right,” I finally agree, letting her off the hook for now.
“Really? You’re going to drop it?” she questions, pulling me to a stop just before we get to where the others are waiting.