tina'

he Delta Sigma par

a ticking time bomb, whispering furiously whenever I walked into a lecture hall. The other half, mostly the stud

y at war. When we passed each other in the athletic complex, the temperature in the hallway seemed to

rama was the lea

ly planted to frame me, paranoia had settled over my shoulders. S

eling of eyes burning into the back of my neck while I studied in the library. A guy in a dark hoodie who see

myself the stress of the party and the

s wr

s until my lungs burned and my legs felt like lead. By the time I showered, changed into black leggings an

n off the nearby river and curling around the old streetl

straps of my gym bag, and starte

e crunching of leave

ne to my left. I stopped breathing, straining my ears. After a whil

my heart beginning to

ntenance trucks. As I approached the crossing, an engine idled in the dark. A matte-black uti

world had ever drilled in

my phone. I instantly pivoted on my heel

door slid ope

ls, black ski masks pulled down over thei

am. Screaming

I didn't recoil, I stepped into his guard. I drove the heel of my palm sharply upward, catching him square

tweighed and

feet, and we crashed onto the cold pavement. My shoulder hit the concrete hard, sending a sh

e wheezed, his grip loosening just enough for me to yank my right arm fre

the men barked, his vo

en mouth of the van. Panic finally clawed its way up my throat. I kicked out wildly, my snea

f white light slas

erformance engine sh

ce road at a suicidal speed. The rider aimed the

g the back tire out. The motorcycle skidded sideways, acting

backward to avoid havi

tabilize the bike and kicked the kic

as D

nd blazing with anger. He didn't look like

adlights of a campus security golf cart slowly turning the co

first ma

r shut. The tires squealed against the asphalt as the van peeled

heaving violently, my hands trembling

ng into shock. He took a hesitant step forward, looking at

His voice was rough, entirely stripped of

ng. I forced myself to stand, swaying

y upper arm to steady me. His touch was warm, grounding me

y, I didn't see the cocky campus king. I saw a twenty-year-old guy whose heart was

ered softly, letting go of m

athed, though my kn

i, or I'm throwing you over my sh

d him. Damon handed me his helmet, refusing to take n

muttered ove

d pulled out onto the road, the cold wind whipped around us, but I was entirely shielded by his broad back. I pressed my cheek agains

f us wanted to acknowledge what had just happened. I didn't want to than

e engine idling. I slid off the bike, handing him back the

said quietly, his dar

," I wh

orcycle fading into the distance only after the

ng to ebb. I reached my room, unlocked the door, and slipped i

the closet. I reached over and

oom. But as soon as it did, I froze

sleep, was a small, neatly folded piece of paper. The door had been l

aper. Written in the same bold black ink as the note wi

HO YOU RE