Page 27 of Brutal Reign
The moment she disappears through the door, I ease out of bed, hurriedly getting dressed while being careful not to wake those still sleeping in the bunks around me. It doesn’t take much effort since they’re all dead to the world. I’m ready to go in just a few minutes, creeping toward the exit on silent feet to pick up on River’s trail.
We haven’t spoken since Saturday night, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped keeping an eye on her. She’s already made her fair share of enemies here at training camp. She shouldn’t be heading off anywhere on her own, but the girl doesn’t have the good sense to know when she’s in danger. If she did, she wouldn’t have provoked Seb that night.
The footprints in the dirt make it easy to discern which trail she took, the pattern on the bottom of her sneakers different than Bailey’s. I learned that on day one, when I followed the wrong girl. I’m adept at sneaking around the forest, so Bailey never saw me, but I was annoyed about the mix-up. Which is why I made a point to memorize the design on the soles of River’s running shoes.
I start off in a slow jog, knowing that even at this leisurely pace, I’ll catch up to her in no time. Sure enough, ten minutes later, I catch sight of her dark ponytail bobbing up ahead as she jogs the trail at a snail’s pace. It’s almost comical how much this girl sucks at running.
As she ambles along with her earbuds securely in place, I can’t help but wonder what song’s playing through them right now. I’ve never met anyone as connected to music as River Jacobsen is. It’s practically her religion. Some mornings when Isneakily run this trail with her, I slip my own earbuds in and pretend we’re listening to the same song.
It was always more fun listening to music with her.
I keep my distance on the trail, staying just out of sight so I don’t get caught while my mind wanders back to simpler times, when we’d lay side by side on my bed and listen to music together. She always had a knack for finding deeper meanings in song lyrics. Certain chords seemed to light her up from the inside, and whenever I found a song with chord progressions I knew she’d love, I’d revel in watching her reaction as I played it for her. At that point, I guess it was no longer just about the music.
I’m so wrapped up in the hazy memories of our childhood that I don’t even realize I’ve gained distance on her– not until she suddenly whips a glance over her shoulder and our eyes meet. She startles and promptly skids to a stop, pulling out her phone to pause her music as she waits for me to catch up, her chest rising and falling raggedly with her panted breaths.
“Ace,” she chokes out as soon as I’m within earshot, pressing a hand to her chest in an attempt to regulate her breathing. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just out for a run,” I shrug, playing it off.
Those hazel eyes narrow in suspicion as I close the distance between us. “Why?”
“Conditioning,” I reply flatly. “Isn’t that whyyou’reout here?”
“Yeah, but…” she trails off, waving a hand dismissively. “Nevermind.” Bringing her phone up in front of her, she swipes her thumb against the screen to resume her playlist.
“What are you listening to?” I ask, leaning in to try to get a look at her phone screen.
“Don’t worry about it,” she grumbles.
I rock back a step, holding out a palm in silent demand. Her eyes flicker up to meet mine. She chews on her lower lip, brows drawing together in contemplation, then her cheeks pinken in a faint blush as she begrudgingly hands her phone over.
The moment it lands in my palm, I bring it up in front of my face, reading the song title and artist displayed on the screen. “Hm,” I grunt. “Never heard of them.” I hand the phone back over to her.
“Then you’re missing out,” she snaps as she practically rips it out of my hand. “These guys are gonna make it big, it’s only a matter of time.”
I cock a brow. “What makes you so sure?”
“I just know these things,” she huffs, lifting her chin. A thin sheen of sweat clings to her skin, enhancing the richness of her deep olive complexion. “They’re on tour right now and they’ve sold out every show. They’re coming to Boulder next month, I’m definitely gonna be getting my hands on some tickets to see them live.”
Well shit, she’s officially piqued my interest. I sigh as I hold out a palm again, wiggling my fingers in a ‘gimme’ gesture for her earbuds.
River understands the move immediately, but she still hesitates before pulling them from her ears and dropping them into my waiting palm. Guess I can’t blame her for being unsure around me. She wouldn’t take the hint when Seb and I first tried to push her away, so we had to resort to making her hate us instead. Suffice to say it worked.
I slip the earbuds in, nodding to her to queue up a song and hit play. She does, and I let my eyes slide closed as it starts up, listening for a minute or two while subtly bobbing my head along with the drum beat. I immediately recognize why she likes this band so much; their sound is right up her alley.
Halfway through the second chorus, I decide I’ve heard enough, taking the earbuds out and handing them back over. Our fingers brush when she takes them from me. Sparks zing between our skin and I recoil, yanking my hand back and mentally cursing myself for touching her. I’ve always made a point to avoid it. Everyone knows what they say about tempting the devil.
“They’re alright,” I drawl, nodding down to the phone in her hand.
“Alright?” she scoffs incredulously, searching my eyes before rolling her own. “They’re amazing and you know it. You’re just a snob.”
“Or maybe I’ve just got good taste,” I shrug.
“The company you keep says otherwise,” she grumbles, shoving her earbuds back into her ears.
“If you’re here just to taunt him, you shouldn’t,” I warn, slinking back another step as her tantalizing scent wafts to me on the breeze. I never used to notice how fuckinggoodshe smells.
“Contrary to what Seb might think, not everything’s about him,” River scoffs, scrunching her nose in distaste.