Until Death Do Us Apart ➪ 𝔼𝕣𝕚𝕔 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕥𝕖𝕣

Chapter Eleven: This Has To Be Our Secret

I woke up to the sound of loud, obnoxious snoring.

Groaning, I grabbed a pillow and shoved it over my head, praying it would muffle the noise. No such luck. The snoring rumbled right through it like a chainsaw. With a sigh, I peeked over the top of the pillow.

Of course—it was Eric.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the nearest pillow and chucked it at him.

"Huh—what happened?" he mumbled as he jolted awake and immediately fell off the bed with a thud.

I couldn't help but smirk as I peeked over the edge to look at him. He groaned and sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. I rolled my eyes again and collapsed back onto the bed, hugging the pillow under my chin.

He climbed back up and sat at the edge of the bed, not looking at me. "Jordan, please talk to me."

I stayed silent but fiddled with the little red bow on my teddy bear.

"Do you remember what you said last night?" he asked, his voice softer.

I gave a small nod, not meeting his eyes.

"Can I explain?"

Again, I nodded.

"You didn't stay long enough to see—I pushed her away. It took me a second to realize what was happening, but I pulled away immediately."

I sighed and finally sat up beside him, our shoulders almost touching. "I believe you."

"Good." His hand found its way to my thigh, his fingers warm against my skin. I looked up, and for a moment, we just stared at each other.

Then, slowly, we leaned in. His lips brushed against mine, and my breath caught in my throat.

Oh my gosh. I'm kissing Eric freaking Coulter.

My hand slid up behind his neck, his fingers slipping around my waist, pulling me closer. The kiss was gentle, hesitant, but full of emotion. When we finally pulled apart, I bit my lip and smiled.

"This has to be our little secret," I whispered.

He nodded with a smirk, and I giggled. Just then, his expression softened.

"Do you still feel like no one cares about you?"

I reached up and touched his face, smiling. "No... because I know you care."

He smiled but said nothing. I dropped my hand and subtly tugged at my sleeve, pulling it down a little more to hide the fading marks on my arm. He noticed but didn't say anything. Thank God.

"Do you remember falling off the ledge?" he asked after a beat.

I tilted my head. That night was still a blur—disjointed images, fading memories.

"Not really. Some things are fuzzy."

"Well, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry about that," I mumbled, scratching the back of my neck.

He laughed gently. "It's no problem." He leaned in and kissed the top of my head. "You should probably sneak back to your dorm before anyone notices."

I nodded and quietly left his apartment, running barefoot through the hallways back to the dormitory. When I got there, most people were still asleep. I crept toward my bed and slipped under the covers.

"Where were you?"

My heart jumped. I turned and saw Christina, squinting at me through the dark.

"I was, uh—" I stood up quickly, searching for an excuse.

"Jordan?"

My eyes widened as she got up. I bolted out of the room, barefoot, laughing.

"You get back here!" she called after me, giggling as she ran to catch up.

We raced down the hallways like kids, laughter echoing around us, the slap of our bare feet filling the silence. I was just about to glance back at her when I ran full-speed into someone's chest.

"Ouch," I groaned, falling back onto the floor. I looked up and met the sharp gaze of Four.

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing? It's 7:30 a.m."

I scrambled to my feet, stammering, "We were—uh—we were just—"

"We?" he echoed, glancing behind me. I turned, but Christina had vanished.

I'm going to kill her.

"You do realize I'm going to have to give you a punishment."

I hung my head and nodded. "Yes, sir."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Come on. Back to the dorm."

"Hey, guys—what's up?" Eric's voice rang out. "What are you doing with Jordan?"

Four turned, hand still on my shoulder. "She was running around barefoot."

I blushed, cheeks burning with embarrassment. Eric chuckled but covered it with a cough.

"I'll take care of it," he said casually.

Four nodded and walked off, leaving me alone with Eric.

He walked me back to my bed. "Lay down and get some rest, alright?"

I nodded, slipping under the covers. He leaned down and whispered, "See you soon," then started to walk away.

"Wait," I said, jumping up and wrapping my arms around him from behind. "I don't want you to leave."

He gently pulled me off and turned to face me. "I know, angel. But we can't get caught. We could both get into serious trouble."

I nodded reluctantly.

Just then, two initiates walked past, staring. Eric turned his glare on them.

"What the hell are you looking at?" he barked.

They scrambled away like scared mice.

My head dropped again. He brushed a thumb against my cheek and smiled slightly. "See you later," he murmured before leaving.

Once he was gone, my stomach rumbled. I headed to the cafeteria and grabbed something quick. It was around 8:30 now and the room was buzzing with chatter.

"I can't believe you left me like that," I said to Christina, plopping down beside her.

"All man for himself," she teased with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and turned toward the door. Eric had just walked in and taken his seat at the leaders' table next to Max and Four.

God, I wanted to run up and hug him.

He glanced my way and winked. I mouthed, I miss you.

He smirked and mouthed back, I miss you more.

I giggled and turned back to my plate, just as my friends sat down.

"Jordan Brown?"

I froze at the sound of my name. I turned slowly and saw Jeanine Matthews standing there, flanked by two guards.

"You need to come with me."

"No—" I started, but one of the guards grabbed my arm tightly, yanking me to my feet.

My eyes darted to Eric. He was already on his feet, concern flashing in his eyes.

What are they going to do to me?