Rae of Sunshine (Light in the Dark 1)

Down I went, scraping my knee against the cement. I hissed between my lips at the sharp sting.

Jesus Christ. All I did around this guy was fall. Granted, the first time he knocked me to the ground so that didn’t really count.

“Are you okay?” He asked, dropping down beside me. His voice was a husky gasp as he inhaled sharply, his chest heaving with each breath. His t-shirt was damp with sweat. As was his hair. Clearly he’d been running for a while before he joined me.

I glared at him with heat in my eyes. “Why the fuck were you running beside me?”

“You looked lonely,” was his response.

I narrowed my eyes. “I wasn’t.”

I clumsily came to my feet and started to walk, trying to shake off the stiffness in my limbs from the fall.

“Are you mad?” He asked, catching up to me easily with his long-legged stride.

I stopped in my tracks and looked up at him. “Yeah, I’m mad. That’s twice you’ve made me fall. If this is how you pick up girls you need to try a new method. This one is seriously lacking.”

He threw his head back and laughed—the kind of laugh that shakes your whole body. I liked the sound of his laugh too. It was warm and happy sounding. I never laughed anymore and I wondered if I did, would it sound like Rachael’s? Or would it be different?

“You’re funny.”

“I was serious.” I tilted my head, putting a hand on my hip.

He grinned down at me and I saw that he had a dimple in each cheek. The heavy scruff on his cheeks helped to camouflage them, but they were still there. They gave him an almost boyish appearance.

A lock of brown hair swept down to hide his blue eyes. He grinned at me, completely unfazed.

“You’re different.”

I looked up at him and nodded. “You’re right.”

He narrowed his eyes with his hands on his hips. He looked at me like I was some intricate puzzle he was trying to piece together. When he didn’t say anything I started to walk away again. My legs felt okay so I started jogging.

Cade joined me once more and I wasn’t even surprised.

When we circled the fountain that sat in the middle of campus I was tempted to push him in, just so he’d leave me alone. But I didn’t.

Cade continued to run with me—

even though I knew from his appearance he had to have already run a lot.

Neither of us spoke, but when you’re running hard there isn’t much breath for small talk.

My dorm appeared in front of me and I ran harder. I didn’t say goodbye to Cade as I jogged up the steps and into the building. I felt his eyes on me though.

I swore I wasn’t going to look, but when the doors closed behind me I allowed myself to turn.

He stood on the sidewalk outside the dorm, staring at where I stood—although I doubted he could actually see me.

I wondered what Cade found so fascinating about me.

Most people were afraid of me, and I didn’t blame them. They should be afraid. I was a killer.

I stepped away from the door and headed up the steps to my room.

Thea was still sleeping, a light snore echoing through the room. I shook my head and grabbed my stuff so I could shower.

By the time I was done in the bathroom Thea was stretching her arms above her head and blinking sleep from her eyes.