Last Christmas (Private 0.60)

"He tried to hit you?" Thomas repeated.

"I managed to shove him off of me, but when he hit the ice it broke underneath him." Her voice was steady

and calm, and the explanation slipped from her lips with little effort. "He fell in and I tried to save him, but I

wasn't strong enough."

For a brief moment, she thought she saw uncertainty in Thomas's eyes, felt him shrink away. But then he was

holding her, pulling her close.

"Your face," he whispered when he pulled away. He reached out and touched her cheek where the pine

branch had sliced her skin. "Is that where he-"

Ariana nodded. She pulled in a choppy breath, pleased by how broken she sounded despite her Zen-like

peace. "We have to tell the police," Thomas said. Ariana pulled away. "No!"

"What? Why not? Ariana, someone died. We're the only people that know what happened," Thomas said. He

folded his shaking hands over his chest. "We have to do something."

"Thomas, please." Ariana forced herself to sound weak, vulnerable. "If we call the police, we'll have to

explain everything. We'll be expelled. Maybe arrested. And my mother, your parents ...what about your third

strike?"

Thomas's blue eyes hardened and Ariana knew she'd hit home. Thomas's survival instinct had kicked in. He

needed to protect himself-and her. She was just as important to him as he was to her. She knew it was true.

202

"Shit. Okay. Okay. You're right." Thomas pushed his hand through his hair, his eyes rimmed in red. "Okay.

We have to get out of here." He gripped her hand tight. "I can't fucking believe this."

His face twisted in pain as he leaned on his bad ankle and they started the trek back. Ariana relished the feel

of his warm hand over hers as they made their way through the trees. Everything was fine. She was with

Thomas and everything was going to be fine. It was romantic, even, this early morning walk through the

woods. So serene, so peaceful. They should do this every morning once school was back in session....

"We have to leave campus," Thomas said softly. "Separate for a while."

"What?"

Ariana was floored by the suggestion, by the sudden break in her happy thoughts. Her body tensed with anger

and she stopped abruptly. How could he be so quick to leave her, after everything they'd been through

together? After what she had just done for them? For him? He couldn't just leave her alone.

"No." Her voice was like ice. "We can't. I won't do it," she said as she stared through him.