Chapter 50 Audrey

The moment we stepped out of the auditorium doors into the bright hallway, my friends were already swarming me like moths to a flame.

"Audrey, what the hell happened?" Tina demanded, her eyes as wide as saucers as sh reached up to gingerly touch the spot on my temple where a little bit of blood had dried. "Why did you show up so late?" I flinched away from her touch and quickly dabbed at my temple with a tissue.

"Linda..." I began, swallowing hard. "Linda and her friends attacked me in the bathro before the ceremony. Smashed my phone, locked me in a utility closet..." My voice began to quiver as I recounted the details. As I continued to tell the story of what happened, my friends' faces went pale, Avis's hand flew to cover her mouth in shock. Tina gasped loudly. Betty's jaw dropped, and Gavin's eyes narrowed.

"That's low, even for Linda," Gavin growled. "Why would she do something like that?"

"She said it was to keep me from making it to the next round." My stomach twisted at the thought. "To get revenge, I guess."

Tina huffed to herself. "I guess because of what happened with you

and Claudia Klein.

I nodded quickly, my eyes flickering down the hallway toward where it all happened. Linda and her friends had long since slipped away like ghosts in the crowd. "Is there any evidence?" Avis asked. "Did anyone see?"

I shook my head-even though Edwin had shown up, he didn't see it actually happen. Without real, tangible evidence, then it would be my word against Linda's.

An uneasy silence fell over the group as we processed that harsh reality. If it was just my

word against Linda's twisted version of events, chances were she would find a way to

wriggle out of facing any real consequences-even if Edwin vouched for me.

see Edwin approaching with his hands curled up into fists

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Chapter 30

to the security office, Miss Thatcher," the security guard

look with my friends, I followed the security guard down the winding hallways toward the main security office. Edwin walked beside me,

each one showing footage from various spots around campus. The security guard slid into her chair and tapped a few keys,

like Miss O'Malley may have tried to find a spot with no cameras," she explained as she sped through the footage. "But luckily, there was a camera just around the corner that caught most of what

on the screen, walking down the empty hall with my friends before breaking off from the group

then, a few moments later, Linda and her

hall. I thrashed and kicked,

janitor's keyrings-likely stolen-to lock me inside. My hands shook as I watched the three girls turn and run down

guard froze the video, with Linda's wicked grin taking

action for this,"

security guard hurried out, leaving Edwin and me alone in the small office, a heavy silence fell over us. He was

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Chaptes so

his knuckles over my bruised

those dark eyes of his flashing a brilliant gold for just a split second. He was frantic, searching every door and classroom desperately until he seemed to pick up on something. Then, his head whipped around toward the utility closet. He hesitated for only a moment before he suddenly broke into an all-out sprint, his shoulder slamming against the door. Once, twice-until finally, it buckled inward. Edwin disappeared from view,

a word, those strong arms had swept

enveloped in his warm arms. I had felt so safe, so... right. Like nothing else in the world mattered. Like this was how it was supposed to be-just the two of us, tangled together until the end

saw myself run out of the closet, toward the auditorium. A moment later, Edwin stepped out as well and stalked after me with his hands in fists at his sides. Edwin, not

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