Page 24 of Boys Who Hunt

I tilt my head and watch her tuck away her bag while some people in the group eat. She smiles, awkwardly clutching her belly while chatting with them, and when they offer her a bite, she politely declines with more smiles.

I wonder what they’re talking about or if they even know what kind of guys she’s got chasing her. But I wonder most of all what she’s thinking about, if she’s worried about Heath and Silas, or if she’s too busy trying to survive to even care about them.

My phone buzzes, and I check who it is.

Heath: You’ve got a free hour, right?

Me: Yeah…

Heath: Go talk to her.

Me: I can’t lie.

Heath: Try. For me. Please.

I rub my lips together and sigh. It’s so, so fucking hard to say no when he asks me like that.

Not that I’d be able to resist talking to a girl like her. It’s just that first step that makes me want to run in the opposite direction. She’s too beautiful. Too … mysterious.

I swallow away the nerves and approach while she hasn’t seen me yet, but the second I get closer, she looks me right in the eyes.

I freeze, turn around, and walk off.

What the fuck are you even doing, Max?

You pathetic, nervous motherfucker. Get your shit together.

I run another lap around the Skull and Serpent House, but when I get back to the grass, she’s gone, along with her friends.

Fuck. I missed my chance.

Goddammit. If you only just gathered the courage to—

“Hey.”

I squeal and drop my bottle of water. “Fuck!”

But when I turn to see who spoke, I forget all about the bottle. And my open jaw.

It’s her. She’s right here in front of me. And even more beautiful up close than I could ever imagine with that silky-smooth hair, olive skin, and plump lips that would make anyone want to kiss them.

And she’s talking … tome.

“Hi?” she repeats, making an odd face.

But I still don’t know what to say. All I can do is stare. Stare at that gorgeous face, those dark, smoldering eyes I could just … drown in. Good God.

“Hello? Do you speak English?” she asks again, making signals with her hands, and I realize she’s trying to use sign language.

“Oh yeah,” I say, blushing like crazy. “Sorry.”

“Wow. Okay. Confusing.” Her face is all scrunched up because I’m being weird, and I know I am, but my God, even her face like that is nothing short of perfection.

“This might be a weird question,” she says, “but are you following me?”

My eyes widen. “No, I—”

“I saw you walking straight at me and then turning around while I was still sitting in the grass, and now you’re here again.”