This Is Love (Evermore University #2)

31. Logan

31

LOGAN

The time on my phone reads half past seven. I’ve got thirty minutes to get to Rya’s performance. I clench my teeth. She says she’s ready. Honestly, I watched her practice yesterday, and she’s gonna fucking kill it. She’s beauty and grace and strength personified. I can’t wait to watch her on stage.

As luck would have it, my mother called as Jaxon and I were preparing to leave, so I sent him ahead to make sure Rya had someone in the audience early. Now I’ll be lucky if I’m not late to the performing arts center. Exhaling hard, I stuff my phone into my back pocket, grab my keys, and lock up.

I’m so caught up in the fear of being late, it takes me a second or two to realize I’m not alone in the hallway. There’s a slight sniffling sound that has my head whipping to the right. My entire body tenses.

Hazel sits in front of the door to the room she shares—shared, at this point—with Rya. She’s curled into a ball, arms wrapped around her knees, and has burrowed her face so deeply that the only thing visible is her blonde bun sticking up from the top of her head. It kinda looks like she’s ready for her performance in terms of her hair being all done up, but why the hell is she still here?

I glance down at my phone again. T-minus thirty minutes until curtain. She should definitely be at the auditorium.

My jaw grinds. I don’t like her shift in attitude toward Rya, but I also struggle to see anyone upset to this extent. Clearly, something is very wrong.

Hoping I don’t regret this, I walk over and crouch down at her side. “Hazel, what’s going on?”

She startles, as if she had no idea I was here, her head jerking up. Tears have made tracks through her makeup, and her face is blotchy and swollen from crying. “Logan, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she whispers, her lower lip trembling in a way that twists my heart.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the auditorium?”

“Yeah. But I forgot to bring the outfit I was going to perform in.” She sucks in a wet breath. “I ran all the way back here. And then… I-I forgot my keys.”

“Do you have something else you can wear?”

Swallowing hard, she shakes her head. “Not really. A lot of my stuff was messed up by that jackass who messed with the lockers.” She sniffles. “And the rest is in there.” Jerking a thumb over her shoulder, she gives a half-hearted shrug before bursting into tears again.

Her sobs are heart-wrenching, and at first, I don’t have a clue how to help her, but I know I’ve got to leave soon. Then it hits me. “I have access to Jaxon’s room.”

“So?” She glances up, her face pinching.

“I don’t think Rya took her bag with her.”

“Again, so?” She wets her lips, sniffling again.

“Okay. You’re upset. I fucking get it. Just a sec.” Perturbed, I stand and hurry to Jaxon’s room. My eyes go directly to Rya’s backpack on his desk. Yanking the zipper open, I don’t even have to search. Her lanyard is tucked right on top, keys attached.

After locking up Jaxon’s room, I jog back down the hall. Hazel sees me coming, a look of shock on her face. “Oh my god. I’m such a bitch.” She clutches at me as I stop in front of her, a wide smile spreading across her cry-swollen face.

I awkwardly pat her back until she releases me. “No big deal.” I gesture to the doorknob. “Let’s get you in there. You can still make your performance if you hurry.” I let her in, then turn to go, but she practically shrieks.

“Wait. Please wait for me. I’ve got the worst luck today, and I’m scared that if you go, something else will blow up in my face.”

Grinding my teeth, I finally exhale, nodding. “Okay, but hurry.”

Two minutes later, she has what she needs, and we head for the elevator. Hazel jabs at the button repeatedly with one finger. I don’t have the heart to say a word, because she’s obviously still in panic mode. The elevator creaks to a stop and the light dings above it. It takes a good thirty seconds for the old door to haltingly slide open.

I ruffle a hand through my hair as we step inside, exhaling hard. Hazel turns to smile at me as she hits the button for the ground floor. I grit my teeth. Crisis averted, I guess.

With a groan and a shriek, the elevator begins its descent. It shudders and pitches, and then… everything goes black as the car jerks to a stop. “What the fuck?” I growl.

“Power outage?” She heaves out a distressed breath. “Fuck. I told you today is just not my day.”

I close my eyes, because what does it matter if the lights are out anyway? The elevator car makes a ghastly groaning noise, and I swear I mutter every curse under the sun. Turning to examine the panel by the door, there’s a faint glow from the emergency call button. I press it. I have no fucking clue what it does. Call someone in the building? Alert the fire department or police? I honestly don’t know. “I don’t know if that did a damn thing.” I press it again for good measure, then heave out a breath. “I wonder if power is out all over campus.” The weather isn’t even that wild. Just a bit of wind and cold. I frown.

“What are we gonna do?” Hazel wails. “You were so damn nice to stay with me, and now look at what’s happened.” Her fingers clutch at the front of the button-down I’d put on to attend the showcase. “I’m so sorry.” She sounds miserable, and a part of me winces because I’m unsure if believing her is a good idea.

Just then, the elevator gives a violent shake, one so harsh, I put a hand out to steady myself against the wall of the cube we’re stuck in. Hazel grabs onto me more fiercely, pressing her forehead against my chest. Her entire body has gone tense. “Oh my god. We’re gonna die in here.” Her breath is coming erratically now, and as she tips her face up to mine, all I can see is the glint of her eye as she stares at me. The elevator creaks, shifting again, and Hazel whimpers.

I exhale carefully, placing my hands on her shoulders, and squeeze lightly. This whole situation is only going from bad to worse if she has some sort of meltdown or panic attack. “We’re fine.” I duck my head, murmuring softly as she trembles. “The power will come on soon.”

Her chest jerks, and she nods.

The lights flicker for a few seconds, then come on. The entire car heaves, dropping at least a foot before it catches and holds. I huff out a breath, my eyes wide. I glance at Hazel to get a read on her mental state. And as my head dips down to make my assessment, hers snaps up. She takes me by the back of the neck and tugs my face to hers.

I’m so caught off guard, I don’t move for several seconds. But Hazel does. Her hands end up in the back of my hair as she slants her lips over mine in an attempt to coax me into joining her in this madness.

I tear my lips from hers on a gasp, gripping her wrists, so I can yank them away from me. “What the fuck are you doing?” I gasp, taking a step backward.

There’s an odd light in her eyes. “What do you mean ‘what am I doing?’” The door to the elevator chooses this inopportune moment in time to creak, cry, then shudder open. “You put your hands on me, Logan. You kissed me!”

I blink hard, shaking my head as I stare at her. “Are you crazy?”

There are some shouts and laughter outside the elevator, but I pay them no mind as I back away from Hazel, turn, and exit at the fastest clip I can.

“Son, you okay?” There’s an older-looking gentleman who appears to be with the fire department on his way in as I burst through the door.

“Oh, I’m great,” I mutter, heading directly out Deveney Hall’s doors without a backward glance. My mind races the entire way to the theater with what the hell I’m going to tell Rya.

I’ve seen enough now. It’s confirmed. Hazel is fucked in the head.