Page 88 of Hide And Seek

Jasmine suddenly stiffened, lifting a hand. “Shh.” She moved to the window and eased the curtain back a fraction. “Shit,” she muttered, dropping it. She looked back at me. “I guess you’re not the only one who thinks this is a nice walking trail.”

My eyes widened. “Someone’s coming up here?”

“Yeah. Grace and Maren.”

“Fuck.” Rhys was on his feet instantly. “If they try to come in here…”

He didn’t need to finish the sentence. The issue was obvious.

“Just lock the door,” I said with a slight frown.

Jasmine shook her head. “None of these cabins were locked when we searched up here on the first day,” she said. “So if they try to come in here for some reason, and they find it all locked up, they could get suspicious.”

“Shit,” I murmured. “I didn’t think of that.”

Jasmine scanned the room, then snapped her fingers. “Okay. I’ll stall them and lead them away. Alissa, you stay and listen to the theory. Meet me at the western bathrooms in ten minutes.”

“Make it twenty,” Rhys said. “It might take a while to explain.”

“Fine.” She checked the window again. “Shit, they’re almost here.”

Before either of us could respond, she was already moving.

The door opened, and her voice immediately shifted into something bright and casual. “Oh, hi! What are you guys doing up here?”

Maren’s voice drifted in faintly. “Just stretching our legs. What were you doing in that cabin?”

“I heard some of the guys were searching around again, and it gave me an idea,” Jasmine replied. “I figured the groundskeeper might have an old radio lying around. No luck, though.”

“Yeah, they already searched in there two days ago, remember?”

“Oh, right. Shit.” Jasmine sighed loudly. “God, I just keep getting my hopes up for nothing.”

“Me too,” Grace said wearily. “Last night, I had this dream where the cops showed up and shot the killer. I woke up feeling all safe and hopeful, because it feltsoreal. And then it all came crashing back.”

“That sucks,” Jasmine said gently.

“You know, you really shouldn’t be walking around alone,” Maren said. “So if you’re done searching, you can come and walk with us if you want.”

“Thanks. Any chance we could head to the bathroom first? I think the western one’s the closest.”

“Sure. I actually need to go too.”

Their voices faded as they moved away, until all that was left was birdsong and the faint rustle of trees.

I let out a sigh of relief and turned back around. Then it hit me. I was alone with Rhys again. That awareness snapped tight in my chest, and my pulse kicked up all over again.

“So… your theory?” I said.

“Right. Yeah.” He dropped back onto the sofa and gestured toward the end of the bed. “Sit.”

I hesitated for half a second, then crossed the room and perched where he’d indicated.

Rhys finished off the last of the sandwich in a few quick bites before leaning back, his gaze settling on me. “Everyone thinks Brad and Olivia are dead, right?”

“Well, they never came back, so…” I trailed off for a beat. “Something obviously happened to them.”

“I thought the same thing at first. But then I started thinking about that first night. When we were all stuck here, and they volunteered to walk to Millhaven together.”