The Raven Key by Carnes Harper L

Author:Carnes, Harper L.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-05-25T00:00:00+00:00

twenty-two

The floodlights shone down on the soccer field as Seth took his position on the grass for kickoff. They were playing against Beaverton High School tonight. Their orange and black uniforms clashed sharply with the blue and white that Seth’s team wore.

“Seth?”

Seth raised his eyes to the player from the other team that stood in front of him, and he froze. They both did. Dark brown eyes stared back at him in shock.

“Marcus?”

They’d only met the one time. But Seth still remembered Gabriel’s cousin from that evening at the farmhouse.

Marcus didn’t say anything in return. His eyes moved to the bleachers on the opposite side of the field.

Seth swore he felt his heart skip several beats as he followed Marcus’s gaze and then it stopped dead in his chest.

Gabriel.

Gabriel saw him too, his body stiff and his eyes wide.

No. No, no, no. This had to be some kind of horrible dream.

This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be.

It couldn’t really be Gabriel in those bleachers. Not his Gabriel, moving quickly as he made his way down from the metal stands, his steps carrying him across the grass and toward the parking lot.

Seth took off at a run across the field after him. He nearly ran into a member of the other team as he swerved around the players, trying to reach Gabriel before he could get in his car to drive away.

“Cunningham!” Coach Pembroke yelled after him as he ran off the field, his cleats clacking against the concrete. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“What’s going to happen—with the body?”

“Josh is taking her to the rest of the pack. He’s already called them.”

“Do they know about me then?”

Gabriel didn’t reply right away and Seth’s heart gave a panicked flutter.

“Gabriel?”

“I told him to say that I did it.”

Seth blinked at him. Taken aback. “What will happen to you?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully they’ll understand it was done in self-defense.”

The vacancy in his voice tore at Seth. Gabriel didn’t deserve to carry such a burden. It should have been Seth’s to bear.

“Gabriel—”

“Go!” Gabriel shouted. “Get out!”

Seth didn’t move. For a moment, he couldn’t even breathe. He felt dizzy. His eyes burned with wet heat and the sick twist of his stomach.

“I’m sorry.” Seth licked his lips before he continued. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I just—I really liked you and—”

“You’re seventeen.” The look Gabriel gave Seth was enough to make him flinch back. “Do you have any idea how much trouble I could be in if someone were to find out about us?”

Seth bit his lip and glanced away.

Gabriel’s eyes went wide. “Oh, god… Who knows?”

“My friends and my dad know I’m dating someone—but they don’t know how old you are. Well, except for…”

“Except for who?” Gabriel demanded when Seth trailed off.

“Evelyn.”

“Oh, fuck.”

“She won’t tell anyone.” Seth reached out a tentative hand to rest on Gabriel’s arm when he dropped his head against the steering wheel. “Please, I love you.”

Gabriel bristled and pulled away from Seth’s touch. “You’re a child!”

“I’m old enough to know how I feel!”

Gabriel shook his head.

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