Page 93 of Hide And Seek

“Come on,” he added, jerking his head toward the door. “Let’s get you to Jasmine.”

The air outside felt cooler than I expected, brushing against my flushed skin as we stepped onto the path. Rhys stayed close, his presence steady at my side as we walked. Every snap of a twig and every shift of leaves still registered somewhere in the back of my mind, but none of it scared me anymore. The usual sharp edge of panic was gone, dulled into something quieter.

Because Rhys was here. Protecting me.

We reached the end of the path too quickly.

“This is probably as far as I can go without being seen by the others,” he said, stopping just short of the clearing. “But if you want me to come all the way, just say the word. I’ll do it.”

My gaze flicked out across the open space. The bathroom block sat on the other side, still and quiet.

“I can make it,” I said, lifting my chin. “It’s not far.”

Rhys nodded, squeezing my arm. “Remember, I’ve got eyes on you the whole way.”

“Thanks.” I gave him a faint smile. “I’ll see you later.”

With that, I stepped out into the clearing. The distance felt longer than it ever would have before the killer showed up here, but even as my pulse picked up slightly, it never tipped over into fear.

Because I could still feel it. That steady awareness of Rhys behind me. Watching. Ready to save me.

It was… nice. After days of constant fear and tension, of waiting for someone to jump out of the woods with an ax, the shift was almost disorienting. My shoulders loosened, my breathing steadied, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t feel like prey.

I reached the bathroom door and pushed it open, stepping inside. Maren and Grace were both standing near the sinks, mid-conversation. They looked up at the sound.

“Oh, hey,” Maren said. “Are you looking for Jasmine?”

“Yeah,” I replied.

“She’s in there,” Grace said, pointing toward one of the cubicles. “She said her stomach wasn’t feeling good. She’s been in there forages.”

“We didn’t want to leave her on her own,” Maren added with a small shrug. “Just in case.”

“That’s really nice of you,” I said, offering them a quick smile. “I’ve got her now, though. You don’t have to stay.”

They both looked relieved.

“Okay,” Grace said. “Tell her we hope she feels better.”

“I will.”

They headed out, the door swinging shut behind them. The second it clicked closed, the toilet cubicle door creaked open, and Jasmine stepped out.

“I’m sorry I took so long,” I said, hurrying toward her. “We were talking, and—”

“No, oh my god,I’msorry!”she cut in, shaking her head. “When I came up with that distraction plan, it didn’t even occur to me that you’d have to walk down here all alone. I only realized when I got in here and sat down.”

I waved a hand. “It’s fine. Nothing happened.”

“Well, yeah, obviously. But still…” Her gaze narrowed slightly. “You look really freaked out. Your face is totally red, and you’re breathing like you just ran a marathon.” She paused for a beat, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Just take long, deep breaths for a minute, okay? You’re totally safe now.”

If anything, that almost made me laugh. Because she was wrong. Not about being safe. Just about why I was breathless with a flushed face.

“I’m honestly fine,” I said, forcing my expression to settle. “I just worked myself up a bit on the walk over.”

I turned toward the closest sink, reaching for the tap more as something to do than anything else. But even as I focused on the running water, my mind kept drifting back.

To the path. To the way Rhys said he’d be watching. To how, for a few minutes out there, the terror that had become a constant presence in my life had just… vanished.