Just a Kiss

* * * Preview of Rewritten Chapter One * * *

Something rustled in the distance and she froze. Fear tingled up her spine, waking her from the trance.

And that was what it felt like. Like waking from a dream and not understanding where you were.

One moment she’d been standing on her balcony, the next she was standing in the midst of the maze, uncertain why she had walked there in the first place.

Suddenly she felt unearthly cold. Air steamed around her hurried exhales and goosebumps prickled up her arms.

The rustling came closer this time, and Clara stumbled backwards. Whatever it was, it sounded big. Visions of monsters swarmed in her head. In a panic, she turned and started to run.

Turns out running in a dark hedge maze is not always the easiest thing. She’d only made it one turn before she came to a dead end.

Behind her, the rustling was growing nearer, as if something was pushing through the leaves themselves. But the walls were so thick and brambly, that wasn’t possible.

Was it?

Not unless whatever-it-was was very big and very strong.

Suddenly her imagination didn’t seem so wild after all.

Clara turned and ran again, and this time the ground began to slope back up as if she’d taken the right direction. She sprinted faster . . . and tripped straight over someone’s legs.

She yelped as she stumbled to the packed earth, the bushes rattling with impact as she smashed against them.

Whoever had been lying on the ground groaned beside her.

“What the—” he started to say, “Where am I?”

The rustling grew louder and the stranger snapped upright. He flexed his hand, palm open, as if expecting something to happen. When nothing did, he swore, grabbing her arm. “Come on!” He pulled her into a run. “Don’t just stand there!”

They didn’t slow down until they’d reached the opening to the maze. Even then, the stranger didn’t stop until they were far across the quad. He slumped down against the wall of the nearest building.

“What,” she panted as she stared back at the direction from which they’d just run, “ . . . was that?”

But the strange guy didn’t respond. He crumpled to his knees, clutching his side.

That’s when she saw the blood. It stained the front of his shirt in dark blotches and left trailing gashes up his arm.

“Oh my God, oh my God.” She frantically fumbled for her phone as she crouched beside him, but it wasn’t in her pocket. And the quad was still empty. There was no one to ask for help.

At least nothing had followed them out of the maze.

Yet.

Clara stared at the stranger. Angular jaw and sharp cheekbones, black hair rumpled and messy above closed eyes. A bloody gash trailed up one side of his face.

It looked like he’d been in a fight.

Just when she was starting to consider leaving him to run for help, his eyes snapped open. Then he pulled her to him.

And kissed her.

It took Clara’s brain several seconds to comprehend what was happening. The jumbled memories of the past few minutes tumbled up against each other as she tried to comprehend.

Maze. Hot guy. Injured hot guy.

The fact that he was currently kissing her wasn’t exactly helping in the whole making-sense-of-things department.

His hand wound into her hair and pulled her closer to him.

Her head spun.

Just as suddenly, he shoved her away. The strange guy backed up, staring at her with wide eyes like he didn’t understand what was happening either.

Everything felt slurred and muted, like she was waking up from a heavy dream.

A distant voice called to her though the buzzing in her ears.

"Clara!"

Footsteps clacked urgently on the pavement as they rounded the corner, and when she glanced back at the mysterious stranger, he was already slipping into the shadows.

It took several seconds after he’d disappeared for her brain to catch up with what her eyes had seen. The gash on his face was gone.

So were the wounds on his arms.

“Clara!” The voice sagged with a mix of worry and relief. It belonged to a girl with thick, black braids trailing down both sides of her head.

Addie.

They’d met earlier when checking-in. Addie was a sophomore and had been selected as her guide. “Girl! You scared me! I went to see you but your door was wide open.”

Clara stared off into the shadows where the stranger had disappeared, only half-hearing. "Oh . . . " was all she managed to say.

Addie bent down and held out her hand. "You don't look so good. Let's get you to the sick wing.”

“It's okay.” Clara's mind echoed, still staring into the shadows after the strange guy. “I’m okay.” But when she stood, her legs shook.

Addie glanced over in the direction the stranger had disappeared and her eyes narrowed.

“Sure. Whatever you say.”

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Hi guys! ❤

I'm going to post this as a new story when it's ready, but I wrote the first chapter and wanted to share it with you. I still have to work out all the new plot details so I don't get stuck again 😅, so it'll probably be a while until there's more. But here's a preview!

Comment and let me know what you thought! And press that star button if you liked it. 😊

Follow me on Instagram at XORomantic for more story stuff!

❤ ❤ ❤