I don’t think Jarrod would be up for a debate, so I decide to let the subject go. Still, the woods do have a history. Strange sightings, freak accidents, a couple of unexplained fires. He’d probably say there is a logical explanation for all of those events.
As if sensing my apprehension, Jarrod stops and turns to face me. His bushy eyebrows draw together at the bridge of his chiseled nose. “Ian, we’re in this together, bud. Are you going to be able to hold up your end of the deal?”
“Yep, absolutely.”
He doesn’t seem convinced, and neither am I.
It’s just one night...
I take stock of our surroundings, figuring I might as well enjoy our trek through nature since I don’t plan on camping ever again. The leaves are changing to red and orange, and the hills are bathed in golden light from the setting sun. I take a deep breath, noting the crisp September air. Maybe this won’t be so bad.
“So, what’s your story, newbie?” Jarrod asks as he forges ahead.
“I’m no more a newbie than you are,” I say with a laugh.
“My brother was in Beta Gamma Zeta. My real brother,” Jarrod clarifies. “I’ve been partying with the fraternity since I was a sophomore in high school.”
“Oh, got it.” He’s put me in my place once again. “Is there anything I should know about the guys?”
“They’re mostly good people. Loyal to the end, that’s what my brother says. Chad’s a real dick, though. Watch your back around him. Actually, watch your front too. He loves to swat guys in the nuts.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s fun.” Jarrod turns and makes a quick leap toward my crotch with his open palm. I jump out of the way, just missing as he grazes the inside of my thigh. He smiles and bursts out laughing. “Good reflexes, newbie.”
“I’m beginning to wonder if Chad’s the real troublemaker. Maybe it’s you.”
“Never know.” Jarrod winks at me, his pink tongue darting out between his teeth. “So, I asked what your story was.”
“There’s not much to say.”It’s too soon to tell him my secret.“I moved here from a little town a couple of hours away. Got accepted into two colleges, but my other choice was too far away and too expensive.”
“You don’t really seem like the type to join a fraternity.”
“Like you said, Beta Gamma Zetas are loyal to the end. I like the idea of joining a brotherhood for life. I’m an only child, so it’d be nice to have some ties outside my parents.”
“Makes sense.” Jarrod squints off into the distance. “I think we’re just down the hill here.”
I pull out a crudely drawn map. “Yeah, looks like there’s a small creek that feeds into a river. I can see the water.”
“Did you think I was lying?”
“No, I—” There is no winning with this guy. He always has to have the upper hand. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just agreeing that we were getting closer to the spot.”
Jarrod continues ahead of me. Each step he takes exudes confident, frat bro energy. He will be right at home with the rest of our house. But despite his cocky attitude, I can’t deny his appeal. He has blazing blue eyes that pierce my soul. If he ever doubted himself or second-guessed his choices, I’d never know it. He is always in control, always taking command. A natural-born leader.
And he is hot as hell.
I’ve been insanely attracted to Jarrod from the moment we met. Sharing a room with him only intensified my feelings. Thankfully I’ve been too busy to think about him most of the time.
Settling in as a college freshman is a new experience for me. I’ve never lived away from home, never had to share anything, what with being an only child. And my schedule seems to have been organized by a masochist. Every class takes place on an opposite end of campus. I am racing back and forth here and there, down sidewalks, up stairs, through hallways, with only ten minutes between classes. With all the changes in my life over the past month, I’m usually too tired to think about the temptation sleeping in the bed only a few feet away from where I lay. But now we’re all alone, and I’ll have nothing but my thoughts to consume me.
We follow a path down the hill and under a dense canopy of trees. Suddenly everything feels different in the atmosphere. The world grows a little darker, the air a bit cooler. And the woods are eerily quiet. Shouldn’t birds be chirping? Squirrels chittering? All I can hear is the crackle of our footsteps among the dead leaves.
“Over there, by the scorched tree.” Jarrod nods toward our destination.
A feeling of dread twists my stomach into knots. We set our bags next to the battered trunk, which looks like it could disintegrate at any moment. Most of the tree’s foliage had been burnt to ashes. What is left of its limbs protrudes like charred bones.
“You know, a man died right here last year,” I point out. “He was burned to death.”