Page 84 of Redeeming the Villain

Chip smiles up at him.

He has autism and is nonverbal, but you can always tell what he’s thinking because he has the most expressive facial expressions, as if closed captions were written on his forehead.

He’s Mrs. Potts’s son, who—along with Mrs. Potts—has lived with Griffin for years, nearly Chip’s entire life. I know Griffin looks at him like a little brother and would do anything for his found family.

I want that.Desperately. And I want it with Alora.

“Hey, Blair.” I clear my throat.

She, along with Griffin, turns to look at me. “Yeah?”

I’m terrified, scared shitless. But maybe it’s time I start following my heart instead of my head.

“Can you invite Alora to tonight’s game?”

She fights back her smile. “And why can’t you do it yourself?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I sigh. “I don’t want her thinking it’s a prank.”

“Why the hell would she think it’s a prank?” She scoffs, and I watch the moment her gaze shifts from confusion to anger. “You asshole. Did you pull that kind of shit on her in high school?”

I remain quiet for a moment before owning up to it. “Yeah, all the time.”

Her jaw unhinges. “Malik …” She says my name with disappointment. “The fact that that girl is even talking to you, let alone kissing you, is nothing short of a miracle.”

My lips tip into a grin. “Oh, trust me,I know.And I’m not about to fuck it up now.”

She pulls out her phone. “Promise me you aren’t going to pull any shit. I don’t want to be your accomplice.”

Crossing my heart with my finger, I answer her with the utmost sincerity, “I swear it.”

“Are you sure this is okay? Griffin won’t be mad?” I glance down at the Legends jersey I’m wearing.

Blair insisted that I wear the jersey to the game tonight and I wasn’t about to question her.

She chuckles. “No, not at all.”

“Okay …” I drag out the word. “Thank you for letting me borrow it. I might look like I actually belong now.”

She looks over at me as she starts her car. “And why wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t know …” My insecurities wrap around my throat. “I’ve only ever been to one hockey game before, and it wasn’t exactly a great experience.”

She reaches over the divider and grabs my hand. “Malik told me, and I’m so sorry. But I made him promise that he has no bad intentions tonight.”

I’m surprised he told her about the incident at all. I’ve noticed he likes to keep that version of himself reserved. Well, at least, he used to.

A shiver shakes my bones as the memory flashes in my mind—when Malik had the staff escort me out in front of the crowded arena for being his “stalker.” God … the rumors that started after that were hard to bear. The jokes, the laughter … it still haunts me when I think about it.

But I also know that I’m not that girl anymore. I’m not in that school, and Malik isn’t the same Malik I once knew.

“I wouldn’t have come if I thought this was a setup.” I glance out the window at the Hawthorne mansion. “Were Malik and Griffin friends when you two started dating?”

She nods, pulling onto the street and driving toward campus. “The best of friends.”

“D-did he ever mention me?” I don’t know why this question bubbled to the surface, but I can’t help but be curious.

Shaking her head slightly, she winces. “No, but don’t take that as a point against him. Honestly, I’ve never even heard him talk about his life prior to coming here.”

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