Page 23 of Sweet Ruin

“I think he’s got some bug. He faded pretty fast this morning.”

“Oh no.”

“Yeah, it usually takes a lot to get my brother to admit he’s unwell, so he must be feeling pretty crap.”

“He didn’t look too good this morning,” Cress agreed. “He probably picked something up at the regatta.”

“I should go check on him,” I said.

“Unless you’re sick, I wouldn’t bother,” Sawyer replied. “Cress is right. Half the rowing team is down there. Miss Ludwell was kicking out anyone who didn’t need to see her.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sure Wes will text you with an update.”

“Yeah, okay.” Sawyer was right, but I still pulled out my phone and sent a message to Wes telling him to let me know if he needed anything. I hated that he wasn’t feeling well, but I felt a little relieved his sickness was probably to blame for the way he acted earlier today. He obviously wasn’t feeling his usual self.

It wasn’t until after lunch, when I’d left my friends to walk to class, that my phone vibrated with the arrival of a message. I quickly whipped my phone from my pocket, but I was slightly disappointed to see it wasn’t from Wes. The text was from Cress.

Cress: It happened!!!!!!!!

I’d lefther barely five minutes ago. My fingers flew across the keyboard as I responded.

Me: What happened?

Cress: Kaden found me after lunch and asked me out again. I am officially going on a date with him!!!!!!!!!

I laughedbecause I felt like I could almost hear her squeals of delight through the phone.

Me: That’s great Cress! When are you going? What are you doing?

Cress: No idea, but he said to keep Saturday free and leave the plans to him!

Me: So exciting!!!!

I couldn’t keepthe grin off my face as I made my way to my business management class, and not even the scowl Noah shot my way as I entered the room could bring me down. He might not have been happy Kaden and I were talking again, but I really didn’t care what he thought. It had been a turbulent week since Halloween, but today made me wonder if perhaps things were starting to turn around for me.

CHAPTERSEVEN

Weybridge Academy pretty much went into lockdown for the rest of the week. Wes was one of many who got sick, so classes were half empty, and the dining hall was quiet most days as people rested and recovered in their rooms.

Wes’s cold kept him out of school all week, and even when the weekend came around, he wasn’t feeling well enough to get out of bed. Anna refused to leave her room because she was convinced she looked like a snotty mess, even though she didn’t seem that unwell, while Cress kept trying to convince us all she was fine despite the fact she couldn’t stop sneezing and sounded like she’d swallowed a bee.

She was supposed to have her date with Kaden on Saturday, so I think she was playing down her symptoms because she desperately wanted to go. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—he got sick too and was smart enough to cancel. Somehow, I’d managed to avoid picking up any of the symptoms, and I was doing my best to help my friends feel better while keeping my distance as much as I could.

“Maybe I do feel a little unwell,” Cress eventually conceded on Saturday morning as she snuggled under her covers. She’d just received the text from Kaden saying he needed to cancel their date, and she was taking the news remarkably well. I suspected it was because she was feeling horrible, and so she was slightly relieved she didn’t have to get out of bed.

“This is what I’ve been saying for days, Cress. You’re sick.”

“I know, I know. I think I was in denial.”

"Major denial.”

She sighed and gave me a reluctant smile.

“Can I get you anything?” I asked.

“No thanks, I’m fine.”

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