Page 30 of Sweet Ruin

I edged myself out from the small space between Noah and the door, allowing him to open it a crack so he could look into the corridor. The noise of the rooster and the ringing alarm bells became so much louder especially when combined with the yelling from the boys as they emerged from their rooms

“They’re distracted by the rooster,” Noah said. “You can go.” His voice wasn’t quite as harsh or demanding as I’d expected. As our eyes met once more, I found myself questioning both of us. Why hadn’t he kicked me out of here immediately? Why hadn’t I turned and left as soon as I realized where I was? I held his gaze for a second that stretched longer and longer as I tried to find some answers in his swirling green eyes. But then the cold expression he usually reserved for me shuttered back into place, and he gestured for me to leave.

I ripped my eyes from his and quickly pushed through the narrow opening in the doorway. As I stepped back out into the hallway, the door slammed shut behind me. None of the boys gave me a second glance as they rummaged around looking for the ringing alarm clocks. A few boys, along with Adam, were trying to get hold of Barry, but the bird was flapping around them and dodging their attempts to grab him with ease.

Amid all the chaos, it was the perfect time to slip out. I hurried along the corridor, down the stairs, and out into the brisk night. I rubbed my arms, trying to warm myself up as I ran across the courtyard and back to my dorm. I couldn’t be sure if the tingling on my skin was caused by the wintery air or the memory of my brief intrusion into Noah’s room and the lingering sensation of his closeness as I pressed my back against his bedroom door. I hoped it was just the cold.

CHAPTERNINE

"Istill can’t believe we managed to get away with pranking the boys,” Anna said, smiling as she looked down at her phone. She turned it in my direction and showed me a picture of a guy being chased by Barry the rooster on Instagram.

He was dressed in his pajamas, and the picture captured him mid-scream as he ran from the rooster, which flapped its wings behind him. Barry looked like he was having the time of his life, but the poor guy looked terrified. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.

“He looks traumatized.”

“Yeah, seems like Joel is going to have nightmares about being chased by Barry for life.” Anna grinned, leaned back on the bed, and kept scrolling through her phone.

It was Saturday afternoon, and we were working on our college application essays—at least, I was trying to. It was hard to put my heart and soul into it when I wasn’t sure if I’d even be submitting it.

It had always been my dream to go to college and study medicine or sciences, but I’d given up on that idea last year so I could stay in Rapid Bay and help my mom run the café. I knew we couldn’t afford college and she needed my help. But that had all changed the day I met my father.

Matthew had offered to pay for me to go to any college I wanted the first day I met him. When he’d told me that, I’d flat-out refused and stormed out of his office. At the time, I didn’t want anything to do with him. Soon after though, my mom made it clear she didn’t want me to give up my dream for her and that I should let Matthew help. It was all so confusing, so I’d been avoiding thoughts of college ever since. But, with everyone else at school getting prepped to apply for schools, I’d begun to realize I couldn’t keep putting it off.

Matthew’s offer didn’t suddenly make everything simple though. If anything, I just felt more uncertain. If I was going to go to college, where would I go? Did I really know what I wanted to do with my life and career? Even though things were better with my father, I still didn’t really know if I could bring myself to accept his offer. My warring thoughts made filling out applications with any enthusiasm impossible.

Anna was supposed to be working on her college application too, but she was struggling even more than I was. When she wasn’t flicking through TikToks on her phone or asking me if I was done working yet, she was bugging me about a party Luther was throwing for his birthday tonight. She was incredibly distracting, but I’d promised to hang out and watch Netflix with her once I was done. Cress was on her big date with Kaden, so it was just the two of us.

“Are you sure you won’t come to the party tonight?” Anna pleaded with me once again. “It’ll be fun. I promise.”

I’d thought she’d have given up by now, but it seemed she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied. “It’s not happening”

“Please.” She batted her lashes at me, but she was barking up the wrong tree. I wasn’t turning up to Luther’s party when he was set on ignoring me. Especially not if it was his birthday.

“You know it’s a miracle we didn’t all get caught and sentenced to jail time because of our prank, right? We should be celebrating our freedom,” she argued.

Itwasa miracle we hadn’t been caught. I doubted there had been a risk of jail time, but the school did call an assembly to warn us that anyone caught taking part in further pranks would be suspended. Either way, it didn’t change my thoughts about Luther’s party.

“Luther doesn’t want me there,” I said. “He’s been ignoring me since Halloween. It would be weird if I showed up.”

“It wouldn’t be weird. You know what Luther’s parties are like. Everyone from school will be there, and you probably won’t even see him.”

“I always run into him at his parties.”

“Yes, well, it’s not like he wants to ignore you. We both know he’s only doing it because of Noah.”

"Another good reason not to go.”

“I doubt Noah will even be there,” Anna said. “He’s never here on weekends anymore.”

Anna was right. Although I found it difficult to believe he’d miss his best friend’s birthday, Noah had been leaving school every weekend to spend time with his grandfather at his family’s company. But, I had to admit, the party might be bearable if Noah wasn’t there and I could stay out of Luther’s way.

“Please come,” Anna continued. “We haven’t gone out in ages, and Cress is going to meet us there after her date. Don’t you want to hear about it?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Plus, Wes will be there.”

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