Page 80 of Sweet Ruin

“Oh, Isobel.” A deliberate smile curved her lips. “Nothing I do is by accident.”

She flashed me a smile before she strode past me and out into the hallway. It took me a moment to gather my thoughts and trail after her. I couldn’t decide whether Veronica was slightly unhinged or brilliant. It was probably a little of both.

* * *

When I gotto math class, I was greeted by another surprise. Luther was apparently talking to me again. As I entered the classroom, he linked his arm through mine and led me to the back of the room, ushering me toward the seat next to his.

“Oh, so we’re friends again, are we?” I asked.

“Yep.” Luther grinned. “Noah reneged on the whole pick a side thing. Isn’t it great?”

He let go of my arm, but I refused to take the seat he offered me.

“No, it’s notgreat,” I said. “You really hurt me when you decided to ditch me the way you did.”

Luther’s expression dimmed. “I know,” he said. “But you didn’t see the state Noah was in. He wouldn’t tell me what was going on, and the way he was acting had me really worried. He’s been my best friend for a long time, and I knew he wouldn’t ask me to do something like that unless he had a good reason. I had to trust him.”

“That doesn’t make it okay.”

“I know, newbie. I know.” Luther sighed. “But I’m just hoping you’ll forgive me.”

I folded my arms across my chest as I looked at him. I wasn’t sure what to do. I knew it wasn’t fair Luther had been forced to choose. And I understood now that Noah was just doing everything he could to convince his grandfather he wanted nothing to do with me. Still, watching Luther and Kaden turn their backs on me had been horrible.

“You’re pausing way too long there, newbie…”

“Because I’m thinking.”

“You’re still not convinced.” He nodded and slowly started to smile. “Maybe it’s because I haven’t said sorryyet. Luckily, I’ve prepared a little something to help with that.”

“What are you—”

Luther clapped his hands together to cut me off and then pointed at a kid sitting nearby. The guy pulled an acoustic guitar from beside his desk and started to strum several chords.

“Oh no,” I gasped with horror as Luther jumped up to stand on his seat and put one foot on top of his desk before he reached out his hands toward me. “Luther, don’t…”

But it was too late. He was grinning broadly as he launched into a rendition of “Sorry” by Justin Bieber.

I was mortified, and my cheeks grew hot with embarrassment as Luther serenaded me from his perch on the desk. He wasn’t the best singer, but that didn’t appear to bother him one bit.

Everyone had turned in their seats to watch him, and my embarrassment only multiplied when I saw people gathering by the door and poking their heads in from the corridor. Luther’s voice was probably going to attract the whole school.

“Luther, stop,” I pleaded.

He paused for a moment, but the guitarist continued to play in the background.

“So, you forgive me?”

“Uh…” I hesitated for a second too long, and he jumped right back into the verse.

“Please, Luther,” I begged after he sang two more lines. The crowd at the door was growing larger and people were starting to spill into the classroom, but Luther didn’t take any notice as he kept singing.

“Luther, you don’t have to—”

A huge cheer went up from the class as Luther leaped off his desk and landed in front of me. He dropped to his knees before he belted out the chorus.

“Oh my gosh, okay,” I shouted to be heard over his voice. “I forgive you. I forgive you!” I didnotneed to hear him go any further.

He grinned as he climbed to his feet and nodded at his guitarist who thankfully stopped playing. Luther then bowed as the students watching us gave him a round of applause.

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