Page 113 of The Silent Note

ZANE: Okay, I won’t do that.

ZANE: Just let me know you’re safe.

ZANE:I’m sorry.

Sloane takes the seat beside me.“You can’t avoid him forever.”

“I can try.”

“Are you leaving Redwood Prep? Are you moving to a remote village in Iceland and changing your name?”

“No.”

“Then you might as well just go home to your husband.”

“Grey?”

My muscles tighten and I twist my neck around to find Cadence standing behind me. She’s dressed in a simple grey blouse and jeans. Her long, brown hair is tied back in a ponytail and she’s gripping her phone tight.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” I cast a quick glance at Sloane before focusing on Cadence again. “What are you doing here?”

“You sent me your location, remember?”

“Right.”

I wanted someone to at least know where I was and what I was doing in case things went south.

I glance behind her. “Where’s Dutch?”

She wraps scrawny arms around herself and rubs. “Not sure.”

That’s… surprising. Cadence and Dutch are joined at the hip.

Well, it’s more like Dutch is joined toherhip. To say the six foot four guitarist follows her around like a giant, perpetually-foaming-at-the-mouth puppy is an understatement.

She points to the bench. “May I?”

“Sure.” I shift my purse from my left to my right side.

I notice Cadence hesitating and then sidestepping the place where Sloane is sitting to take my left side. The bench creaks as it accepts both our weights.

“How’d it go with Hall?” Cadence asks softly.

I rub my temple. “It… went.”

“That bad?”

I nod and let the silence linger for a bit.

“Did The Kings plan a retaliation against Hall for breaking Zane’s wrist?”

Cadence scrunches her nose. “Dutch didn’t say anything about it. But I haven’t really asked.”

I bob my head. That sounds about right. I get the sense that the boys are protective of Cadence and Viola. There are some realities, some shadows, some demons that they don’t reveal to the other girls.

Cadence’s phone rings. She checks the screen and scoffs.

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