Page 117 of The Silent Note

I stop her. “That’s how the bad guys get away without punishment. By protecting themselves behind technicalities. I understand where you’re coming from and… and I’ll even admit that I do feelsomethingfor Zane.”

Her eyes light up.

“But,no matter what, Zane and I can’t be together for real. It just can’t happen. Not when he’s eighteen and I’m twenty-four. Not when he’s my student. Not when he’s my step-brother. None of these things will change. The world won’t change.”

Cadence is practically rising out of her seat. Her face is flushed as she speaks passionately. “Grey, I didn’t come back toRedwood after Dutch kicked me out because the world suddenly got more fair to scholarship students. I came back because one thing changed. Me. I decided to fight Dutch. I decided I wouldn’t go down, even if it seemed impossible.” She gives me a grateful look. “And that’s when I called you. That’s when you fought with me. Only one thing has to change and that’s where all the other changes will come from. That’s where you’ll find the people who’ll fight with you.”

I look away, wanting to believe her, but shame has me in a chokehold and I can’t shake it loose.

Cadence puts her hand on top of mine. “You’re not like the people behind The Grateful Project. You’re not anything like the murderers who hurt your best friend.”

A ball of emotions lodge in my throat. It’s like she grabbed the innards of my heart and pulled out all my deepest, darkest fears.

“I can’t convince you to believe that, but I know one guy who won’t stop until he does.”

Something in her voice makes me look up.

A pair of blue, blue eyes slam into mine.

I gasp.

Jumbled emotions, thick and heady, suffocate my chest, my head feels pressurized and congested.

Because Dutch is running through the park, heading toward Cadence.

And beside him…

Is Zane.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

GREY

Sloane is back.

“Well, this is awkward,”she says, glancing between me and Zane.

I drag my attention away from the madman, who’s stomping over with a grim frown, and focus on the many exits out of the park.

“If you run, you’ll look pathetic,”Sloane points out.

“Think we can outrun them?” Cadence asks aloud.

I consider the distance between us and the boys.

Sloane shakes her head in caution.“I wouldn’t bet on those odds.”

“They’ll catch us,” I tell Cadence.

She nods slowly. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Dutch outpaces his twin brother and marches right up to Cadence. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure I see her sigh in resignation and lift her arms voluntarily seconds before Dutch hoists her up and over his shoulder. The motion is so smooth that it almost looks like they’re dancing.

“Is that normal?”Sloane asks, bewildered at the way Cadence bounces like a rag doll on top of the scowling boy’s shoulders.

For them, yeah.I answer back in my head.

Dutch glances at me and gives me a grunt of acknowledgement that’s as caveman as his movements.

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