Page 24 of The Invite
“You think any louder, everyone will hear your thoughts, Nessa,” teases Ace, pulling us to a stop in front of a café.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
We enter and immediately, the strong aroma of coffee and baked goods wafts in the air. We go for a booth in the corner at the back. As soon as he lowers to the booth across from me, his face goes somber and he says, “So it’s true.”
“Yeah.” I don’t bother denying it.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“I can’t.” My fingers twist on the table.
He clicks his tongue after a pause, leaning back. “They made you sign an NDA.”
“Yes.”
“That’s shitty,” he utters before revealing, “but I’m not surprised. The Graysons have always had a sway in this town.”
“Why?” I’m genuinely perplexed. “Are they, like, royalty or something?”
A waiter appears before he can reply and we place our order. An iced coffee with ice cream for me and a hot cappuccino for him. As soon as the waiter’s gone, Ace leans forward, his expression serious.
“The Graysons aren’t royalty, but they might as well be for all the power they possess. Arnold Grayson was the mayor of the town before he died suddenly from a heart attack. Everyone loved and respected him, so it was sad news for all of us. But his wife—Elizabeth—has always lorded his power over others. Reputation is everything to her. So, you going after her son, even if he was guilty, and with him one day becoming the mayor, she wouldn’t have allowed you to tarnish his career before it even began.”
“Being suspended will still be on his record.”
“But it’ll be easier to bury,” says Ace, tearing into a pack of sugar. “An expulsion is permanent.”
“Do you think this isn’t over?”
He pauses in mixing the sugar at my tone, and bluntly says, “Whatever you have on him must be serious because otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered with an NDA. She would’ve just gotten you fired. Unless you break the terms, I think it’s over. Until, of course, Augustus returns to school.”
My mood deflates. “So, what I have is a temporary win.”
“I’m not going to beat around the bush and give you false hope but once he and Maverick are back, there’s a chance they might want payback. A very small chance. So, I would suggest you watch your back when the time comes. It’s only a few months before they graduate and are out of your life.”
Life or death situations occur in the span of a few nanoseconds. A few months is a very long time. I’d be like a sitting lamb waiting to be sacrificed.
Ace must read the apprehension on my face because he rests his palm on mine and squeezes reassuringly. “I didn’t say all this to scare you, Nessa. Just that there is a possibility. I know we only just met but I hope once you get to know me as we work together, you’ll know I have your back.”
“I appreciate it, Ace,” I say, withdrawing my hand when he relaxes his hold. “Have these two been in trouble before?”
Blowing on his coffee, he takes a sip before answering. “Nothing concrete. Just a couple of rumors floating around that would be hushed once it started getting louder. Now I know it must’ve been Elizabeth.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“As entitled as they are coming from influential families, they believe they can get away with things most wouldn’t. I’m guessing whatever happened between you and them, must’ve occurred outside the school’s premises. Because Augustus hasalways kept his reputation clean and behaved properly, but Maverick is a loose cannon. He is intelligent too, underneath the sarcasm and cockiness.”
“What does Maverick’s father do?”
“They’re in the oil business and their ancestors were the founding members of Fallthorne.”
“Maverick comes from old money.”
Ace nods.
“I stood up to the two worst families I could pick,” I half-heartedly joke. “Is there anyone else I should worry about?”
“You know when I advised that you show the students who’s the boss, I didn’t mean by suspending two of them.” He tries to lighten the mood. “Even if there was anyone to worry about, they’ll think twice before messing with you now.”
