Page 19 of Fractured Loyalties
We exit the house into the garage, and the cold air slices through the stuffy warmth of the house. Roman unlocks the SUV and gestures for me to get in. I do, careful to keep my skirt flat and my knees together. He notices, of course.
He notices freakingeverything.
He starts the car, and the engine purrs to life. The silence is thick and ugly as he backs out of the driveway, his knuckles white on the wheel. I stare out the window, doing the math on how quickly I could bail if he tried anything.
However… He gives me nothing.
He’s dead silent for the entire four-mile drive to school, not even bothering to give me a passing glance, and yet, somehow, it still feels as if he’s going to light me on fire with his very presence.
Roman parks in front of the school. He kills the engine but doesn’t get out. He just sits there, his hand drumming on the wheel, before finally looking at me.
I swallow hard, and it’s obnoxiously audible.
He laughs, low and roughly, and then leans in until his lips are right next to my ear. “Have a good day, Little Lamb.”
My whole body locks up. I grab the door handle and bolt out of the car, not even bothering to look back.
Holy fucking shit. I hate him.
But I can’t let him get to me. I can’t letanyonehere get to me. I have to make it through this year, no matter what. And then I’m long gone.
“Hey! New girl!” The familiar voice causes me to freeze, right inside the main doors. I turn, my stomach knotting up.
Blair is standing with her arms folded, her posse flanking her like designer-clad gargoyles. Her hair is perfect, not a strand out of place.
Nope. Not today, Satan.I keep walking, but I’m not fast enough.
She blocks my path with one well-timed pivot. “So, you got the memo about the skirt, huh?” She eyes me up and down, making a point to linger at my knees, then at the bow tied around my neck. “Looks as if you learned your lesson. Also, I hadnoidea you were a Woods.”
I open my mouth to say something, anything, but my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. I remember the spilled milk and the way it soaked my legs yesterday, and heat creeps up my neck all over again.
Blair’s friends laugh, and one of them whispers, “I don’t think she knows how to talk.”
The urge to turn around and walk home is so strong I nearly do it. But then, out of nowhere, a new voice slices through the scene.
“That’s enough, Blair.”
Blair’s smile dims a fraction, and her head snaps to the side.
“Oh, hey, Kade. Didn’t see you there.” Her voice suddenly softens, and I whip my head around to see who’s caused this astronomical change.
The guy standing behind me is tall and broad-shouldered, with sun-browned skin and a swimmer’s build. His hair is light-brown and messy, as if he just woke up, but his eyes are sharp and clear.
He steps forward, putting himself between me and the firing squad. “Maybe try something new today. Or is it too early in the week to be original?”
For a second, Blair’s composure wobbles. She recovers with a thin smile. “Just welcoming her to the family,” she chirps, then turns to her followers. “Let’s go, girls. It’s leg day.”
Kade turns to me. “You okay?” His voice is a lot softer now, and it’s stripped of the edge he used on Blair.
I nod, too grateful to trust my own voice.
“I’m Kade,” he says, sticking out his hand. “If you’re Ivy, then you must be the new stepsister of Roman, right? Sorry, is that rude to say? I never know what’s allowed here. I just know it must be shit for you.” He cracks a grin, and I take his hand, shaking it.
“Yeah. Ivy. That’s me.”
“Welcome to Woods,” he says with genuine warmth in his smile. “If you need a tour guide or someone to eat lunch with, I’m usually at the pool by the east wing. Or the library. Theycan’t decide if I’m a jock or a nerd, so I’m mostly just alone.” He shrugs, but it’s not sad. It’s more as if he’s okay with it.
I like that.
