Page 91 of Riot Rules
I clap my hand over my mouth, tears blurring my vision.“What?What do you mean?”My voice cracks. I try to hold myself together, but it’s impossible. “I don’t understand,” I whisper.
“Are you crying?” Alderman isnota huge fan of emotion.
“No.” The lie is pathetic. I don’t even know why I bother.
He grunts. “Well, we can go over the details another time. There are a lot of things we need to talk about, but for now this is enough. Everything finally came together. Your name has officially been cleared, Hannah. You don’t need to worry anymore. You’re safe, kid. You’refree.”
I screw my eyes shut, trying not to make a sound as I sob silently into my hand.
Safe? Free?
The words ring in my ears, two simple terms that so many people take for granted. I’ve never had much cause to believe either would apply to me, and yet the man who saved me from the side of the road has just told me that I’m now both.
“Go and enjoy your party, Hannah,” he says.
I sniff, wiping at my eyes. “You know…” I say, my voice shaking a little. “I think I prefer Carina.”
Alderman laughs. “Fair enough. Carina, it is.”
“What…what about the rules?”
“The first, second and fourth no longer apply. The third does, but by the sounds of things it may as well not exist, so—”
I burst out laughing. I can’t stop myself. I never thought I’d experience this feeling. The pain and the horror I suffered that night in Grove Hill will never go away. Not fully. But I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore.I don’t have to keep lying. My entire future has just completely transformed in the span of one short phone call. There are so many possibilities now. And Alderman, in his very awkward, fatherly way, isstilltrying to warn me off boys.
“Just go, Carrie. Have a good night. Your police records have been sealed. All of the relevant documents have been signed. I have everything here, waiting for you. There’s nothing for you to worry about anymore.”
I can’t believe it. I really can’t. “Thank you. I—I don’t even know what to say.”
“An incredible injustice has finally been set right. You don’t need to say a word. Goodnight, Carrie.”
“Goodnight.”
Alderman disconnects the call. I’m still staring at the phone when a girl I don’t recognize comes careening out of the house, screaming my name at the top of her lungs. “Yo, Mendoza!! Get your ass inside! Your friend’s about to start a fight!”
41
DASH
There area thousand types of alcohol I prefer over champagne, but my father’s a pretentious prick, so that’s all that’s on offer this evening; there’s enough Möet & Chandon in this ballroom to drown a fucking naval fleet.
I drain my third glass, tugging angrily at my tie. I swear, the damned thing is trying to choke me. I haven’t seen my old man yet. He likes to make a grand entrance once all of his guests have arrived and it’s early yet. I’m antsy as fuck, though. There will be fireworks tonight for more than one reason: Mercy Jacobi is here, and Wren still hasn’t forgiven his sister over the Fitz/Mara debacle.
By the buffet table, I’m talking about the current state of the stock market to a guy with averyshiny head, very bald head, when Wren appears with steam blowing out of his ears. His suit is coal black, as is his shirt and silk tie. With his pale skin and his mass of black, wavy hair, he looks like death himself. “You invitedMercy?” he seethes.
“Excuse me. I see my wife beckoning me.” Brad, the bald guy who was boring me to tears over a shrimp vol-au-vent, has the good sense to scarper. Lucky bastard.
I need to tread lightly here. But y’know what? I shouldn’t fucking have to. I’m treading lightly because Wren’s temper is ridiculous these days. He’s all worked up over the new girl, Elodie. It’s sopainfully fucking obvious. By rights, I should be making his life a living hell. Isn’t that what he would have done to Carrie, if I’d been open about seeingher?Wasn’t that the whole point of creeping around, feeling guilty, feeling like absolute shit, actually, hiding the way I felt?
God.
Who the fuck even knows at this point?
All I know is that Wren’s frustrated about all the wrong things, and I am the last person he should be taking it out on.
Pax shows up with a handful of shrimp and a risky smirk on his face. He says something about Mercy looking hot. Wren threatens to murder him or something. I can feel my mouth moving—an attempt to keep the peace—but in my head, my thoughts are roiling.
I haven’t said a word. I should besoangry with him. After keeping Fitz a secret, and the heat from Mara’s disappearance bringing the cops to our doorstep, now he has the audacity tofall in lovewith a girl right under our noses. I should knock the fucker out, but I take the higher road. Wren Jacobi saved me once. More than that, he invited me to live with him and made me his friend. I can’t forget that.
