Page 28 of Midnight of Ashes
“He can’t talk about you.”
My mouth curved. “I have a feeling he won’t ever again.”
I wanted to kiss Cáel so badly. I knew it was a bad idea. People thought I was with Knox. There were rumors of the other guys but nothing more. If I kissed him, there would be proof. I’d be branded with that scarlet A. But Cáel needed me right then. So…
Fuck it.
And the whispers around us turned to roars.
15
HAYDEN
Pete and Terry flanked me the moment I stepped out of my English lit class. They’d been on edge all day. And not for no reason.
I’d been right about the kiss with Cáel. The entire campus was buzzing. The reaction was a mixture. A fair amount of disgust. A healthy dose of jealousy. And more than a few crude comments, always whispered when none of the guys were around.
Wren gave me a small wave as she headed down the hallway, the action making her hair swing and exposing the scar on her cheek. She glanced warily at the two enforcers. “You’ll be okay?”
I nodded. “Not going to let a bunch of prudes get me down.”
Her lips gave the faintest twitch. “Good. See you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be the one wearing the scarlet A.”
Wren just shook her head and took off down the hall.
Pete, Terry, and I made our way through the half-crowded halls. I ignored everyone in my path until someone stepped directly in front of me.
I came up short, my gaze jerking upward, and then I sighed with relief. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
And what a sight he was. Dark-wash jeans that hugged his hips and skimmed his muscular thighs. A white T-shirt that hinted at the defined muscles I knew lay below.
Knox took the backpack from my shoulder and slung it over his own. Then he pulled me to him, brushing his lips across mine. “We need more classes together. I missed you all day.”
I melted into him. “I’m starting to wonder if I can switch to online classes.”
He grimaced. “That bad today?”
“Not the greatest.” I pulled back. “Do not tell Cáel.”
The last thing we needed was him getting expelled because he slit someone’s throat for scowling at me.
“I solemnly swear,” Knox promised. He kissed me again. “But I’m really sorry. We don’t have to do anything today. We can just go home and?—”
“No. I could use a little dose of normal.”
Knox grinned at me. “Good. I was thinking I could take you shopping, and then we could grab dinner.”
My face scrunched. “Shopping?”
He chuckled as he wrapped an arm around me and guided me toward the building’s exit. “I thought girls loved shopping.”
“I think that gene skipped me.” Maybe it was just that I’d never had any practice.
“Cill mentioned that you’ll need something for the cocktail party on Saturday. I thought you might feel more comfortable if you picked it out yourself.”
My stomach pitched. The cocktail party. The fucking council making me meet the hordes of their choosing.
