Page 8 of The Absence of You
I’m lost in my work when someone throws their bag down on the table. I look up to find Callie standing next to me, a drink in each hand.
“Saw you studying through the window when I parked. Figured you might need a break, so I grabbed us a couple of coffees from the dining hall. Hope a latte is okay?”
“You are an angel sent from heaven.” I salivate over the cup as she hands it over. I pull off the lid and inhale the creamy aroma. “My favourite.” I gulp down a big mouthful and gesture for her to sit. Callie and I fall into easy conversation while we drink our coffees. She is very easy to talk to, so when she asks the reason I moved down here, I’m open about everything that happened.
Something about her makes me feel I can trust her. Callie doesn’t seem the type to use it against me, and there is little point in being anything but honest. She listens quietly, and when I’m finished, she doesn’t offer sympathy but instead she tells me she’s glad I’m here, despite the circumstances that led to it. Not once does she look shocked by anything I tell her. I don’t know the details about how she lost her mum, but I can imagine the last few years hasn’t exactly been easy for Callie either. She tells me a little about her own family. Her dad and her older brother both work away with the family business a lot. She and her mum were super close until she passed a couple of years ago. Callie doesn’t go into the details of her mum’s death but says that since then, her dad has become really protective. Sometimes painfully so. I can’t imagine how hard that’s been for her, so I squeeze her hand and tell her I’m here for her if she ever wants to talk.
“So, what kind of business is your dad in?” Callie doesn’t answer, her focus somewhere else. “Callie?”
“Sorry, I missed that. What did you say?” Before I can repeat the question, I see that it’s a group of guys at the next table that have her attention. I scan them, still hoping for my first glimpse of Grayson, but I don’t recognise any of them.
One particular guy is standing next to the table, and that’s who Callie is staring at. She is giving him daggers. He’s tall, blond, and looks older than the other students. His hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing a pair of tortoiseshell glasses. If it wasn’t for the uniform, he could easily be mistaken for one of the staff rather than a student.
“Who is that?” I whisper. Callie snaps out of the trance she was in and starts shoving her books into her bag.
“That’s Asher. Lord Asher Pennington, to be precise,” she says bitterly. I glance back at him with interest.
“He’s a Lord? Shit, this place really has some of society’s finest, doesn’t it?” I fail to hide how impressed I am.
Callie snorts,
“His father is an Earl, but I can assure you, Asher is not society’s finest anything. Unless finest prick counts?” A couple of girls walk past our table, stopping to flirt with the guys.
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you. I don’t suppose you know Grayson Banks?” Callie stops what she’s doing.
“Yeah, I know Grayson. He’s tight with Asher. And just as much of a dick.” Callie looks rattled as she finishes gathering up her things. I frown.
“What do you mean?”
“Those boys look and act like kings of the academy, and Asher might even have royal blood, but they aren’t nice people. You should stay away from him and his friends, Dahlia.” I’m confused about why she is being so negative. It’s been a long time, and I know people change, especially through high school, but I can’t imagine a world where Grayson is anything but the sweet boy I remember him to be.
“My grandmother Dee lives next door to Grayson, so I’m not sure I can completely avoid him.” From what I’ve told her, I’m sure she can work out I’ve known him a long time, but I don’t reveal how close we used to be. “I haven’t seen him since I’ve been back, though. I figured I would have bumped into him by now. Dee said their family were away but wouldn’t he get in trouble for missing the start of the term?”
“No, the parents pay an astronomical amount in fees. Means they get to do what they want. They can pull their darling kids out of school to ski in Switzerland mid-term if they want. No one gives a shit. They’ve probably just taken a late summer holiday. He’ll be back in at some point. But seriously, Grayson is not good company. He’s surly and frankly a bit of an arsehole.” She picks up her bag. “Come on, let’s get to our next lesson.”
I follow her out, trying to reconcile the description she’s given me with the boy I used to know.
Chapter Eight
DAHLIA
The rest of the week is a blur of settling into lessons, meeting staff, and trying to learn my way around campus. I wouldn’t have gotten through it without Callie. She keeps me sane, and her caffeine addiction means I’m never without a coffee in my hand. Luckily, my path doesn’t cross with the popular girls much, so I manage to avoid any more run-ins with them.
It's Friday before I get a chance to talk to Dee about my mum. My worry about her being lonely was pointless. She is the busiest person I know. Just this week, she’s played bridge, volunteered at a shelter, and met with her book club.
I find her in the kitchen baking.
“Dahlia, sit down, sweetheart. I’m so sorry I’ve had so little time to help you settle in. Tell me about your week.”
“It’s been good. The classes have been fine, and I’ve made a friend.” I reach over Dee’s shoulder to pinch a cookie from where they’re cooling on the rack. She chastises me softly,
“Careful, you’ll burn your mouth!” I grab one anyway and blow on it as she shakes her head in fake annoyance.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, darling. What is it?”
“When I met Mr. Canning at the start of the week, he mentioned my parents were both students at Heathley Academy.” I pause, but she doesn’t deny it. In fact, she’s silent. “It’s true then?”
