Page 410 of Knox Academy Omnibus
Jasper and I head out to the car and he gives me a curious look. He wants to know what happened in the kitchen, and as soon as we pull away I spill my guts on everything that I was told. I don’t know how much to believe, but it helps that I know she isn’t lying about Harold. He wanted all founding families dead and a double blood heir to take over and rebuild.
Only problem with that is he didn’t know what he was getting into when it came to me. Maybe if his grandsons hadn’t fallen for me he could have gotten them to do his bidding, but even they were fed up and had already started to find a way to get rid of him.
Which means it’s time for the next item on my list - Laura. She needs to be dealt with. I don’t care if my guys are with me or against me. I’m not so forgiving when it comes to her. Maybe killing her is harsh but I can start by destroying her life from the inside out, so she wishes that I would just kill her.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Amelie
Monty finally got word to us that we will all be graduating tomorrow. Talk about cutting it close. Thankfully, Elsie was prepared with wardrobes ready for all of us. Sawyer also looked into the hit on Debbie and as I expected, there was nothing. Nothing official anyway. So from an Order standpoint, Debbie is free to do what she wants. Aadi is still pissed at Bex for drugging him, and he’s even mad at me for keeping a secret from him. He’ll get over it, his pride will just be hurt for a while.
Everyone has gathered tonight for our end of year performance. Butterflies pool in my stomach; this is the first time that my family will hear me sing live like this and not karaoke style with a couple of drinks inside me. They all take up the entire front row, along with my friends. It’s so weird to see my parents, my grandmother and my biological mother all sitting together – even if they’re carefully spaced out with Aadi, Smalls and Bex between them. Chelsea is sitting next to Baxter of all people, and when I manage to pick my jaw up off the floor,I see that she’s charming the pants off him and has managed to engage him in an animated conversation.
Just please don’t let it be about the best way to sharpen knives or remove blood stains from linen.
My hands shake as the MC for the night introduces me. The crowd cheers and applauds, and I know my brother and Smalls will be the ring leaders of that.
The music starts and the dancers move onto the stage. I keep my eyes trained on a spot at the back of the room because I know if I make eye contact with my family, that I’ll cry. I’ve come so damn far in the ten months I have been here. It might seem like everything happened really fast, and it has, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but as long as I have my family, my guys, and my best friends by my side, it’s all a girl could ask for.
When my song finishes, thunderous applause rings out through the auditorium. I shuffle backstage quickly to hair and makeup. The curls that I have in for this song now need to be changed for my duet with Slate, but I have plenty of time since I only have the two performances.
“You know, if I knew you could sing that well, I might have fought harder for you.” I snort and stare at Baxter in the mirror. He steps up behind me holding a huge bouquet of black roses, the very edges tinged with red. They look so beautiful. The lady fixing my hair finishes straightening it and excuses herself. I turn the chair and he hands me the flowers.
“You know, for someone who claims to hate feelings and friendship, you sure know how to impress a girl.”
He pffts me. “All girls like flowers. I figured if you give them to dead people at funerals, then surely this occasion calls for them.”
“You have a point. Are you skipping out on me early?”
“Yeah, duty calls. I have a lead and need to follow it up. If it pans out, I’ll let you know. I’ll see you tomorrow. You know, since we areallgraduating. I don’t know why I even have to be there.”
“Because you stupidly went and made a friend, and I want to see you graduate. So get the gown and cap ready, buddy. And before you say it, you won’t kill me. You love me too much.”
He smirks at me and I remember the first time we met in the school office. I never would have thought we would end up with a lifelong friendship. Ugh, Chelsea is rubbing off on me today, I’m so emotional.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Remember you have to wear clothes under the gown!” I call out after him.
“Tell that to Kalen, not me!”
Shit he’s right.
Baxter leaves, and I’m given a five-minute curtain call, so I go in search of Slate. His whole face lights up when I walk towards him, and he takes in my very tight, black all-in-one bodysuit. He looks amazing in his dark ripped jeans, black shirt so damn tight it could be a second skin, and red jacket.
We enter from different sides of the stage so he blows me a kiss as the music starts and he walks out onto stage. I peep around the curtains. There’s a verse before I even need to go out. The metal poles set up on stage illuminate purple every time the words leave his mouth. I love that they are flashing to the music as he sings. We have to weave between them as we sing. Smoke starts to fill the room – my cue to walk onto stage. I swing my hips and sing as I walk towards him.
Our sexual tension is off the charts when we perform together. I can feel his passion for his gift.
When the chorus rolls around, I glance down at the front row and everyone is on their feet clapping in time with the music.
We work the crowd. The atmosphere is alive, and I can see what Slate loves about this; that adrenaline without having to risk your life. As the last line approaches, we close the gap between us and look into each other’s eyes and we sing the last few bars. I’m mesmerised by him. It wasn’t rehearsed, but I don't care, I step closer, and as the last word leaves his lips, I kiss him.
The curtain drops, and I hear Smalls whistling at us. No one else in the crowd would be capable of making that ear-splitting sound. Our kiss turns heated until a petite girl claps her hands at us and shoos us off stage.
Slate takes my hand and we rush off. He has to go and get ready for another performance but I’m done for the night. I ask him to bring my things out once he is done so that I can go and sit with the others and watch the rest of the performers.
Slate smashed his other songs. Him and Sean finished the show with a duet. They did Justin Beiber’s ‘Love yourself’. I wouldn’t have classed it as R&B until I saw the spin they did on it. It was outside the box, and I hadn’t realised that Sean could rap. He made up his own lyrics in the middle of the song, and then they merged it into ‘Photographs’ by Ed Sheeran. There honestly wasn’t a dry eye in the room. The way they merged the songs and told a love story was outstanding.
