AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah.” He shook his head, expelling a harsh breath. “I’ll get you what you need by the end of the day.”
Good.
“But I think you should at least talk to Sloane about this.” He grabbed his bag off the desk, standing up. “These are her records you’re looking into, and this secret shit isn’t looking good on any of us.”
He would know, wouldn’t he? And though I hadn’t killed him for what he’d done, I still wasn’t happy about it. I started to say that, but then the door opened, and my buddy angled around.
We weren’t alone anymore.
“Thatcher?” A head eased into the lab, a body following. It wasn’t rare for girls to just find their way in here. This entire school knew what Legacy got up to behind these walls, and often, they just wanted to get in on it. Another hookup in here be damned.
That wasn’t the case today, and I got up, two things hitting me. One, I was glad we hadn’t been disrupted like a second earlier.
I was already in hot water with her.
And two, no matter how many times I saw the little fighter and was around her and breathing her air, it never ever got any easier to be around her. We’d eaten at the same dinner table multiple nights this week, and I still felt my insides crumble every time. I couldn’t touch her, hold her…
Sloane hadn’t known I was in here with Thatcher, because when she spotted us both, she nearly backed up. She’d started school again with her brother this week. Ramses and Brielle hadn’t wanted them to get behind, but they had given them an option for homeschooling.
The two obviously hadn’t taken it, and her brother was somewhere on campus too. It’d been an adjustment for them, and I think everyone else at the school. Especially since security had been amped up to help with the press.
Brielle was still here too, acting headmaster until she or any of the adults saw differently. From what I’d heard, the school had hired another headmaster, but they were on standby. We were all obviously making accommodations here.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she started, flustered. She tugged up the sleeves of the big Windsor Prep hoodie she wore, the thing covering her down to her thighs. If I had it my way, she’d wear nothing but those fucking hoodies that ate her up, making her look small and reminding me of how she’d looked in my clothes. I’d given her stuff to wear at Wolf’s party one time and nearly nutted myself. “I didn’t know you were busy. I just wanted to talk to you for a second.”
Her sight fell on me, and Thatcher came forward. I think we were both thrown to see her. Especially that him being here had brought her to the lab. “What’s up?”
He looked at me after he said it, and Sloane apparently decided retreating was pointless. We’d both seen her, and she acknowledged me with a nod when she came in, but I think only to be polite.
How had I let shit get so fucked up?
“I guess I heard that you got in trouble,” she led in with. She glanced at me. “With your dad and keeping what you knew about Bru and me a secret.”
Of course, I’d told her this, and Thatcher rubbed his neck.
“Nah, it’s okay,” he passed off. His hair sprung back after he passed a hand over it again. “My dad’s cool. He just needs some time.”
Yeah, he was really passing shit off. From what I’d heard, my buddy wasn’t only grounded but my god dad was getting him in the boxing ring again. They never spared themselves, but Knight beating the shit out of a trainer three times a week was enough to keep anyone from wanting to fuck up again.
“Even still.” Sloane put her hands together. “I wanted to say sorry again and ask if there’s anything I could do? I could talk to him if that helps.” She sighed. “I just feel bad. You were only trying to help me.”
I shouldn’t be surprised she was offering this. Not with what I knew about her. This was Sloane, the little fighter, the protector.
I rubbed my hands, and Thatcher raised his.
“Seriously, it’s fine,” he said. “My dad’s intense, but with a little bit of time, things will level out.”
A hint of hope touched my buddy’s voice, but he was right. My god dad burned hot, but when it came to his kids, his wife, and the rest of us, he had a soft spot. All our dads did, and his was no exception.
“Okay.” Sloane worked her hands, her nod quick before she bowed out. Thatcher looked at me after, and before I could change my mind, I entered the hall after her.
“Sloane?” She whirled around, and I stopped in front of her. “Can I walk you back to class?” I didn’t want my friend to be right about something, but he was.
The lies had gotten us nowhere.
It had Sloane analyzing me with resistance, hesitance. She folded her arms. “Why?”
It had her asking me that.
