I didn’t invite them to follow me. They just tagged along, but I really don’t want to get on anyone’s bad side. I already have four guys trying to ruin my life.
Penny laughs. “We were in art class together.”
Yup, pretty sure that’s not going to fly. I turn to the girls so the horsemen don’t humiliate them too badly.
“It was nice talking with you.” Hopefully I don’t get punished because they were talking to me, and neither will they.
Penny looks at Natalie. Both of them are straining to keep their smiles on. “Did you want to sit with us for lunch, Harper?”
Caden’s heat closes in behind me before he says, “Shoo, little pests. She’s mine for lunch. Find your own virgin.”
Fuck my life. I give them a what-are-you-going-to-do smile and a little shrug as their smiles fall.
“We’ll talk later, Harper.” Penny is as enthusiastic as ever as she and Natalie walk away fast.
I turn to face Caden.
“You need to be fierce with those kinds, little nympho.” Caden takes my hand and drags me to his side of the table. He sits and pulls me onto his lap.
“What kinds are those?” I ask curiously and act as if this is completely normal for me to sit on Caden’s lap for lunch. I pull out our food and divide it into a pile for him and a pile for me.
Eli holds an apple across the table. “The kind that will eat you up until you have nothing left to offer them.”
“So I should be wary of you guys, then?” I take the apple and add it to my stack with a tight smile. I straighten my skirt a little because it rides up. There isn’t much to it.
“We’ll eat you up, but then you’ll keep coming.”
I wait for Eli to finish the sentence, but he bites into his apple and smirks.
It takes me a moment and then my face burns from the meaning. Yup, still can’t hold my own with this lot. Don’t know if I ever will.
Luke and Jack join us and Luke studies me as they both sit down.
“Embarrassed to be on Caden’s lap?” Luke asks.
I glance over my shoulder at Caden and smile. “Nope.”
I’m not going to elaborate on why my face is red if the others aren’t, and neither Eli nor Caden seem to be forthcoming. So I eat my sandwich and check out the cafeteria a little more now that I’m not on display. Well, at least not humiliating myself in front of the whole lot of them.
Except for the tables near us, almost every table is full. The cheerleaders and the football players seem to be on one side of us, claiming a few tables. While a group of scantily clad girls—not that I can say much given what I’m wearing today—are at the same table as the other day, waiting for any acknowledgment from the horsemen.
I notice Penny and Natalie at that table with two other girls, who must be Isabella Baker and Victoria Martinez. Otherwise known as Izzy and Vicky. They sit on the far end, farthest away from the horsemen. I wonder if there’s a hierarchy to that table.
Beyond that table is a group of guys trying to get those girls’ attention. A few JV football players and good ol’ Grant Perkins. When I accidentally meet Grant’s eyes, he glares at me.
Yeah, no love lost here either, buddy.
“Harper.” Luke’s voice draws me back to the table.
I look at him and fight the urge to sayyes, your lordship.
“Come here.”
I glance back at Caden before I walk to stand beside Luke. I haven’t done a thing for punishment unless talking to those girls counts. Fuck, that would suck.
But Luke doesn’t know about that.
Luke leans back in his chair and meets my eyes with his cold ones. “Sit.”
