Luke turns around. “He thinks I’m going to ruin his chances with your sister.” I knew it! Bennett is into my sister.
My phone buzzes against my leg, making me jump. I’m still on edge. Georgia’s name lights up the screen.
I answer before it can ring twice. “Hey.”
“Are you okay? Are the cops still there?” Her voice is pitched high, worried. “Did you guys get arrested?”
“We’re fine.” I pause, looking at him. He’s watching me, arms crossed, trying to look casual like he’s not hanging on every word. “I think we’re going to call it a night. I’ll be back to the dorm in a little.”
“You’re not staying there?”
“Georgia.” I lower my voice, turning slightly away. I can’t believe she said that! Why would she even think that? “We’ll talk when I get back.”
She huffs but relents. “Fine. But if you’re not here in thirty minutes, I’m calling the cops.” Ah, she’s still on edge too.
“Deal.” I hang up and look at Luke. He’s already grabbing his keys from the desk. “I’ll drive you.”
“You don’t have to.” It’s not a long walk from the dean’s home to the girls’ dorms.
“I do.” He meets my eyes, and I see he doesn’t want to let me out of his sight. “I’m your man. Remember?”
“Right.” I shake my head at him, but why does it sound good when he says he’s my man?
We don’t talk on the short drive. The radio plays low, some alternative song I don’t recognize. Luke pulls up to my dorm and kills the engine.
“Madeline.”
“Yeah?”
“Tomorrow. We figure this out.Together.” There is a warning there, but I’m freaking out about all this, and I’m more than okay with us doing this together. In fact, I don’t know if I could do it without him.
“Together,” I hear myself say.
He smiles, small and real. “Goodnight, Madeline.”
“Goodnight, Luke.”
I climb out and force myself not to look back. But I feel him watching me until I’m inside. I know it’s the last thing I should be doing with everything that’s happened, but I can’t help the smile that overtakes my face.
Chapter Twenty
LUKE
I’ve been leaning against the wall outside Madeline’s door for twelve minutes, counting each second by the drip of a radiator in the common area. I made sure to arrive early enough that she couldn’t avoid me.
I barely slept last night, too worried about Madeline and the fact that whoever killed Coach Murphy probably knows we know she’s dead. We’re loose ends now, or maybe just targets to take the blame.
I didn’t want to take her back to the dorm last night, but I didn’t have much choice. Still, I slipped out at two in the morning to check on her. Having the dean as my brother means I can borrow his master key whenever I need to.
As I wait, doors crack open. I don’t look, but I hear the soft sound of fabric and notice how laughter and voices suddenly go quiet. Three different girls have found reasons to walk past me in the last five minutes.
The lock clicks, and Madeline steps out with a bag over her shoulder. The tightness in my chest eases. She’s not wearing makeup, and her hair is pulled up in a messy bun. She doesn’t spend ages in front of the mirror for anyone. She’s alwaysherself. There’s still sleep in her eyes, and they go wide when she sees me.
“Why are you here?” She glances up and down the hallway.
I push off the wall. The paper bag in my hand saysbreakfast. I hold it out. “I’m walking you to practice.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at practice already?”
