When I reach the end of the hall, Mauve is leaning lazily next to the classroom door, one boot propped up against it, her arms crossed over her small frame. Short lilac curls cradle her face in loose, untamed tresses, just barely reaching the peaks of her shoulders, some wayward strands falling over her honey brown eyes.
“Trouble in paradise?” Mauve smirks, raising her eyebrows.
I glance behind me and watch as Reed disappears into the sea of students. “No, just Reed being…well, Reed.” I huff a laugh, waving her off.
Mauve stands up straight, linking her arm in mine. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” I tell her, mustering up a smile, “except for the fact that I miss my best friend!”
Mauve giggles, pulling me closer to her side. “I miss you too. I feel like we haven’t had enough time together lately. Want to grab coffee at the cafe before class tomorrow?” she asks, excited.
I nod. “It would be my pleasure,” I say, my accent suddenly posh.
“Ah, marvellous! It’s a date,” she quips without missing a beat as we make our way into the lecture.
My last lecture of the day dragged on, and when I finally make it to the campus parking lot, I spot Reed leaning up against the passenger door of his Mercedes. His arms are folded over his chest, a wicked smile and deep dimples on full display as he watches me approach him.
I raise my brows. “Waiting for someone?”
He nods, smirking. “Just my beautiful girlfriend.”
“I see,” I say, glancing over my shoulder at the students exiting the building, pretending to look for someone, “tell her I say hello, would you?” I offer him a playful smile and begin walking away, but Reed slips his hand into mine, pulling me back towards him. My breasts press against his hard, unmoving chest.
“Must you always be such a brat?” His voice is husky between us. His eyes are low and clouded with sinful intentions.
“Only when my boyfriend is keeping things from me.” I raise my brows, and any sign of lust he had for me a moment ago is gone in an instant.
Reed closes his eyes, tipping his head back. He’s clearly annoyed with me. “I don’t understand why you insist on pestering me about this.” He drops my hand.
“Reed, Come on, I?—”
His gaze returns to me, but instead of soft hazel eyes promising pleasure, I’m met with disdain. I shrink under his stare, wishing I hadn’t said anything at all. Maybe I have been a little pushy about the subject, but I like Reed a lot, and I fear the skeletons in his closet are going to be our downfall.
“What have I ever done to lead you to believe you can’t trust me? I’ve done everything right, yet still you refuse to let down your walls.” He shakes his head in disbelief, and panic begins to seep in. The look in his eyes is one I know all too well. It’s the one that comes right before a goodbye.
“You’re right,” I say quickly, as if I might not get the chance to. I wrap my arms around his abdomen, pressing myself back into him. “I do trust you. I won’t ask you anymore, I’m sorry.”
He avoids my stare for a long moment, and my heart twists like it’s caught in a vice. When his gaze finally returns to me, there’s a softness within it that sends relief washing through me. “I’m sorry,” I repeat again, quieter this time, and place a gentle kiss on his full lips.
Reed brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear, drinking me in for a moment before kissing the top of my forehead. “Get in the car, Gravenhurst. I want to take you somewhere.”
TWENTY-TWO
VERENA GRAVENHURST
The Apparitionby Sleep Token plays low throughout Reed’s car as he hauls us towards the opposite side of town. Talking has been minimal between us, and I still have no idea where he’s taking me, but he seems calmer now than he had been when we left the academy. He sits relaxed behind the wheel, one hand keeping the car steady, the other gently gripping my thigh, keepingmesteady. I admire the view beyond the window as buildings give way to sprawling trees and flowers in bloom. The early spring sun is just beginning to bleed into the horizon, basking Hollowcrest in a soft orange glow. Warmer weather is becoming more and more frequent these days, though it’s been raining just as much.
I roll my window down to enjoy the view more clearly, allowing my thoughts to drift off into a place of peace it rarely has the fortune of visiting. The soft breeze brushes against my cheeks, and I close my eyes against it, savouring the moment. Time seems to slip away from me, and before I know it, Reed is turning onto a gravel road. It crunches loudly beneath the tires, and I glance at the sign to my right.Ashbourne Estate.Ashbourne? Like…Madison Ashbourne?
My eyes flick to Reed, and I’m about to ask him why the hell we’re at the residence of Satan herself, when she and Jenkins stroll towards us. Madison’s blonde hair flows loosely over the front of her black low-cut blouse, her cleavage pushed up so high, it looks like it might just strangle her. She pairs her top with black leggings and black ankle boots—clothing fit to blend in with the shadows of the night. Anxiety pools in my stomach, a bad feeling washing through me as they approach the vehicle. Jenkins’ outfit is also more casual than I’m used to seeing him in—a shirt of a band I don’t recognize, that looks like he took a pair of scissors to the sleeves, cropping it into a beater. Madison laughs at something Jenkins said and bumps into his shoulder, but when her sights land on me, occupying Reed’s passenger seat, her expression becomes sullen. Her eyes narrow on me, and she whispers something into Jenkins’ ear, which has him avert his gaze to me. I pick at the polish on my nails, my discomfort written across my face. They approach Reed’s open window, and Jenkins rests his elbows over it, scowling.
“What the hell is she doing here, Sullivan?”
Reed doesn’t dignify that question with an answer; he simply says, “Get in.”
Madison stands behind him with her arms crossed. Jenkins holds his stare on Reed, then finally pushes away from the window.
“Fine. It’s your funeral,” he says to Reed and slides into the backseat, Madison right behind him.
