Each step grows bouncier and peppier as I embrace the campus landscape. I’ve had nothing but doom and gloom for what feels like forever, and the lingering memories of what my father did threaten to plague me, but they are inconsequential to my current situation as the gothic building looms ahead.
With each stride, I find myself even more determined to settle as a sea of students come into view. Before I can calm my nerves, I startle at the sound of someone calling my name.
My gaze darts toward the source, where I find Meadow gaping at me in surprise.
I lift my hand in a shy wave, but she doesn’t wave back. Instead, she bolts toward me. I catch the outline of Toby in herwake, his feet planted as he offers the briefest of nods before I’m engulfed in his mate's embrace.
Warmth floods my veins at her contact as we rock from side to side while tears threaten to prick the backs of my eyelids.
Is this what it feels like to have a friend? A real one. Not someone who is seeking anything from you.
I have the best brother in the world. There's no doubt about it, even with all the secrets and the mess he was a part of when I first arrived here. I know I'm blessed to have him, but that's never stopped me from wondering what it would feel like to have a female presence. A sister, a best friend, damn, even a cousin to offer a girly aspect to my life.
My mom was never an option. Any time spent with her was used to mold me into the shape she chose, and I’m still dealing with the aftermath of it, even with this distance between us. Just like my father, her teachings linger in my mind like poison, committed to bringing me to my knees.
Before I lose myself in my thoughts, I squeeze Meadow a little tighter, savoring her presence.
She reluctantly leans back, curling her fingers around my upper arms as she stares into my eyes. “Is it true?” she whispers, her gaze searching mine, and I frown.
“Is what true?”
She gulps, and my veins turn to ice.
“Meadow?” I murmur, and she inches closer, her words even quieter this time.
“That you're a phoenix.”
The words leave her mouth, and my world stills. It’s as if I can feel every pair of eyes within a one-mile radius lock onto me, waiting for an answer.
Light-headed, nauseated, and on the brink of crumbling, I stutter over a response, but before I can lose myself to it completely, she gives me a little shake.
“Hey, whatever’s going on in that pretty head of yours, put a pin in it; you can tell me about it later. I'm just glad to see you’re okay. Some asshole wouldn’t let me go to the medical center.”
I follow her line of sight to find two of my mates, both with an air of nervousness dancing in the atmosphere around them.
“You didn’t let my friend come to see me,” I bite through clenched teeth, and Teddy lifts his hands in surrender.
“It wasn’t us,” he insists, and I raise a brow at him as Archer clears his throat.
“It was Hugo.”
I can see the truth in their eyes and my lips pinch. I take back every good thing I thought about my brother a few moments ago. Instead, I make a mental note to reach out to the butthead later to give him a piece of my mind.
Irritated, I return my attention to my friend, brushing a loose curl behind my ear as I focus on other matters. “I didn't realize it would be such hot news,” I admit, my words barely more than a whisper as I shake my head. She scoffs.
“Girl, this place runs on drama, but I'm just really glad to see you're okay,” she insists, dropping one hand from my shoulder to lace it through mine, linking us.
“I’m sorry, I should have messaged,” I insist, and she rears back, blinking at me in confusion, halting us after a single step.
“Wait, what? That wasn't your job. You had enough going on. Besides, I'm sure we can catch up at lunch, maybe even dinner,” she offers, and I nod as tendrils of happiness flood through me.
“Absolutely.”
We stay side by side as we near the academy, and she gives me one final squeeze before rejoining Toby. For a brief moment, I’m in a world of bliss, until I’m met with watchful stares and questionable whispers.
I sense Teddy at my side before he speaks. “Are you going to be okay with Archer?”
I grimace.
