Page 14

“What happened to you, Lawson?” My words sound as fragile as the surreal moment we’re having, which I desperately don’t want to end.

He dismisses his injuries like they’re nothing, as if I can’t see the fresh blood leaking from his wounds, or the large bandage covering his shoulder. Then he winces in pain, and I rush to step back, worried I’ve hurt him in some way, as I quickly make sure none of his visible injuries appear any worse.

When his hand wraps around my wrist, for the briefest second, I hold my breath, waiting and expecting the worst. What I don’t anticipate is for Lawson to place my palm back on his cheek, pulling me closer as though I never moved away. He presses his hand over mine, leaning into my touch in a way that takes my breath away, and I bask in the warmth from his body being so close to mine.

For a moment, it’s like all the air is sucked from the room, and my eyes are locked with his molten silver gaze. He’s looking at me like he really sees me for the first time, and it’s not just my hand that tingles. Butterflies erupt in my stomach, and my core heats as I pull my lower lip between my teeth when thoughts of kissing him flash through my brain.

I’m startled by the thoughts, and only when Lawson speaks am I brought back to the moment. “It was just an assignment.”

He says it so casually, and the sheer lack of self-preservation and resignation he has sends a ripple of anger through my veins. I’m so mad that the Order puts him through so much just to prove himself, when he’s already done so much. He doesn’t need to prove himself to anyone.

I didn’t realise I’d spoken the words aloud until Lawson’s cocky grin lights up his face, his cheek dimpling beneath my palm, setting my pulse racing even more. “Don’t let your boyfriend hear you say that.”

It’s like an ice-cold bucket of water is dumped over my head, snapping me back to reality as he reminds me of how wrong this is. Just the mention of Ryan is enough to make me drop my hand and take a rushed step back, as I frantically look around the room, hoping nobody else witnessed whatever this was.

I shouldn’t be alone with Lawson, let alone touching him the way I was. My father would kill me. Ryan could argue to end the marriage contact, if he thought I was being unfaithful to him. It’s bad enough that Lawson is all I think about, but I can at least hide that. If anyone found out about this, the so-called perfect future that has been planned for me could be over.

“I better go.” Despite it being the last thing I want to do, I need to get some space between me and Lawson, to clear my head before I do something really stupid. Still, I can’t help asking him, “Will you be okay?”

I expect cold, cruel Lawson to return, to push me away before I have the chance to run myself, and so I’m even more surprised when he allows me to see the pain in his eyes, and something very similar to longing. I’m sure it’s exactly the same as what he can see reflected in mine, as it physically hurts me to walk away from him.

He gives me a brief nod, and even though I want to linger, to draw out this strange moment between us, I know I can’t. I’m not even sure what this was. I’m not stupid…I’m very aware that I find Lawson attractive, but I didn’t think there was anything more to it than that. Just naughty thoughts when I knew I shouldn’t have them. I was certain that’s how he felt about me too, but this has me questioning everything, even though I know I can’t.

As I walk away, he gives me the sweetest smile, and my heart aches, because a part of me knows I’ll never see this version of Lawson again. And we both know that’s for the best. I can never be with Lawson, and wanting him the way I do is dangerous.

Just when I’m about to berate myself, because I can’t stop thinking about him, there’s a scuffle on the other side of the courtyard that pulls my attention back to the moment. Only when I look over at the noise do I realise that practically everyone is staring at me.

I freeze for a moment before dragging my hand down the fabric of my dress, making sure it’s not tucked in where it shouldn’t be. But it doesn’t seem like anything is out of place, which only makes my anxiety peak as my heart races.

Locating the source of the scuffle in the courtyard, I find my worst nightmare, Tillie and her friend Sienna, standing there. It seems like Sienna is trying to hold Tillie back, but as soon as our gazes meet, Tillie’s face twists with anger and she storms towards me, her ridiculously high heels clacking on the concrete floor.

It’s the last day of term! Can’t I have one final day with no drama?

I’m literally glued to the spot as the woman who has bullied me relentlessly for the last two years storms towards me, looking more furious with every step.

Before my brain can even process the sudden stillness, my cheek explodes with a searing, hot pain. The sharp crack of her hand echoes in the silence, and I stumble back as the raw, stinging sensation makes my eyes water.

Tillie doesn’t stop there. Her perfectly manicured nails, a vibrant coral, snag in my long strawberry-blonde hair. I feel a sharp, agonising tug, as if my scalp is being ripped from my head, and then a sickening thud as I’m thrown to the hard, cold ground.

I land with a bang, and the harsh texture of the concrete shreds at my exposed legs, as the hem of my dress rides up—or maybe it rips completely; I don’t know. My head is spinning, and I can’t think clearly as everything happening so fast overwhelms me.

Thankfully, my brain is working just enough to recognise the vulnerable position I’m in on the floor, and I quickly pull my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around them as Tillie towers over me, protecting myself as much as possible, just in case she continues attacking me.

My ears are ringing from the blow to my head, and tears stream down my face as I try to understand what is happening right now. Tillie has always been a bitch, but she’s never done anything more than call me names or try to humiliate me in some way. She’s never attacked me.

“You fucking bitch. I’m going to kill you.” Although Tillie has been screeching and shouting since she first attacked me, this is the only thing she’s said that I’ve been able to understand, and now I’m even more terrified.

I’m surrounded by people, and I quickly glance around to see if anyone is going to step in to help, despite already knowing the answer. If they were going to save me, they would have done so already.

My heart breaks when my gaze lands on Ryan standing beside Sienna, looking down at me with a vacant expression, like he doesn’t even know me. As my eyes lock with his, I silently plead with him to help me, but when he simply looks away, my stomach drops.

Tillie is in the middle of another rant, which I don’t hear over my world collapsing around me, when she kicks me in the side with her stupidly pointy heel. I cry out as pain radiates through my ribs, and more tears stream down my face.

Just as I’m about to beg her to stop, she’s pushed away from me and a shadow bathes me in darkness as a large figure looms over me, blocking me from view. I look up and see Lawson standing over me, protecting me, and now I’m more confused than ever.

“What the fuck, Lawson? Why are you defending this bitch?” Tillie screams at him, and Lawson simply shrugs his shoulders, looking uninterested in the whole situation.

“I’m not. Your loud screeching was giving me a headache, so I’m simply trying to protect my eardrums,” he replies.