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She looked down at her shoes. Sophia hadn’t seemed shy when I met her. She chatted freely with me throughout the day, and it made me like her all the more. There was something effervescent about Sophia. She reminded me of my sister, Carina, and it made it impossible to keep my distance.
“It’s not that impressive.”
We stepped outside, and the sunshine felt nice on my face. The Manhattan air was not nearly as fresh as I was used to, but after being locked inside all day in a cold dungeon, it felt nice to be outside. Even if the outside smelled like trash.
“I barely passed high school,” I admitted. “So, it’s pretty impressive to me that you are planning to get to college in three years.”
“Well, if you need help with anything, let me know.” She slipped a piece of paper on top of my notebook. “I’m always happy to help.”
Folding the paper, I placed it in my bag. “I might take you up on that.” Coming to New York was not a choice, but I knew one way to convince my father to allow me to leave was college. Even before everything, I was never a good student, and my entire life, he’d wanted me to go off and go to school.
Finishing classes at Warrenton might be the ticket to my freedom.
Sophia stopped short. “I think your escort is here.”
Following her eyes, I released a heavy sigh. Eli was leaning against a pillar, his eyes trained on the front door, obviously waiting for me. When ours met, his expression became hard once more, and I felt myself shiver.
No one had ever hated me simply for existing.
“What’s the deal with that?” Sophia asked.
“With what?”
She climbed down the stairs and walked toward Eli. “Eli’s not usually the one to glower. Did you do something to him?”
I snorted. “You can’t be serious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with any expression except a scowl.”
Sophia looked at me with quizzical eyes, but we didn’t say anything. Eli’s long legs had cut the distance between the three of us quicker than I thought, and before I knew it, he was standing in front of me, smiling at Sophia. “Hey Soph.”
My mouth dropped at the friendly tone.
“Hey.” She shifted her books in her arm. “How’s your summer going? Enjoying freedom?”
Free?
Eli snorted. “Not as free as you think.” He looked over at me, and I felt my cheeks turn red. “Are you ready to go?”
I nodded before turning to Sophia. “Thanks for today.”
“No problem!” She turned to Eli. “I’d say text me if you need help with homework, but I think you probably have that covered.”
“Bye Sophie.” Eli took me by the shoulders and started to steer me away from the school and back towards the house.
“Let go of me.” I shrugged him off, not liking the way his large hands made me feel so small. His fingers gripped my shoulders tightly before he let me go. “Why are you always so grabby,” I grumbled as I rolled my shoulders.
“It’s been a few hours,” Eli reminded me. “I don’t think enough has happened between us for you to start making assumptions around what I always do.”
I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t say anything. There was little point. Eli had decided to hate me. All during class, I considered why. He’d mentioned being worried that I would bring danger to his family, which I’d give him was a possibility, but there seemed to be more to it.
After watching him with Sophia, I was even more sure. There was something about me that Eli despised.
Speaking of Sophia…
“What did Sophia mean when she said she didn’t think I’d need help with homework?” I jogged slightly to catch up with Eli, who was incapable of slowing his feet.
“Do I look like Sophia?”
“Obviously not,” I countered. “She’s much nicer than you.”
