Page 130 of Wicked Dreams

“Amy is my cousin.” She laughs. “She’s such an introvert… Before you came along, I’d eat lunch in her office.”

We sneak out a side door and crouch-run to her car. It’s probably more suspicious that way, but this is the first real time we’ve skipped a class. As soon as we’re on the road, we burst into giggles.

“Tell me about Claire,” Riley orders.

I smile. “She’s sixteen. Smarter than me, for sure. Her sister, Hanna, is twelve. They both came to my foster family a few months after I got there. We became thick as thieves.”

She glances at me. “Sounds nice.”

“Claire’s a wild child,” I say. “Always coming up with these crazy ideas. Hanna and I were more similar. Quiet… grounded.”

Riley snorts. “Shy.”

“Yeah, that.”

We get to the mall in record time, which is perfect. The faster we get here, the more time I have to spend with Claire.

At the food court, I look around eagerly while Riley goes to buy us lunch.

The last time I was here, Caleb made a fool out of me.

Shoving that thought away, I spot her on the escalator. I wave frantically to catch her attention and rush toward her. We crash into each other, hugging and laughing.

I pull away first. “It’s been, what, a month? You’re grown up.”

Her blonde hair, long when I first saw it, is short and curled. She has cat-eye sunglasses perched on her head, light eye makeup, and dark-red lipstick.

She manages to seem more adult than I feel.

“I missed you, Wolfe.” She hugs me again. She’s petite enough that she can tuck her head under my chin. “We have so much to catch up on!”

“How’s Hanna?” I ask.

“Brilliant,” Claire says. “Foster family loves her, of course. There’s a brother in this one. I’m thinking they might be keepers.”

My eyes widen. “That’s amazing.”

She shrugs. “If they keepmeis a whole other issue. They’re infatuated with Hanna—not her adventurous older sister.”

“You two are a package deal.”

“I’d rather her secure a home that loves her. I’ll be fine.”

Riley approaches with a tray of food, and Claire’s head shoots up.

“Who’s this?”

“Claire, this is Riley. She’s my friend at school. Riley, Claire, my foster sister.”

They shake hands, and we lapse into silence. Riley passes me a carton of food.

“So, how’s things been back at Emery-Rose?” Claire asks. “Run into Caleb?”

I’ve managed to keep our sex a secret from everyone—Riley, even. I survived Tuesday without skipping, and he arrived back on Wednesday, as promised.

A stolen kiss or two before class, his hand on my thigh at lunch… other than that, nothing.

“Ooh, Riley, she’s turning red. What is happening?” Claire leans forward.

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