Page 37 of Fire Fight

And Raelene rises in solidarity. “I’ll come, too.”

A pulse of pain hits behind my eyes and I rub my scalp, fingers finding the scar from my childhood injury, teasing the puckered line. Nobody else knows it’s there, my hair easily covers it, but Arnold’s thinning pate could well be a glimpse of the future.

When they return, Cadence and her mum are in a far better mood, giggling when Arnold cracks a groanworthy dad joke.

“How are you finding Ashcroft Crest?” Raelene asks me as another round of drinks arrive. “Your dad told me there was some trouble before you transferred.”

My foot bumps against Cadence’s and she shifts in her seat, moving her legs farther away.

“That sounds like the polite way of saying I got sent to correctional boot camp.” I lean back in my chair, extending my legs then sweeping one to the side, finding my target even though she’s hiding. This time, when she tries to shift out of range, I follow her, lightly stamping on her shoe to hold her in place.

If it’s good enough for Hudson, it’s good enough for me.

“Was it awful?”

I shrug, brushing off the dislocating loneliness of those three months like they’re nothing. “They taught me a few things, though I’m not sure starting a fire with sticks or a pair of glasses will ever come in handy.”

My foot rises, curling along the inside of Cadence’s leg. Her chair squeaks on the polished floorboards as she tries to move out of range but a second later, I’ve found her again.

“The worst part was the unfairness.”

“What do you mean?”

Arnold gives a false laugh, taking Raelene’s hand in his. “We really don’t need to hash over this.”

“That’s okay,” I interrupt. “It’s nothing I’m ashamed of. A friend of mine at school, a girl, was given drugs and I confronted the person who gave them to her. Maybe I was heavy-handed, but it’s galling that I lost three months of my freedom for trying to do the right thing.”

Cadence stiffens beside me, and I flex against her leg, trapping her in place.

“When I told the school what happened, they sided with the dealer. Can you believe it?”

“No,” Cadence snaps.

I press my lips together, enjoying her discomfort. An unease that grows when I put my hand on her thigh, this time with deliberate intent. “But it’s the truth.”

“That’s appalling. It mightn’t be much comfort, but I’m sure karma will catch up with them.” Raelene leans towards me, oozing with sympathy. “Hopefully, you’ve found a better reception at your new school.”

Judging from her response, she believes me wholeheartedly, and I wonder what my father has told her.

As little as possible, I’m guessing.

“What about you, Cadence?” I turn towards her, using the movement to slide my hand farther up her leg, dragging her skirt along with it, exposing most of her thigh. “We don’t share a lot of classes but do you like Ashcroft?”

“It’s very nice.” Her voice wobbles a little as my fingers creep past her hem, drawing light circles on her skin, feeling her tremble. “And the students have been so welcoming. Especially, Hudson. It’s lucky to have such a friendly neighbour.”

Her fork clatters to the floor and she shoves my arm while bending to retrieve it. I hold on tight and next minute, the prongs dig into my hand.

Fuck, it’s painful.

“That is definitely the wrong fork,” I mutter, snatching it away from her and signalling to a passing waitress. “Could we have a new—Stacey?”

The pretty blonde girl is from Alabaster. Maybe two years ahead, but she recognises me all the same. “Drake!”

I stand as she gives me a hug, then hold out the fork. “Sorry, I just need to grab a clean one. This one fell on the floor.”

She turns and I follow, chatting with her at the bar counter as she takes a replacement from the drawer. When I glance backto the table, Cadence stares at us with a frown, eyes slightly narrowed.

It’s probably the lighting but from this distance, I could swear she looks upset. Almost… jealous?

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