Page 151 of Kade

Aurelia cast the guys a look, some mean shining from her eyes. Her mouth lifted up in a cocky smirk.

I was moving without thinking about it, but as Stevie shut her locker, she began to turn toward the parking lot. She put her foot forward, and Aurelia tossed her bag in her way. Stevie hit the bag, tripping, and she fell down.

Or she would’ve.

Aurelia tossed her bag, but two things happened before that happened.

I reached for Aurelia’s hair and yanked her backward, and as she let her bag loose, Max plucked it out of the air. He swung it around before he got a better hold of it.

“Damn!” Beltraine whooped behind us.

A few others made sounds of surprise because everything happened so fast, so seamlessly, it was as if Max and I had been doing things like that all the time. Which, I guess we had.

Stevie braked abruptly, blinking a few times because her brain needed to catch up with her body. Nothing happened. She was still standing. She hadn’t tripped. All was good.

“What the fuck?” Aurelia shrieked.

I let her go, but I only stepped in front of her. I was now face to face with Stevie.

I smiled.

She gave me another alarmed look.

That made me frown because I’d never done anything to her. “Hi.”

“Uh, Maddy…” Max sidled to my side.

One of the guys snorted. Another one began snickering. Or the same one. I wasn’t sure.

“Shut it, man.” That was Beltraine.

He always stood up for me. I puffed my chest up, but I was here for a reason. I cleared my throat. That seemed to make Stevie even more alarmed.

I deflated. “Jesus. I’m not a monster.”

More than one of the guys coughed behind me. I gave them a middle finger, which made them break out into laughter. Others were joining in. We were attracting an audience.

Max wasn’t laughing. He was regarding me with caution.

I ignored him, instead saying to Stevie, “My parents are throwing a birthday party for me this weekend. It’s at the house on Sunday. You should come.”

Aurelia scoffed from the sidelines.

I cast her a warning. “You’renotinvited.”

Her face twisted up, but she stormed away.

Stevie watched her go, unable to hide her worry.

“Look, whatever. Come if you want. It’s a family thing and after last weekend, your uncle is basically family now.”

“What happened last weekend?”

“Nothing,” Max said quickly, inserting himself into the conversation. He put his arm around my shoulders, tugging me against him. “We’re also having an unofficial birthday party for Mads at Bell’s house.”

“That’s right. We’re still using it for parties.” Beltraine stepped up.

Steele joined beside Beltraine.

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