Page 25 of Envy

“What makes him so different from your brother or…the others?”

He exhales forcefully through his nose. “Simple. Garret doesn’t answer to anyone. He doesn’t have a father to respect because he’s dead. His mother even less, because all she cares about is her Bentley and how much is in her bank account. He basically grew up fending for himself in his father’s mansion, and it’s no different now that he’s dead. The only people he answers to are the Order. He has everything at his disposal.” He snorts. “Garret has so much money that there’s no way he can spend it all in three lifetimes. What does a man with power and an unlimited bank account do?”

The most I’ve had was twenty dollars to last me three days before I had to spend it. “I wouldn’t know.”

“Whatever the hell he wants. The Nox family has power and connections, and he’s the only Nox left. That is what makesGarret dangerous, Rose. He can do anything because his father made sure of it.”

The room fillswith students when the professor walks in. I make my way toward the back, where a girl with strawberry blond hair sits.

She takes out a notebook from her bag.

Being around the others last year, I can tell she’s prey. Her clothes are not designer, and the deer-in-the-headlights look she gives the others gives it away. The privileged here are cocky and stand out. They know everyone, and if you stay in the dorms, you’ll recognize certain faces. I’ve seen her a couple of times but never thought to talk to her until now.

I’m sure Azriel is taking a huge risk in helping me. I still don’t know why, but the least I can do is help myself. This is something I can control. That gives me hope. Garret knowing I could barely read and write is too much of a risk. He isn’t going to be there when John finds out and gets ahold of me. It also shows weakness—a vulnerability that isn’t wise to share with someone like him.

The intense way Azriel looked at me when he spoke about Garret set off an alarm bell in the back of my head—a warning I recognize when something bad is brewing. Garret showing up wasn’t a mere coincidence. He’s watching me like a predator does when he’s already caught his prey and is waiting for the right time to kill it, and Azriel, he’s doing his best to try to warn me.

“Is this seat taken?” I ask. She looks up with wide eyes and then grins.

“No, go ahead.” A sense of relief washes over me.

“Great.” I’m awkward around others, and I hope I can pull this off and she doesn’t find me weird.

I take out my notebook and open it to the page where I wrote Edgar Allan Poe’s name.

“Oh, are you working on that one?” she asks.

I nod. “Yeah,” I say, glad for the opening I need.

“That’s a tough one, I think. I’m doing this one.” She points at the sheet Garret took the other day—the one I need to get back. I can’t read the one she’s pointing at because she pulls the paper away before I can make out the words. Fuck. This is not going the way I planned. “Hey, if you want, we could go over it together.”

I raise my brows hopefully. “Alright.”

“We could critique each other’s work. Maybe hang out.”

It’s like a huge weight has lifted off my chest. She gives me her number and tells me her name is Amy. She asks where I hang out and what my dorm number is. I tell her I don’t have a specific place. I agree to her invite to a small party off campus.

I forget about John and Garret. I forget about my past and my nightmares.

For the first time, it feels like I can breathe. I don’t have to lie to this girl. I don’t have to pretend. I listen to every single word the professor says, trying to take notes the best I can—in a way I can understand. He drones on about what is required for the assignment and, of course, a reminder of when it’s due—two weeks from today.

I’m about to walk to my dorm room after my last class when my phone goes off.

Unknown: Meet me after class. Pool.

I don’t have to guess who it’s from, and I won’t bother to ask how he got my number. I also don’t want to piss him off, so I walk toward the indoor pool on campus. I’ve never seen the guys at swim practice—not with Melody or the others. We always met up in the quad or at the bar across the street.

I don’t know what to expect, but when I pull the door open and the smell of chlorine hits me in the face, it isn’t this. The bleachers are filled with people—mostly girls fangirling over the guys wearing swim trunks. I can’t blame them. Their bodies are perfection.

There isn’t an ounce of body fat on them, but then I notice this is not a practice but a swim meet. On the other side of the pool, there are more guys half-naked—abs and muscles made to snatch a girl’s attention. Someone whistles, snagging my attention, and I realize it’s the coach from the Kenyan swim team getting the team together. I spot Garret, and my heart almost stops. He’s gorgeous. My mouth goes dry. He stands above most of the guys, but his tattoos ripple along with his muscles when he moves. I’ve only seen him with his clothes on, and I knew he was ripped, but the man is dangerous in every way. It’s hard not to stare. I walk up the bleachers on the home team side and sit in the empty row on top to get a clear view of the pool.

“Let’s go, Nox!” a girl screams. Garret turns around and grins. My heart sinks when I see it’s Cassie. She blows him a kiss, and I get the sudden urge to grab her by the hair and drown her. I don’t know why he asked me to come. He obviously has plenty of fans. I’m about to get up, but then someone waves in my direction while standing next to Garret. I notice it’s Luke. I look behind me and then back. He waves again, catching Garret’s attention. I notice he has a large cut on his lip and wonder how he got it, but then I feel Garret’s gaze on my skin. He shakes his head slowly in warning. I sit, letting him think I’m staying. I don’t like the attention I’m getting from everyone.

Cassie looks over her shoulder; when she spots me, she sneers, “Don’t think about it, bitch. I saw you watching us like some kind of creep.” People turn and stare at me like I’m a stalker. I could pretend that her words don’t sting, that the laughter from her friends doesn’t crawl under my skin. The mocking glances from the others as they whisper only heighten my discomfort. I keep my head down, knowing there is no point in telling Cassie to go fuck herself. There are more of them and one of me. There is no one who would help me or come to my defense. Like always, I have no one. Tears burn behind my eyes, but I make sure to look away. “Is she going to cry?” Cassie says loud enough for everyone to hear. I get up to leave before the last bit of my pride snaps, and I do something I will later regret. I shouldn’t have come here. Fuck her. And fuck them. These entitled pricks aren’t worth it. I walk out, the cold air smacking me in the face. I take a deep breath to steady the hammering of my heart. The weight that was lifted earlier slams back on my chest, trapping me inside. I head for my dorm and decide I will stay inside until school tomorrow morning. I can get something to eat from the vending machine. I’m down the hall, about to turn left to get to my door when my name is called.

“Rose?” I turn around. “Amy?” She smiles. “Hey, I was about to knock on your door. Want to grab a drink or a bite to eat across the street?” I smile like she’s my savior. “Yeah, I would like that a lot.”

Babylon is not as packed as the few times I was invited by Melody, most likely because of the swim meet on campus. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before students start pouring in to head to the bar and the pool tables. “Do you know what you’re going to wear to the party?” Amy asks after we are shown to a booth. I haven’t thought of the party or what I’ll wear. The truthis, I have nothing to wear. “I’m not sure.” I stare at the small menu on the table, mentally calculating how much I have on my card. The waitress with six piercings on her face and orange hair stops by. Amy orders a beer, and I opt for water. “Oh, no,” Amy says with a grin. “Make that two beers.”

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