Page 87 of The Blairville Legacies

“Your mum? Who...”

Julie was about to ask me something, but I had to catch Julian before he was gone for good.

“I’ll be with you soon. I just need to talk to someone for a minute.”

Before either of them could say anything, I was already past the crowd of students all streaming outside.

Chapter 18

Julian

I had just stepped through the open archway of the east wing when I heard her call my name.

“Julian! Wait!”

My steps quickened.

I had lost all desire for any social contact after today.

First, there had been Nash and his friends, and then, these DeLoughrey guys.

I knew them. I had never met them in this part of town, let alone anywhere else, but their reputation preceded them, as did their name.

Their sudden arrival here on campus had not only triggered an everlasting spiral of thoughts in my head but also caused quite a turmoil.

I wonder what must be going on at the Copelands, now?

I grinned gleefully, but then another shout snapped me out of my thoughts. I became even faster.

In general, I wasn’t one to talk to anyone in this miserable small town. Just the thought of all the problems I had already avoided this way made me groan inside.

“Julian, I want to talk to you.”

That was clearlyBay’svoice, not Emely’s.

How had I been able to confuse them?

Abruptly, I stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face her. As I did so, another girl bumped into me, giving an annoyed “Watch it!” before finally hurrying on.

“I’m sorry,” Bay said, slightly out of breath. She had apparently run all the way just to catch me.

“Sorry for what?”

Now, I was curious.

Very briefly she seemed to hesitate, but then she looked at me with determination.

“I had been shitty to you the last few days...and...maybe that was because I had been biased.”

I was beginning to understand. Somehow, she must have felt guilty.

“I’m not used to anything else from you guys,” I said, trying to make it sound as casual as possible, when I remembered that she didn’t know anything at all about the other Quatura, let alone that she was one of them herself.

To my luck, she didn’t go into it any further. The scene in the seminar just a moment ago must have confused her quite a bit.

I turned around again so that I could walk to the parking lot, where I still had the rest of my things that I had left in the car yesterday. As I did, I caught sight of Emely sitting under the tree with a couple of Nash’s guys, looking around campus like an eagle.

Nash was probably still stuck at hisdaddy’shouse, having a good cry just because a couple of Ruisangors had shown up on their territory. Like they didn’t have any bigger problems...

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