Page 42 of Beautiful Defiance

“You’re related to Malice Sterling?” No wonder Red looked familiar.

I keep walking. Rue doesn’t. She stops in the middle of the sidewalk. I plow into her.

“Don’t speak my cousin’s name around Rue. She hates him.”

Interesting.

“How come I’ve never seen you two at Cambridge High?”

“We go to Delridge.”

I’m associating with Cambridge’s rivals, am indebted to a Sterling, and I’m hanging out with a girl who hates one of Seven’s best friends. If Seven ever finds out about this, he’ll shit bricks. This is awesome!

I step around Rue and loop my arm through hers. Red takes a spot on my other side. I loop my arm through his too.

“Pick my pockets and there’ll be hell to pay, short stuff.”

At five foot five, I don’t think of myself as short, but next to Red’s six-foot-two body, he’s not off with his remark.

“Why would you think I’d steal from you?”

“It’s not stealing. I call it borrowing,” Rue supplies.

Red barks laughter. “’Cause you and Rue are alike. You don’t like anyone having the upper hand. Having saved your life, I have one over you. You’ll want to even the score.”

“Where have you two been all my life?”

They laugh. My steps lighten.

“Since you know me so well, does that mean I’m off the hook?”

“Uh-uh. It’s not in me to give you a free pass.”

The ruthless gleam I glimpsed in his eyes earlier.

“No worries. There’ll be plenty of time to mess with you.” I wink at him.

“I’m looking forward to it, short stuff.” He leans into me, pushing me into Rue. Rue tips over sideways. Red yanks and straightens us out, pulling us away from the path of a trash bin.

“Name’s Leigh.”

“Nice to meet you, Leigh,” Rue says. “So, pho, huh?”

“Yes. A fr—” I almost referred to Seven as my friend. “A classmate told me about the place.”

Seven and I are not friends. We agree we’re enemies. Except last night, he said “never just friends.” What does that mean in Seven speak?

Sighing at how confused I am about my feelings for him, this hate to love, love to hate thing swirling in my core, I put aside thoughts of Seven and enjoy time with my newfound friends.

Yes, I can call Rue and Red “friends.” One saved me, and the other is leading me to a restaurant that serves soups that remind me of my time with my parents.

“Hey, do you two by chance know of a place that’s hiring? I need a job.”

“I don’t.”

“I do. Come on.” Rue steers us to a red-and-black building.

I read the sign. “Cambridge Auto Parts.” I smile. Original.

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