Page 40 of Beautiful Defiance

16

LEIGH

Iwake up to an empty bed. Wondering if last night was a dream, I throw off the covers, sit, and stretch my arms high and tip my face up.

Daylight shines in through the skylight. Seven in my bed wasn’t a dream. Smiling, I dress and hurry out of the guesthouse to catch the shuttle into the heart of Cambridge, the town center.

Snagging the job at Queenie’s is great, but I’ll need more hours to pay off the hospital bill that will arrive soon in the mail. No way will I let Thomas pay for my mistakes even though it was his son who tried drowning me, giving me a case of pneumonia.

Speaking of pneumonia, I take a deep breath. My lungs aren’t tight. The back of my leg doesn’t hurt as badly either.

At the end of the road to the Stevenson’s mansion, I wait at the shuttle stop. Thank goodness I don’t have to wait long. It starts raining. I hop onto the shuttle and tap my pass on the reader next to the driver. There are two other passengers, a woman and her child.

The woman looks to be a few years older than me. Her little boy is sitting on her lap. When the woman notices me staring, she smiles. Friendly. Trusting.

Her reaction is different from what I’m used to. On the city buses, people don’t dare make eye contact. It can be misconstrued as challenging or disrespecting someone. I meet her gaze, and smiling back, I grab a seat next to the window.

The ride into the town center is about fifteen minutes, putting us close to the neighboring town of Delridge. Delridge High is Cambridge’s rival. I hear their quarterback hates Seven. If both guys decide on attending Dumas University, they’ll be fighting for the top spot of starting quarterback.

Tired of the silence and miffed that Seven isn’t far from my thoughts, I stick in my earbuds, pull out my phone, and find a playlist. The first track is one of my favorite artist collaborations. “Broken” by Seether and Amy Lee of Evanescence. She has the most beautiful voice, and paired with his, I could play the song on a loop.

Deep in my own piece of heaven, I rest against the window and stare at the passing scenery. There are wheat fields for as far as the eye can see. There are also large, beautiful, expensive-looking homes that sit on acres and acres of land.

Thomas told me many homes have landing strips for private airplanes. Or the homeowners store their planes at the small airport that sits between Delridge and Cambridge. Rich folks live in Cambridge and Delridge for two reasons—privacy and to get away from big-city living.

Along the way, the driver makes two more stops. Another young mom and her toddler get on the shuttle. Holding on to her little boy, the mom sits across from the other mom, and they start chatting. I can’t hear what they’re saying; my music is blasting. From the smiles on their faces, they must be friends.

On the last stop before the town center, a kid my age boards. He sits behind the driver with his back against the window and his arm resting on top of the seat. He stares at me. I stare back.

Dark-chocolate hair gelled into spikey strands. Intense eyes framed by thick brows. His face is made up of sharp angles and strong lines. Sculpted by an angel, the finishing touches done by the devil.

He watches me with eyes hooded. The boy appears disinterested, but I don’t let down my guard. Boys who look that dangerous are always aware of their surroundings, ready to pounce when an opportunity presents itself. They are the worst predators. They don’t go in straight for the kill. They like to play with their prey first.

Danger and Disinterested is familiar, but I don’t recall seeing him at Cambridge High. If he lives near the last stop, then he could be a student at Delridge High. The town center is not in the center of Cambridge, but closer to the border of Cambridge and Delridge.

After what seems like minutes of staring at one another, I glance away and check my messages. There’s only one. It’s from Thomas, asking how school is and do I need more money transferred into my account. I keep my answer short.

Me: Good. No.

I feel bad when he shoots back a message right away. His text was from three days ago.

Thomas: If there’s anything you need, ask, okay?

Me: K

I plan on asking him if I can help around the estate, but that’s a conversation and not a text. There’s no point disturbing his vacation. I take out my earbuds and shove it and my cell into my bag. We’re at the town center.

The boy doesn’t get off first. Like me, he hangs back and waits for the women and their kids. I go next. Passing the driver and going down the steps, the back of my head tingles. The boy is staring again.

We get off on the side of the street that has a directory of the shops and the restaurants. For how small Cambridge and Delridge are, the town center is huge. I search the directory and find the restaurant.

No wonder Eleanor and I didn’t walk by the restaurant when she brought me here to shop for clothes and shoes for school. The pho restaurant is at the far end of the town center, away from the high-end restaurants and boutiques.

I weave through the crowd. The pretty dresses in the window snag my attention, but I keep on walking, sparing the blue dress with the plunging neckline a fleeting glance.

The dress, made of tulle and lace and the straps dotted with flowers, must cost a grand or two. Money I don’t have. Anyway, what reason would I have to wear a fancy dress like that? This isn’t a fairy tale.

At the end of the street, I hit the button for the walk sign. The back of my head tingles again. The boy is following me. Great. The sky darkens, and the wind picks up. A sign? I stick my hands inside the pockets of my jacket and pull the edges closer to my core. The light is taking its time changing. The boy’s gaze drops to the spot between my shoulders and goes low. Is he checking out my ass? I’m wearing cargo pants with these ridiculously deep pockets. Where else would a girl keep her mace and switchblade?

---