Page 252 of The Invite
It takes every ounce of strength to keep walking with my chin held high. The whispers start. Students and teachers alike. Unlike the adults who have the sense to keep it quiet, the spoiled teenagers do not.
“What did Augustus see in her?”
“Isn’t she, like, super old?”
“You mean cougar?”
My gait falters and so does my gaze, burning in shame. They continue insulting me without a hint of fear.
“Yeah, why would Augustus want saggy boobs?”
“Must be th—”
Their voices cut off abruptly, making me frown.
A shadow falls on my right. “Chin up, sweetness.”
I glance up at Ace, his hand squeezing mine secretly. His eyes are on the girls. One glare from him sends them running. Even I’m low-key terrified of his expression, which is why I don’t even react as he guides me inside the brick building.
As soon as we’re alone in the teachers’ lounge, clarity comes and I whip toward him. My pissed-off stare is met with boredom as he strolls past me to his desk and dumps his satchel on it.
There’s nothing friendly about the man before me, even though he just rescued me. His handsome features are set in stone. The energy exuding from him is cold and impassive. I may as well have imagined the old him.
He is much worse than Augustus, if I’m honest.
No wonder they became close friends after meeting through Maverick.
I also learned little tidbits about Ace. Most of what Ace shared with me is true. He moved here three years ago after his mom passed. It was his choice to keep his connection to the Sinclair family hidden by using his mother’s maiden name, Melrose.
As for him not knowing his father, Maverick’s dad’s brother, it’s a lie he told me to gain sympathy. His dad died when he was a child.
Apart from that, Ace is a mystery.
Dumping my purse on my desk, I tell him, “If you’re expecting a thank-you, don’t.”
“Here I never thought I’d see the day,” he taunts, sitting down on the chair.
His unbothered tone makes me snap. “And stop calling me sweetness.”
Swiveling the chair, he twirls in my direction and stretches back. Gaze becoming hooded as it travels up my calves, he drawls, “You taste like candy. The proof was on my tongue on Friday,sweetness. Remember?”
The blush creeps up my cheeks as the memory flashes before my eyes. Of course he’d bring that up. I have no regrets about it.
“You never apologized for tricking me, Ace.”
“An apology is for when the person regrets what they did,” he says. “I don’t. And I still more than made up for it. An exception I made solely because Augustus is head over heels for you.”
It dawns on me that I’m wasting my breath on him, and I retort, “You’d make a fortune in acting.”
The bell rings, indicating it’s ten minutes before the first period begins. I grab my purse and the books before walking out of the room. Ace’s gaze burns into my back until I’m out of his sight.
This time around, I meet the stares of the students and staff head-on as I pass them in the hallway. I dare them to utter a word.
It’s a strange feeling when I enter the classroom. A different one. Yet my eyes automatically flash to the middle of the room, expecting a body dangling from the ceiling. I blink away the haunting memory. However, when I look at Kaid, Wolf, Scarlett, and Maverick—who’s back after his suspension—I know we’re all picturing the same thing.
The energy in the room is heavy and awkward as everyone quiets down.
“Morning, kids,” I greet with a small smile. “How’s everyone doing?”
