Page 10 of Fallen Wolf
Ada
Monday arrivedand I was back at school feeling even more nervous than before. Lexi was still talking to me, which was amazing. She hadn’t said much at all as I drove her home on Saturday night. But she had sent me a message saying she was okay after the whole wolf thing. I had probably made a fool out of myself in front of the Kiba boys, and from the look on Callum Jones’ face when he saw me, I had upset him.
When lunch rolled around, I went to the cafeteria hoping to have lunch with Lexi. I was waiting in line when I heard some commotion. I looked over and saw Ranger was angry, oh god, his eyes were a little red and watery? Was he crying? He gazed around the cafeteria looking for someone. He pointed toward a table at the back and I could see he was looking for someone, but who?
Then he called out my name, my full name. “Ada Stephens.” Loudly for everyone to hear. I froze. I didn’t think I was that bad at his party. I didn’t even speak to him. My stomach dropped as people moved away from me, making it very clear that I was standing right here. His eyes flicked to mine and wow, they glowed for a split second. What was up with the freaky eyes here.
“Yes?” I squeaked out, I was confused that I had even answered him. I wanted to run away and hide. Everyone was moving further away from me, not wanting to be in the firing line of Ranger. He took huge strides over to me and grabbed me by the upper arm. I flinched away, but the look he gave me was now one of pleading. What did he want? I let him lead me out into the hallway and followed him as he started walking me further away. I think I was still in shock because I didn’t even question it. Plus, Ranger Lovell… knew my name?
“Lexi hurt her hand and she is in the girls’ bathrooms. I think she needs some help.” He looked over his shoulder then gestured to where she was before he made his was way back to the cafeteria. Shit, what happened to her?
I made my way into the bathroom, “Lexi? Are you in there?” I was starting to worry now, was this a set up? When I saw her, she had been crying, her eyeliner had run little dark tracks down her cheeks, and she was holding her hand.
“Holy shit, what happened? Ranger told me you were in here.” I took her injured hand gently in mine and looked at her angry red knuckles. Did she hit something? When Lexi caught a look of herself in the mirror I saw her wince. I grabbed some paper towels and handed them to her.
She didn’t speak as she cleaned herself up and applied some fresh eyeliner. Lexi always seem so put together, tough. I never expected to see her crying.
“What happened?” I asked again, in the hopes that she would tell me and I could help her. I wanted to help her and I was hoping I was at that stage where she could trust me. From the things she had said to me on Saturday, regarding foster care, I had gathered she didn’t trust many people. And I wanted to be one of those people that she could.
When she spoke the next few words, I had to do a double take. Wait did she just say she punched Ranger? “In the jaw… I was aiming for his nose. His face is too nice,” I nodded still in shock at what she was saying. “I wanted to mess it up a little after what he did to Raff on Saturday night.”
What the hell did I miss? Everything, as always. She punched Ranger in the jaw for Raff?
“Tell me everything.” I demanded. I needed to know what happened after I dropped her off at home. Because she didn’t tell me anything yesterday in the text she’d sent me.
“Ranger and a few of his friends beat the shit out of Raff. It was so bad, Ada.” she choked out a little. “They had ripped his skin apart. It was horrible.”
I could tell she didn’t really want to talk about it and what they did was seriously fucked up. Like really fucked up. They beat Raff and ripped into his skin? Did they have knives? Ranger seemed so… well not like that, I didn’t think he would beat someone up. Why the hell did he hurt Raff? That guy was so quiet and seemed really nice. Well from what I could tell he seemed nice.
“Who were the friends? Was it Callum?” I really didn’t like that guy, there was just something sleazy about him. He and Ranger were like best friends or some shit, not so much lately though. Still, I got a strange vibe from him.
“No, but that guy you like, Saint, he was one of them. And Nash, he is a cop. A messed up one that is, that guy is dirty.”
My heart sank when she said Saint’s name. The boy I’d had a crush on was some crazy asshole who beat on Raff. I guess a crush was only good in your head. You build them up to be this perfect guy and in reality, they are nothing like that. And I should have known hat from Saturday night. He was nothing like my crush version, my dream version.
“Let’s get some food before they run out of pizza.” She put on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. I nodded at her and followed her out of the bathroom and back to the cafeteria.
They had sold out of pizza, so she grabbed a salad wrap and I did the same. I was hoping she wanted to sit with me. It was still crowded in here and I may have told her last week I had a lot of school activities so I didn’t look like a total loser not having anyone to sit with. Because she must sit with someone, I just never seem to catch her.
When Lexi was called over the intercom to go to Mr. Donovani’s office I looked at her face and shrugged, she wouldn’t be in trouble… would she? She was hurting more than Ranger would. She just gave me a small smile and left. I looked around a little lost. Until someone sidled up beside me.
“Hey, Ada. We have room over on our table.” I turned up to see River looking down at me. He was tall and it made me feel small beside him.
“What?” I squeaked out. Was he trying to get to Lexi through me? I couldn’t think of any other reason he would want to talk to me now. He had never talked to me until she came to school.
“Yeah, just thought you and Hux might wanna catch up?” I took a step back and really looked at River. He ran his fingers though his hair and cocked his head at me as the long blond strands fell down around his face. I pivoted, then looked over to where the Rawlins’ boys sit. Huxley was glaring at me. I didn’t say anything. I just left with River calling out to me. I needed to see Miss Bennett, I told myself. She needs help in the library.
13
Ada
I wasn’t toosure what had happened to Lexi. She hadn’t been at school for three days and didn’t answer any of my text messages. Then on Thursday she shows up as if she didn’t get any of my text messages and everything was fine… was it? I was going to drive by her place but mom had said not to, that she would message me when she was ready.
I didn’t want to be pushy, so I let it go, but the days got strange. The Kiba boys seemed to notice me more. River was still saying hello to me every time we went to class together, he even switched chairs so he could sit next to me. That had me curious, did he have a crush on me? I had no one to ask, I was going to ask Lexi but she wasn’t here.
Ever since Lexi Turner had walked into my life and I befriended her, more and more guys at school were noticing me. I wasn’t sure if it was because of my friendship with Lexi or because they finally saw me. I had been wearing different clothes, no more “accountant” look as Destiny told me. “Stop looking like dad,” she had told me. I was wearing a dark blue hoodie today paired with some light blue jeans.
When Lexi rocked up to English lit and told me she had been unwell I felt bad. I was starting to think she didn’t want to be my friend, which was stupid. That was when I noticed Callum Jones was really checking her out today. While Mrs. Jeffery’s droned on about something I wasn’t paying attention too, which was so unlike me. I wrote a note to Lexi.
