Page 71 of Just One Bite
Whether Emma stole the notebook for recipes doesn’t matter when it’s clear my inner circle has a target on its back. Over the last few days, icy stares from the Weres on the council have turned into an inferno of pure disdain.
Luckily, Gavin’s pack protection has held up, and I’m reminded of that when I see Eva barreling toward me with a Were trailing behind her. He’s tall and lingers for a few seconds before moving out of view. They aren’t bodyguards or anything, but I notice a lot of them from a distance. They must scent for us and linger enough to ensure their duty to Gavin is fulfilled. We’ve all had dinner in the dining hall a few times, and to say it was awkward is being generous. It’s the way they eye Parker that I don’t like. Like he’s a foreign agent and they’re awaiting the moment he turns on them. There’s no way Parker doesn’t see it or feel it, but his big wide smile never leaves his face when he’s around them.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Can it wait? I need to talk to Parker.”
“No. Come on.”
She grabs my forearm as our steps echo on the mosaic stone tile that lines the halls, and I let her guide me through the castle till we reach the observatory. Without a word, we climb the spiral staircase in the cramped corridor, and I glance at the painted mural lining the walls. There are star-shaped windows carved into the stone that let in the sun.
We don’t stop until it’s just us alone with the treetops and the baby-blue sky.
“I didn’t cheat.”
She says it like an oath.
“Okay? I didn’t think you did.”
“I didn’t cheat but … I can see how someone might think I did.” It’s only then I notice Eva isn’t wearing her pink lip gloss or bow in her unkempt hair. “Ugh! I didn’t want to say this, but it’s eating me alive not to tell anyone. Jared and I broke up.”
“Oh.”
When she mentioned cheating, I’d assumed academics.
“Yeah, we broke up and then I might have … slept with someone that same night. But I’m telling you we were broken up, but whoever made this whole smear campaign obviously doesn’t know that. Or they do and are just trying to make me look bad.”
Her words are like viscous honey in my brain.
“Wait. Who did you sleep with?”
She shakes her head like it’s unimportant. “Just a man in my hall. We were just friends, I swear. We still are … It was just one night.”
“What happened with Jared?”
“He proposed.”
“Then you broke up with him?”
“Don’t judge me.”
“I’m not, I just … I thought you’d want to be married.”
“I thought so too, and then he asked me and I … said no. I’m not sure who was more shocked, me or him.”
“Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”
She’s not crying. Not even a sniffle. There are missed lunches or sales that have prompted more tears. Maybe she’s in shock.
“I don’t know yet.”
I contemplate what her admission means. Did the person who made that blog post know that? How would they know Eva slept with someone in the first place? It could be anyone in this school, but I have two werewolf council members at the top of my shit list. But that might be too obvious even for them, and that doesn’t explain Parker’s council nomination.
I need to talk to Parker, but it will need to wait till after ballet.Focus, Olivia.
Ballet is why I’m here.
Ballet is the only thing that matters.
