Page 23 of Sweet Punk
Shit.What the hell? I hurry back to the lecture hall. At the top of the steps in the back row, Raven and Lux are right where I left them, but it’s obvious Raven is crying while Lux tries to calm her down before class starts. I take the steps two at a time, racing back up to them. I perch on the seat beside Raven, my body turned toward her. “What the hell happened? I was only gone a minute.”
Raven sniffles into a tissue. “He said I was covered. Why are they asking why I haven’t paid on my payment plan?”
Lux pulls ayikesface, then grits her teeth, whispering low to me, “Some guy from the bursar’s office came in and asked to speak to her. He said there was some sort of problem with her scholarship, and she needed to come to see them directly after class to straighten things out.”
“But didn’t Professor Riddick take care of all of that? He said he’d adjusted it to a full scholarship. We all saw the email.”
Raven shrugs. “He did. I don’t understand.” Her lips tremble and a tear runs down her cheek.
“We’ll go with you. Right after class.” I pat her knee. “It’ll be okay. No one is going to take our Raven from us. Got it?”
Her sad eyes meet mine, and she nods slowly, as if she’s having trouble trying to convince herself of the truth.
Lux rubs her hand over Raven’s back. “And you know damn well Maddox wouldn’t let anything happen. He’d probably offer to cover you until they got things straight. You know he would, as much as you’re against that.”
Raven nods, and I can tell that’s reassured her, at least a tiny bit. But then her face crumples. “W-What if it’s Spencer causing problems again?”
I scowl.No way.“That douchebag is probably scared enough of what’s about to happen when he has his court appearance that he wouldn’t dare do anything more now. He’s not even allowed on campus. I hope his ass lands in prison. He’s already in so much trouble, he wouldn’t want to add to it.”Would he?My gaze flicks from Raven’s to Lux’s. They both shrug, then Raven starts crying again. She’s breaking my heart.Oh, man.
“Do you have any more Kleenex for her? I only had one left in the package I keep in my bag.” Lux squeezes Raven’s thigh. “Hey. It’s okay. We’ll get it figured out.” She speaks in low tones as our professor calls the class to attention, and I dig around in my bag.
A moment later, I find my stash of tissues… but also something else. Another fucking matchbook. I don’t touch it. Trying to remain calm, I hand Raven the package of tissues before I whisper over her head to Lux, “What did the guy look like who came by to talk to her?”
Lux’s eyes narrow. “Um. Dark, kinda inky-black hair. A leather jacket. I don’t remember much else. Why?”
I press my lips together. “Just curious. I’m betting this is all some screwup.”
THIRTEEN
STAR
When we get out of class, our trio moves as a unit with Raven between Lux and me, but it turns out that getting her out of the building is all that will be required of us. Maddox waits at the bottom of the steps and when Raven spots him, she leaves us behind and takes off running. As soon as she reaches him, he folds her into his arms, his head tucked down near her ear. I can tell immediately that he’s saying the right things because her body visibly relaxes. Fuck, he’s good with her. For her. Now that they’ve gotten everything sorted out, anyway, because it was definitely touch and go a few weeks back.
“I texted him.” Lux raises her hand to wave, and just by the expression on his face, we know he’s got her, and we won’t need to visit the bursar’s office with her today.
“Good move. He’ll straighten things out for sure.” I don’t know what to make of this because I can’t think of any way the guy they described earlier isn’t Milo. That fucker thinks he’s pretty slick. And this is how it always begins, too, with something that’s kind of upsetting, but will blow over quickly. Something that no one will realize was a warning but me.Fuck.A shiver runs down my spine, and I glance at the people moving around us, going in different directions; kind of like ants scattering to where they need to be next. He’s here. Somewhere. Is he watching? “I’m going to head back to the dorm. You going that way?”
Lux shakes her head with a smile. “Nope, I’m meeting Gage at the library. We’ve got another one of those horrific partner assignments due.”
My insides twist and curl in on themselves. I don’t want to be alone. “Oh, okay. No biggie. I’ll just head back on my own, then.” Giving Lux a bright smile, I hike my bag up over my head, seating it crossways on my body, ready to head off on my own.
She clears her throat and points across the quad. “Or not.” I follow her gaze. “There’s Kellan. You should talk to him. You deserve a chance to straighten things out.”
My heart does a weird little hiccup as my eyes follow him. “But I don’t know what to say to him. He was really upset.”
She lifts her hands in a classicI don’t knowgesture. “Maybe tell him you think talking about what happened would be a good idea.” Pressing her lips together, she raises her brows at me. “Good luck. And no. We won’t breathe a word. Promise.” Out of nowhere, she grabs me in a fierce hug. “It’ll be okay. Now go catch up with him.” She throws me a wink and takes off in the direction of the library, while I turn my gaze back to Kellan’s retreating form.
My teeth clamp down on my lips and a swarm of butterflies invade my belly. I wonder if he’d want to finish his sketches. Maybe we can start there. And if I’m with Kellan, I’ll be safe enough. I give one last furtive glance around me, looking for Milo’s signature leather jacket and dark hair anywhere in the vicinity. Seeing none, I take off at a run across the quad. “Kellan! Kellan, wait up!”
At the sound of his name, he stops in his tracks and pivots, slowly walking backward, eyeing me warily as I run.
I stop right in front of him, not exactly out of breath, but my lungs are definitely making my chest rise and fall quickly. “Hey. Um, I was hoping we could talk.”
He swipes his thumb over his lower lip, apparently thinking. “Are you going back to the dorm?”
“Yeah”—I nod—“you?”
His eyes roam over me and light my body up everywhere they land. “Yeah. I’d rather talk in private, if that’s okay with you.”
