Page 92 of Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 1)

“You said you were doing something with Lev and Griff last night. That can’t be work or family related.” I grab a pair of his gym shorts and yank them up my legs so I can leave his room. “I know for a fact you would lose your shit if I left in the middle of the night and wouldn’t tell you where I was going.” Fucking hypocrite.

“You are overreacting. Go shower and calm down.” He says with a cold edge to his voice I haven’t heard directed at me in weeks.

I leave his room, closing the door quietly behind me. I’ll be damned if I give him the satisfaction of slamming the door, no matter how tempting it is. My brain pulls up the most disturbing possible scenarios for what he could have been doing last night. Did he have the bruised knuckles before he went out last night? I can’t remember. Did he beat someone senseless? Did he meetup with some girl for sex? Is he still plotting some kind of long game against me?

I decide to drive myself to school this morning so I’ll have to take the world’s fastest shower and skip breakfast. I don’t want to sit beside him while he’s holding back from me. I wonder when he’ll tell me about Homecoming. Or if he’ll even say anything at all.

27

Lilith

A hand lands beside my head on the neighboring locker as I pull out the textbooks I need for the morning.

“Lilith.” Connor’s other hand wraps around my hip. “You better now? Done with your temper tantrum?”

“You done being a shady fucker?” I spin with a saccharine smile on my face.

“There were some fights at The Abyss last night.” He runs his hand through his hair irritably. “Lev needed to fight.”

“Okay.” I give him a blank stare.

“Okay?” Confusion and wariness fill his face. “We good?”

“Nope,” I say, popping the p for emphasis while I close my locker. He thinks he can just tell me where he was and that wipes his bad attitude clean from this morning. “I need to go talk to the headmaster. I’ll see you later.”

I hear a muted grunt in response and half anticipate him following me. Instead Griff falls in step with me. I look over at him and see a bruise on his jaw.

“You too? I thought you were the mature, smart one.”

He grins. “I am. Glad you figured that out.” He bumps my shoulder with his in an unusually playful move. “Con was upset this morning.”

“He was not the only one upset this morning,” I reply primly.

“Want to talk about it?”

“Why,” I pause to look up at him, “would I talk to one of his best friends about why I am angry with him?” I shake my head in annoyance. “Are you my escort today? Is that even necessary anymore? Margaux and Jameson are out.”

“Stop.” He grabs my wrist. “I’m Connor’s friend but I’d like to think I’m your friend now, too. If you tell me something in confidence I will never share it with anyone else.” His hazel eyes implore me to believe him. “I think that you and Connor are good for each other but you are both so similar that you will have trouble seeing past your own noses and backing down when you should.”

“And you think I should back down about this.” I struggle to not roll my eyes.

“No. I don’t know what happened. I just think you should keep in mind that Connor has never had a relationship and he’s fighting his natural urge to be an asshole.”

“Noted.” I pull open the door to the office and the secretary waves me back. I spin when I notice Griff hot on my heels. “Wait out here.” He stops and leans against the wall right beside the door.

“Miss Nelson, good morning.” The headmaster says when I walk into his office. “Have a seat.”

“Morning. I just wanted to figure out what I’m supposed to do during water sports now that Mr. Jameson is gone.” I grimace. “Or at least I assume he’s probably lost his job.”

“He has. Lilith, was he ever inappropriate with you?” Headmaster Jennings asks with a grimace.

“No, sir.” I shake my head but hear a derisive snort from Griff in the hall.

“Good. Why don’t you come to the office during your free period and you can help in here.”

“Thank you, sir.” I say as I stand up.

Griff pushes off the wall when he sees me. “Jameson was inappropriate with you. So many times.”

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