Page 97 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

There’s something there though. Between us.

Something more than just sex.

More than just possessiveness.

“Hi, everyone,” Cora says as she passes, slowing down to be sure everyone has a chance to see her. “Melody, you look amazing.”

Viktor’s cheerleader date beams under Cora’s appreciation, oblivious that Cora is only complimenting her to get under Viktor’s skin. If she is nice to his date, she couldn’t possibly care about him at all, right?

Cora pans over to me, her glittering green gaze taking me in from head to toe, and pointedly says nothing.

With a flip of her curled red hair, she turns and trots her sullen date out to the dance floor.

“Dancing is a good idea,” Viktor says, grabbing Melody. “Let’s go.”

Caleb and Noah also slip away towards the punch bowl, leaving me and Finn alone.

“Your friends are nice.”

It’s not true, really—they’re cocky assholes, albeit funny ones—but I don’t know what else to say. After everything he and I have been through, standing on the sidelines of a school dance feels like unfamiliar territory.

We aren’t a normal high school couple by any means, so how are we supposed to act in a normal high school setting? Fuck if I know.

Finn snorts. “My friends are idiots.”

“Noah seems normal.”

“’Seems,’” Finn says. “That’s the operative word. There’s more to Noah than meets the eye. He’s sad.”

“Sad about what?” I ask, turning to look up at him.

For the first time all night, Finn meets my eyes. And just like that, I’m putty again.

Just when I’d started getting myself under control.

Just when I’d become distracted enough to try and make it through the night, one look from Finn is enough to undo all of it.

“What are any of us sad about?” he asks quietly, leaning in so close I could span the distance between us in half a heartbeat. That’s all it would take to kiss him again.

Before I can, Finn turns towards the dance floor, his eyes unfocused. “Love.”

There isn’t time to unpack his strange response because just then my mom walks up to us, a digital camera in her hand and a smile on her face.

She has on a floor-length navy-blue dress that used to fit well, but now drapes on her thinner frame. Silver beads are sewn into the bodice and the arms, and she looks like a picture.

“Look at you two,” she says, holding out her arms for a hug.

I step into them. “No, you,” I insist. “You look beautiful.”

She blushes and waves away the compliment. “I couldn’t come to a dance in my uniform. It would ruin the picture.”

“You could never ruin any picture,” Finn says, stepping behind me and wrapping his arm around my waist. He does it smoothly, as though it isn’t the first time we’ve touched in hours. As though he hasn’t been making it a point to keep a distance between us all evening.

Still, I can’t even find it within myself to be upset. I just lean into him, grateful for each second I have to be in his arms.

“You charmer,” she says with a wink. “But speaking of pictures, I need one of you two.”

“Mom.” I start to argue, but Finn jumps into action, pulling me back towards the fabric-draped wall. He wraps his arms around me from behind and grins at my mom.

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