Page 89 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

Why did I?

To fuck her, obviously. But I could have fucked her anywhere. We could have stayed in the parking lot of the motel. No one in that seedy place would have even looked twice.

But I didn’t. I brought her here.

Why?

I grip her arms and pull her towards me, cradling her face against my chest. “Because it’s just a place.”

She shudders against me, and I hold her tighter.

“It’s not a monster or anything that will hurt you. It’s just a table in a park next to a trail.”

I can’t be sure, but it seems like her breathing is evening out. Like she is relaxing into me.

After a few minutes, she pulls back and looks at me before looking around.

“I know you’re right,” she says, grabbing a handful of my shirt. “But I’m still not ready to be here.”

I could force her. That is what my dad would want me to do. It would be what’s best for the plan.

I could force her to have sex with me in the place where she was traumatized. She’d be horrified with herself and with me. Maybe with the whole damn town.

If that didn’t send her running, nothing would.

But I can’t bring myself to do it.

Instead, I grab my hoodie from her hands and pull it over her head. She shoves her arms through the sleeves, the cuffs bunching up around her wrists. As soon as it is on, she leans forward and hugs me again.

Her arms are around my waist, her cheek against my chest, and it feels like the most intimate thing I’ve ever done. It feels like I’ve cut myself open and set myself on display for the world to see.

No, just for Lily to see.

Though, it feels dangerously like the same thing to me right now.

34

Lily

Finn texts one evening the next week to tell me I’ll be his date to the fall formal.

I wasn’t sure if something like that would even be important to him—if he and his friends would go at all.

Then, I saw Viktor carry a bouquet and teddy bear into my English class to ask a cheerleader out.

I can’t imagine Finn doing something so elaborate for me, but I found myself holding out hope anyways.

Until I get the text.

You can get ready for the formal at my house. Be there by three.

Technically, he didn’t even ask me, but I figure I wouldn’t be getting ready for a dance at his house if I wasn’t his date. Though, I’ve learned that assuming anything with Finn is a big waste of time. He always proves me wrong.

Like he did when he took me to the trail where “It” happened.

I didn’t know what he had planned, but I could feel panic creeping in on the edges of my vision, fraying the edges of my mental stability.

Then, suddenly, Finn became my rock.

---