Page 71 of Cruel Academy (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 2)

Caleb

We walk through dense foliage, stumbling over roots and uneven ground in the dark until we finally reach a small clearing.

The trees have spread apart far enough to let a bit of moonlight through, and my eyes have adjusted enough that when I let go of Haley’s arm and spin around, I can see her clearly.

Her chest is rising and falling rapidly from how quickly we were walking, but also with another emotion.

Fear.

Whether it’s fear of Bumper or me, I don’t know.

And right now, I don’t really care.

“What in the fuck was that about?”

She digs the toe of her boot into the dirt, creating a divot. Her eyes are on the ground. I don’t know if her quiet, vulnerable-girl act is for real or not, but I’m over it. I’m tired of vague explanations and her dodging my questions.

It is time for answers.

I take several large steps towards her and grab her chin in my hand, forcing her eyes to mine. “What was that,Haley Bear?”

The look in her eyes hardens. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not?” I ask sarcastically. “I thought you liked it.”

“John doesn’t know the first fucking thing about what I like.” She curls her lips in, pressing them together. Then, she jerks her face out of my hand. “He never did.”

I hate that she calls him John. It makes him seem more human than he really is.

“Regardless, Bumper seems to think you have something of his. Do you?”

She turns away from me again, looking down at the ground. This time, when I reach for her chin, she swipes her arm through the air and blocks my reach.

I’m so impressed by the move that I don’t mind.

“I don’thaveanything of his,” she says, clearly edging around the question. “But I may have … destroyed something of his.”

I circle my hand through the air, gesturing for her to hurry up. “Please just get the fuck on with it. I want to know what is so important that the truce between the Golden Boys and the Hell Princes might have just ended.”

Her blue eyes go wide, the color silvery in the white moonlight. “You think the truce could be over?”

“It depends what you did to Bumper. He thinks we are connected now, so if you really screwed him over, finding peace again could be tricky.” Frustration bubbles up in me again, and I fist my hands at my sides. “You didn’t tell me you needed training because you were running from a motorcycle gang. Once again, I’m in the middle of your relationship drama, and I’m sure you remember how that worked out for me last time.”

Haley chews on the corner of her mouth nervously and looks anywhere but at my face.

I don’t have time for this. I grab her shoulders and stare deep into her eyes.

We are only a few inches apart, so I can feel the warmth of her breath when she gasps.

“What did you do?” I demand. “Tell me.”

She sighs, her shoulders sagging under the weight of the secret. “I flushed his drugs away.”

“His drugs? Like, his personal drugs?” I ask. “Like an ounce of pot or something?”

She chews on her lip again. “Let’s go with,‘Or something.’”

The furrow between her brows tells me all I need to know. “Shit.”

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