Page 135 of Cruel Elite (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 3)

He tells her J.C. is probably just exaggerating, which sounds right to me. Ever since I started dating Penny, I’ve noticed him being a bit more dramatic than he already was, like he’s trying to get attention.

Usually, I’d call him out on it, but I actually feel bad for him. No one likes to feel like the fifth wheel.

“It’s just going to be a chill affair,” J.C. says. “Nothing wild. Finn made me promise we wouldn’t destroy his house the way we destroyed that cabin at Spring Fling. He told me he won’t write another check like that.”

“Finn paid for the damages?” I ask.

“Do you think I had ten thousand dollars lying around?” J.C. exclaims. “And I couldn’t exactly ask my parents for the money, could I? They thought we went camping, and they were mad enough they had to take me to the dentist to get a veneer put in after Caleb broke my tooth.”

“What? Me?” Caleb asks.

J.C. shrugs. “I had to come up with a plausible story.”

“You could have told them you fell, you asshole.”

Caleb shoves him, and J.C. laughs.

“My mom doesn’t like you, so she didn’t even question my story. She totally bought it.”

I’m going to miss this.

It’s the only thing I’m going to miss about Ravenlake, to be honest. The proximity to my friends, how easy it is for all of us to get together and hang out.

That will be more difficult from here on out.

Everyone is headed in different directions, and there’s no saying when we’ll all be in the same place at the same time anymore.

We might grow apart.

Penny nudges me. I think she might be telling me to stop frowning again, but when I look down her green eyes are wide, worried.

She points to the side door of the gym.

I immediately understand why she’s worried.

It’s my dad.

When I look up, he waves.

We haven’t spoken since he left our house that day two long years ago.

Even when I’ve gone to Penny’s house to pick her up, I stay outside.

Our paths don’t cross, and that suits me just fine.

But if my dad wants to come and try to clear the air, then I’ll hear him out. Life’s too short to hold grudges forever.

I’ve learned that lesson ten times over.

I kiss Penny’s temple and walk towards my dad, head held high.

I forget how much he and I look alike. We have the same light brown hair and waves, and we’re built the same. I never realized that before because I was only sixteen when he left, but now that I’m almost nineteen, it’s easy to see the similarity in our proportions.

It’s the only way we’re similar.

“Noah,” he says with a nod of his head. “It’s good to see you.”

“Dad. I’d say the same, but I don’t want to lie.”

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