Page 96 of Cruel Elite (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 3)

Penny

Two Years Earlier

When I park my car under the Red Oak Tree, Noah’s car is already there.

He’s had his driver’s license longer than I have, so this is the first time I’ve ever been able to meet him at our spot rather than have him drive.

I’m grateful for the timing. I didn’t want to sit at my house and wait for him to get there.

Our spot.

That is all I had to text. I knew he’d come.

And he did.

“Noah.”

I say his name before I even see him, almost like a prayer or a meditation. It calms me down, takes the edge off my thrumming nerves.

If I can just see him, everything else will make sense.

Everything will be fine.

I walk down the grassy slope, push aside the rusted metal gate with the “Private Property” sign, and run for the tree line.

“Our spot” is, legally speaking, someone else’s spot. We don’t know whose. Nor do we particularly care.

There’s an old barn on the property and a few silos, though they’re falling apart, having been abandoned for years. Old farming equipment is hidden in the brush, rusted out and overgrown with plants and vines.

On nice days, we explore.

On the best days, we lay on a blanket in the grass and kiss, tangled in each other’s arms.

“Noah,” I say again.

I’m surprised he hasn’t walked out of the trees to meet me yet. The road just outside the fence is gravel, so it’s easy to hear if anyone else is coming. Another feature that makes our spot perfect.

If we are ever getting it on in the shrubbery, at least we’ll have a bit of forewarning to pull our pants on and look presentable.

Finally, I see him sitting in the shade beneath a tall tree, his back towards me.

His hair is longer than it’s been in a while, in desperate need of a cut by most people’s standards. I like it long, though.

“There you are,” I breathe, relieved at just the sight of him.

I’ve had a shit day, and he is the only person who could make it better. Who can help me make sense of it all.

He turns towards the sound of my voice.

As soon as I see his face, I stop in my tracks.

“Noah, what’s wrong?”

His eyes are red-rimmed, like he’s been crying, though I don’t see any tears now.

His cheeks are flushed a maroon color, but the rest of his face is pale white.

He looks like he’s seen a ghost.

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