Page 4 of Cruel Elite (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 3)

A series ofoohs andahhs move through the group as they tease me for being cryptic.

But I’m not joking.

Even though I’ve been a member of the Golden Boys for years, I don’t tell them everything. Not by a long shot.

Some secrets are never meant to be revealed.

2

Noah

I lean back and watch the party for a while. Shadows move in front of the bonfire.

Laughter and music ring out, and the clink of vodka bottles sounds amongst the trees.

The Golden Boys’ conversation goes on without me.

Until something catches my eye.

A wave of golden blonde hair disappearing behind the trunk of an oak tree.

Even without seeing her face, I know who it is.

And tonight, I’m just drunk enough to start some shit.

I stand up, throw my can into the fire, and jog into the trees. Finn says my name, confusion in his voice, but I ignore him.

They won’t follow me. They know better than that.

I can see her path through the trees. I move past more than a few couples in various stages of undressing and fornicating until I’ve left everyone behind.

Everyone buther.

Just as I begin to wonder whether this was all nothing more than my drunk mind making shit up, I hear a rustle to my right and turn.

There she is.

Penelope LaFevre.

Penny is leaning against a tree, her face tilted to the canopy of brown leaves above. Her eyes are closed, and despite the fact I wasn’t working to be quiet, she doesn’t seem to have heard me.

For one second, I forget why I followed her.

For one fucking, fleeting second, I forget I threw her out of my life.

I forget how strange it is to even be this close to her.

Then, she sighs, opens her eyes, and sees me. She starts to scream in surprise.

I leap forward and slap a hand over her mouth.

“Shh,” I reprimand. “You’re loud.”

I only remove my hand once I’m sure she’s quieted down.

Penny’s shock is replaced by dark suspicion in an instant. “What are you doing here?”

Her pink lips part as she lifts a plastic cup to her mouth. She wants to seem casual. Nonchalant.

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