by Ivy Clyde
“Give me your phone,” he said.
“Why?” I asked suspiciously.
“Just give it to me.”
I handed him the cell phone. Taking it, he typed away something on it and gave it back. “I’ve saved my number on your phone. Call me anytime you need me.” With that, he turned around and walked out of the closet room.
I stared at the screen on my phone. A smile tugged the corners of my mouth as he’d saved the contact as ‘Nik.’
14
Paris
It took me a while to calm my racing heart before heading out of the closeted room. After spending the remaining hour browsing through the literature section of the library, I headed out to attend the Advanced Chemistry lesson which took place just before lunch hour.
To my surprise, I spotted Lucas at the back of the classroom. He was ashen-faced. His jacket covered up the blood patches on his white shirt. As soon as my gaze met his, he beckoned me with a single finger.
I really preferred sitting in the front row where I could see and hear the teacher clearly. Still, I walked down the aisle between the seats to take the desk beside him.
“Are you hurt?” he asked me in a low voice.
I shook my head. “What about you?” My gaze went to his ear. He’d taped a pink band-aid over it. I would have found it cute if I hadn’t witnessed the scene where Lucien was pulling at his earring with a mind to cut off his earlobe.
“I’ll be fine,” he whispered. “Thanks for stepping in back there. No one else would have dared.”
I nodded, facing the professor who’d started calling out the names to mark attendance. In my mind, I wondered whether I would do it again. After what Nik told me about Lucien Bettencourt, the smarter move would be to avoid him completely. I was at Knightswood to get a degree and a lift into the future, after all.
The class progressed and I took down my notes, making sure not to look at Lucas. He was enduring a lot of bullying and doing it quietly. By the looks of it, he hadn’t complained to a teacher. There’s only one rule that really runs Knightswood, Nik’s words echoed in my mind. No matter what you do, don’t get caught. Don’t leave behind any evidence and you’ll get away with murder.
I was slowly beginning to see why it was impossible for regular students to attend Knightswood. Firstly, the tuition was exorbitant, surpassing the fees of a private university. Secondly, you had to be recommended by an alumnus of the academy. Lastly, the final decision remained with the board of directors. I’d been able to step into the school solely because of Clara Davenport’s influence.
While I continued taking notes, my mind remained buried in thoughts.
Relief spread through me when the bell signaled the end of the lesson. I couldn’t wait to see Zoya and tell her how much Nik cared for her. Because of the cold façade he put up, everyone thought him to be indifferent and self-absorbed.
“Wait up, Paris,” someone called from behind me.
It was Lucas.
The class emptied out completely, leaving the two of us to linger in the back. There was a vulnerable expression in his eyes. I didn’t have to ask to know how much he was hurting.
“Do you need to go to the medical wing?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I was wondering if I could walk with you to the cafeteria. It’s cool if you don’t want to,” he added hurriedly.
“Of course, you can walk with me,” I said at once. “You can sit with me and my friend too. We don’t bite.”
He looked surprised at my invitation. “You don’t mind that I’m strange? People usually avoid me.”
I chuckled and wound my arm around his. “I’m the charity case of this school,” I said. “You should be avoiding me.”
A small smile tugged the corners of his bruised lips. Gosh! Even with dark patches appearing in his flawless skin, he was dazzlingly beautiful.
“I saw you being bullied the other day by Liam and the Evil Trinity,” said Lucas, drawing me out of my daze. “Do you really have to live in the woods?”
“Yeah, but it’s not so bad,” I said with a chuckle. “You should visit sometime.”
He looked pleased with my invitation.
“How do you like the school uniform?” he asked me as we walked through the sunshine-drenched grounds.
“They’re cute.”
“The girls’ uniform is, I guess,” he said, casting a glance at my attire. “But I hate what the boys wear,” he added, gesturing at his clothes. “I’d rather wear a cute skirt like yours.”
“You can try it on when you come to visit.”
“Really?” He halted in his steps, making me stop too. “You mean it?”
“Of course. You can try all my clothes but if you want the really good stuff, you need to get chummy with Zoya. She’s the one who’s into high fashion.”
Lucas’s eyes shone for a moment before doubt settled in them. “Will she even care for someone like me?”
I tightened the hold on his arm. “Zoya is very sweet and friendly.”
He gave me a smile and let me lead the way to the cafeteria.
As promised, Zoya waited for me at the entrance. Even from outside, I could hear the rumble of voices coming from the packed cafeteria. She looked at me curiously, gesturing at Lucas.
“Hey,” I said, reaching her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, knowing I was asking about last night. “Jonathan’s fine too,” she said.
Lucas nudged me in the side. “This is Lucas Bettencourt.”
“Damn, you’re pretty,” said Zoya, taking in Lucas’s appearance from head to foot. “I’m Zoya.” They both shook hands, Lucas glancing at me with a relieved smile.
“Let’s go eat,” I said, placing my hands on their backs. “I missed breakfast this morning.”
“Same,” said Zoya. “I was so tired from last night I missed first period.”
Chuckling, we entered the packed cafeteria. The three of us craned our necks to look for an empty table.
“Over there,” said Lucas, pointing in the far corner. As my gaze swept over the area, I caught sight of Liam and Gabrielle at a nearby table.
“Let’s go,” said Zoya, pulling at my arm.
Seated at the table, I looked back at Liam. His subtle expression of pain didn’t go unnoticed by me. From the looks of it, he was having difficulty cutting the thick steak on his plate. Gabrielle didn’t detect his discomfort, busy devouring the food on his plate.
“I need to do something,” I said, rising to my feet. “You guys should order your food. Don’t wait for me.”
Before Zoya could stop me, I’d moved to Liam’s table.
Taking the chair next to his, I sat down. Both he and Gabrielle looked surprised at my boldness but neither told me to go away. I took advantage of their momentary astonishment to grab Liam’s plate and cutlery and began cutting his steak into smaller pieces.
“What are you doing, Paris?” asked Gabrielle. I met his mesmerizing sea-green eyes and felt my heart skip a beat. He looked breathtaking with an amused grin on his face.
“I’m helping Liam.”
Gabrielle glanced at Liam who stared back at him with a stony expression. “I can do it on my own.”
“You’re hurting,” I said, keeping my gaze on the steak. “If you don’t get it checked today, I’m telling Ruben.”
“Where are you hurt?” asked Gabrielle. His jade eyes roved all over Liam’s body. “Did something happen? You’ve been acting strange all day today.”
“It’s nothing. Paris, go back to your table. I can do this on my own.”
“I’m almost done,” I said, making quick work of the expensive piece of steak. “There you go.” I slid the plate back to him.
“Thank you,” he said, grinding his teeth.
“Lucky fucker,” said Gabrielle. He still looked amused as Liam began devouring the pieces of steak. “Would you do mine too, Paris? Please?”
“Sure,” I mumbled. Gabrielle’s smile was so lethal it took me a secon
d to realize what I was agreeing to. He didn’t even seem to notice my dazed expression as he pushed his plate of half-eaten steak towards me.
Without an option, I started cutting his steak too.
“Don’t make her do it,” said Liam, moving to grab the knife and fork me.
“It’s fine,” I said, brushing his hand away. “Won’t take long.”
Liam looked annoyed for some reason as he chewed on his steak. He frowned at his friend who grinned back happily. For some reason, a bubble of happiness was rising inside me too. Something had definitely shifted between me and Liam. He seemed irritated with me but it felt like he was trying to resist liking me.
Smiling internally, I pushed Gabrielle’s plate back to him. “All done. Enjoy!”
“Thanks,” he said, spearing a piece of steak. “I’m sure it will be doubly delicious now.”
Liam scowled at him.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just eat.” Liam turned to me. “You should go eat with your friends now. Zoya Ivanov will sprain her neck if she keeps her head at that angle.”
Following his gaze, I found Zoya staring in our direction with narrowed eyes. Her plate of food was completely untouched.
“See you,” I said, getting to my feet to head back to her. She probably didn’t understand what I was doing. Last night had been too chaotic for her to have seen the way Liam saved me. I was halfway between the tables when something caught my foot, tripping me forward.
I fell to the hard polished floor, hurting both my knees and hands. Eyes shut against the pain, I slowly sat up. Banshee-like laughter rose over the chatter of the cafeteria. Opening my eyes, I saw Holly standing over me, her dark eyes dancing with malice.
“That’s where you belong, Charity Case,” she said, kicking at my hip.
“Stop that!” I shouted, moving aside to avoid another kick. Zoya was at my side in an instant, helping me up on my feet.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice heavy with worry.
“I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth despite the pain flaring up in my knee.
“Where do you think you’re going?” shouted Holly. Flipping a long sheet of blond hair behind her shoulders, she stomped forward and grabbed me by the arm. “Did I say you could leave? You’re the worst kind of help. Poor Liam and Gabe,” she simpered. “How dare you bother them when they’re eating?”
“Mind your own business,” I said.
“That kind of tone can get you fired,” said Brianna in a soft voice, coming to stand beside Holly. I was beginning to understand her. She was the kind of bully mastermind that stood back to watch her cronies do the dirty job. Her outer façade was one of calm. Only the malice in her glittering black eyes gave any indication to the poison she stored within her heart.
“Yeah, I don’t give two shits about that.” Wrenching my arm out of Holly’s grip, I moved towards our table. Only a few steps in, a loud clatter erupted behind me. Whirling around, I found a bowl of pasta at my feet. Some of the sauce left red patches on my white socks. The whole cafeteria was suddenly quiet. The servers had disappeared from the scene.
Gabrielle came to stand near me. A thunderous expression marred the beauty of his face as he glared at Holly. Waves of icy, cold air seemed to radiate from him as he directed his rage at her. Always cheerful and dazzlingly gorgeous, Gabrielle looked utterly monstrous at that moment.
Holly took a step back, visibly shrinking as she cowered behind Brianna.
Brianna struggled to appear calm but her expression was darkening too.
“Clean this mess up,” said Brianna, fixing her jet-black eyes on me.
“Holly did that,” said a familiar voice. Liam came to stand beside Gabrielle and turned his cold gaze on Brianna. “She should be the one to clean it up.”
“What are you talking about?” hissed Brianna. “Make the help do it.”
A soft chuckle escaped him. Moving towards me, he let his arm wound around my waist as pulled me against him. “Paris is my help. I don’t think I ever mentioned anything about sharing her with anyone.”
Brianna’s eyes were fixed on the spot where I was pressed against Liam’s tall, muscular body. Her anger deepened, ruining her serene façade as she openly scowled at me. She whipped her head around at Holly. “Why are you still standing there?” she screeched. “Get someone to clean this mess up.”
It was the first time, I noticed how the staff disappeared anytime a disturbance occurred in the cafeteria, coming back only after things calmed and settled down. A few waiters appeared in the hall.
I looked up at both Liam and Gabrielle. While my body was pressed against Liam, Gabrielle stood beside me, shielding me from the glare Brianna cast at my direction. Zoya stood nearby, keeping a watch on both Holly and Brianna as two servers came back to clean up the pasta from the floor.
All my hunger disappeared. It was Liam and Gabrielle’s warmth and protectiveness that I craved.
It felt like someone suddenly turned up the volume in the cafeteria. The chatter of a hundred voices rose up once again, probably discussing how Liam Davenport went against the queen bee to stand up for his personal maid.
“Come on,” said Gabrielle. “Let’s get out of here.”
I barely got to exchange a look with Zoya before both the guys dragged me away from the scene.
15
Paris
A breeze blew by, fluttering my layered pleated skirt as I followed after Liam and Gabrielle. They stopped when we were far from the cafeteria building. They both breathed heavily, slowly letting their gazes meet mine. Gabrielle’s sea-green eyes were lit up by the afternoon sunshine and reminded me of the rock pools I’d once seen by the ocean side. The increased pressure on my arm made me turn to look at Liam. He was frowning.
I exhaled a long breath and snatched my arm away from him. Did Liam think he could blame me for what happened back there? He was the one who humiliated me on my first day there, claiming I was his maid in front of the whole school. Of course, the she-devils would take full advantage of it to bully me.
“There you are!” Zoya’s panting voice came from behind me. Turning around, I found Lucas standing beside her.
“Here,” said Lucas, moving forward and thrusting a napkin-wrapped package in my hands. “Didn’t think you’d want to go back in there.”
“No,” I said, looking down at the warm package. Opening it, I found two sandwiches inside. “Thanks for this. I’ve been starving.” Without invitation, I picked up a sandwich and took a large bite out of it. Creamy chicken salad burst into my mouth. “This is good,” I said through a mouthful.
“You’ll choke if you talk when you’re eating,” said Liam, watching me devour the sandwich.
I shrugged, continuing to eat.
“It was really thoughtful of you,” I said through another mouthful.
Lucas shrugged. “I pack up sandwiches from the cafeteria all the time. Never know when I’d have to make a quick escape from there.”
“Lucien still after you?” asked Gabrielle in a grim tone.
“Yeah. Torturing me never gets old with him,” said Lucas. Running his fingers through the long length of his golden hair, he looked up at me and smiled. “It’s English next. How about we get to class early?”
I nodded, stuffing the rest of the sandwich in my mouth and earning a glare from Liam.
“People will think we starve you,” he muttered under his breath, turning away to walk towards the main school building where we had our English lessons.
Zoya opened her mouth to say something but I grabbed her hand. “Forget it,” I whispered.
“Fine,” she huffed. “At least, he stood up for you back there.” She flipped the length of her dark hair behind her back as a smile rose on her lips. “It’s the weekend. How about you come over to my place?”
Her invitation surprised me. I was rarely invited to her house because her stepfather didn’t want me there. Aunty Cathy must have really stirred up a storm this time.
“Nah! I have to catch up on a lot of reading,” I said with a chuckle.
I needed a quiet night after the events of last night anyway.
Gabrielle stepped back to walk on my other side. “What are you both talking about? Tonight is dedicated to Liam’s party. The whole school is invited, including you three.”
“What party?” Zoya perked up at once.
“Hasn’t he told you? It’s his birthday,” said Gabrielle with a laugh. “Haven’t you told Paris yet?”
“I thought she knew,” said Liam, glancing back at me. He turned around again, showing me his broad back. “Not my fault she doesn’t socialize enough,” he muttered.
I looked towards both Zoya and Lucas. “Do you guys want to go?”
Zoya nodded but Lucy shook his head.
“I’ll be seeing my parents this afternoon. Sorry,” added Lucas.
“I’ll head straight home after English,” said Zoya. “I didn’t bring many clothes here. How about we meet up later?”
I had to grin. Zoya might hate Liam but she loved a good party. Also, after last night, I felt her warm up a little towards Liam.
We walked inside the classroom and filed into the middle row. Liam went first with Gabrielle just behind him. I was seated between Gabrielle and Zoya with Lucas getting a seat beside Zoya. It was the first time I was this close to them.
I took out the thick wad of notes from my bag and began leafing through them. English was the only subject I was truly weak at, meaning I spent every available bit of time to read up as much as I could.
Gabrielle talked to Liam under his breath. Their voices were too deep and muted for me to hear much. On my other side, Zoya chatted about the dress she wanted to wear that evening. Lucas and Zoya seemed to hit it right off with their love of fashion.
Soon, the classroom began to be filled up by the other students of junior year. When the teacher came in, I slid my notes back in my bag and took out of my book.
“What are you getting our birthday boy?” whispered Gabrielle in my ear.
