Unbidden (Brighton Academy Book 1)

by Cala Riley

  I’ve barely had a moment by myself since the attack. At the hospital, Tinsley, Keaton, and Reed took turns watching over me. I didn’t miss the fact that Reed often took the shift when I was sleeping. His own way of giving me space but also protecting me.

  My heart warmed every time I remembered waking with him by my bedside.

  “Actually, you have a visitor.” She looks at me nervously before stepping aside.

  Sterling comes in. “Hey, Sage. Can I have a minute?”

  I jump up, wincing at the tenderness still in my side before running to him, hugging him tightly.

  His arms are reluctant at first, but then he wraps them around me, holding me tight.

  “I’m going to give you two a minute.” Victoria leaves the room, shutting the door behind her.

  I release Sterling, tears flowing from my eyes. “Thank you. Thank you so much for saving me.”

  He looks as if he’s holding back his own tears. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”

  “No apologies needed. Come. Sit.” I pull him over to sit at the end of my bed. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “Can we talk about that night? Vic said you don’t remember much. I was hoping to fill in some gaps for you, if you’re up for it?”

  Sadness fills me, as it does every time I think about that night. “Please. I want to know everything. They gave me roofies, so I can’t remember parts. It’s likely I’ll never get those parts back.”

  He nods solemnly. “I went to the party to score some weed. With everything that happened with Tinsley, I needed something to take the edge off.”

  I interrupt before he can go on. “What happened with Tins?”

  He gives me a sort of half smile. “Finley fucked up. We all know she has a crush on him. She always has. We’ve always ignored it. She’s off-limits. He’s been flirting with Ms. Wheeler. Well, I guess she finally decided to give it up. Tinsley saw Finley go into the room, but when he didn’t come out, she went to check on him. She found him balls deep in Ms. Wheeler.”

  I have a brief memory of getting a similar text from Victoria the night of the attack. “Why doesn’t he just talk to her?”

  Sterling shrugs. “I have a hard enough time dealing with my own shit. I can’t take on his too. I’ll always be there for him, but he uses his goofy facade to hide his true self. When he’s ready to talk to someone, he will.”

  I let out a deep sigh. “So you were going to buy some weed.”

  “I was. So, imagine my surprise when I walk into the party and find you. I watched you go upstairs with Ingram. I didn’t really think anything of it. I mean, you did break my best friend’s heart. Then I heard some girls in the kitchen saying Reed Yates’s girl had gone upstairs to fuck another guy. I won’t lie. I believed them. I went up there to catch you. It’s why I waited as long as I did. I thought I would catch you in the act.” He shudders. “I’ll never forgive myself for waiting. I should have come up right away. If I had, maybe I could have stopped it. Hell, if I’d just stopped you when I walked in, you wouldn’t have gone up there alone.”

  He drops his head in his hands as he pulls on the ends of his hair.

  I reach out and grab his hand. “This is not your fault. This is not your burden to bear. You’re my savior. It doesn't matter that you didn’t come up sooner. You came. You saw what was happening, and you helped me. The rest? It really doesn’t matter.”

  He gives me a grateful smile before continuing. “I wanted to beat the ever-living daylights out of Asher right then and there. I got a couple of licks in before I glanced over and realized you weren’t moving. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn’t. I slapped you once and you came back to me. That’s when I picked you up and got you out of there. I kept asking you if you were okay, but all you kept saying was ‘Tinsley.’ I freaked out, thinking she was there somewhere, so I called Finley. I knew he was planning to go to another public school party and would be close. He went in search of her while I called Reed and told him what was going on. Then I got to the hospital and told them all I knew. The cops took me in for questioning and ended up holding me until you woke up and told them I was innocent. Thanks for that, by the way.”

  “Of course. You are innocent. I’m sorry it took so long.”

  He shrugs. “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was and to tell you that Reed cares about you deeply. He nearly lost it when he found out what happened. Did you know he went to find Asher?” At my nod, he continues. “He did what I wanted to do. He put Asher in the hospital. Not that he stayed there long. He’s in jail now.”

  “I know. Elijah also sent Ingram off to a psychiatric care hospital. He wanted me to press charges, but I don’t think that would help. She’s technically family, after all, and I would rather she receive the help she needs rather than be lost in the system.”

  “You’re a better person than me.”

  I smirk. “That’s not hard to do. You’re kind of an asshole.”

  “Hey.” He nudges my shoulder with his gently.

  “An asshole, but a good guy too,” I amend. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime. I know I don’t deserve it, but I'd like to be friends.”

  I smile. “I’d like that too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I run my hands over the garment bag hanging in my closet. The dress inside honors the old me by not being too showy but still screams money and class.

  This definitely isn’t a dress from Debs, that's for sure.

  I sigh.

  To go or not to go….

  A knock on my closet door startles me. I turn and find Aunt Alice.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi. You looked pretty deep in thought.”

  “I’m trying to decide if I want to go tonight,” I tell her honestly.

  Alice steps farther into my closet and stands beside me.

  “Well, I believe if you can’t keep your hands off a dress, you should wear it, and you, my dear, haven’t stopped touching it since I came in. What’s on your mind?”

  “I’m not like the other kids. This really isn’t my scene.”

  Alice puts her hand on my shoulder and turns me. “And why aren’t you like them? You have every right to be there tonight. Don’t let them get to you, Sage. Your bank account is as large if not larger than theirs. Your last name means something to these people. Just because you weren’t raised in this life doesn’t mean you don’t belong. Make it what you want. I think everyone at BA could use someone like you in their lives.”

  “I’m pretty sure Mrs. Bonavich would disagree,” I tease.

  “Well, fuck her,” Alice says venomously before sighing. “You better get ready. If you need any help, just holler.” She squeezes my shoulder before turning toward the door.

  “Hey, Aunt Alice, is there a reason why you came in?”

  “Oh, I forgot. A box was delivered for you. I set it on your bed.”

  “A box?”

  Alice shrugs. “It was sent by courier. Might want to open it before you leave,” she recommends.

  “Thank you,” I call out as she leaves.

  I make my way out of the closet and instantly spot a box on my bed. It’s white with no markings.

  Might as well open it.

  I lift the lid and am instantly greeted by tissue paper. I gently move it off to the side and gasp as I see a beautiful silver masquerade mask. I pick it up and take a closer look. It’s feminine, dainty and classic. Something I would have picked out for myself.

  I spot a note in the box and set the mask off to the side.

  Sage,

  Tonight is the night. The night we’ve been working towards all year. All those ridiculous finishing classes will pay off. I wanted to ask you to go with me but decided against it. I figured if I didn’t ask, you couldn’t shut me down. I wanted to get you something beautiful to wear, not because I don’t think you’re capable of doing so yourself (we both know you are) but because I wanted to see you and think, “Damn, I knew that wou
ld look good on her.” So instead of a dress or even jewelry, I went with a mask. Something you hopefully forgot about.

  Don’t worry about tonight. It’s almost over. You deserve to be there as much as the rest of us, if not more. If I forget to tell you, you look beautiful tonight. I hope you save me a dance.

  -Reed

  “That sneaky bastard,” I mutter before dropping his note onto my bed. I look back over at the mask.

  He honestly did a good job.

  “I’ll think about a dance,” I say to myself before heading off to the shower to get ready.

  ∞∞∞

  I stand at the balcony overlooking the ball. Everyone’s dressed to the nines. I look around and spot some familiar faces.

  Tinsley.

  Sterling.

  Finley.

  Poppy.

  “He’s down there waiting, little fox,” a voice says from behind me.

  I turn. “Well, don’t you clean up nice,” I tease Keaton.

  “Psh, I always look good. Now you, on the other hand, are going to break some necks tonight.”

  I can’t help but blush at his words. “If you say so.”

  “You want to walk down there by yourself or with me?”

  “I still need a minute, so please go on. Just stay near so I can find you,” I say lightly.

  “Always, little fox,” Keaton tells me before leaning forward and kissing my cheek.

  I watch Keaton descend the stairs. Once he’s in the ballroom, he looks up and gives me a nod.

  I can do this.

  I make my way to the stairs and stand at the top before descending slowly. I take my time, not tripping on my dress but not looking down, making eye contact with several people around me.

  I reach the bottom of the steps without falling on my face and can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. I spot Tinsley and V standing together looking like two proud mothers and work my way to them.

  “What do you two look so happy about?” I ask.

  “All eyes were on you. That was one hell of an entrance,” V teases.

  “You looked positively wicked,” Tinsley gushes.

  “You took my breath away,” Reed rumbles from behind me.

  I turn to him. “Hi,” I say softly.

  Reed hisses. “Dear God. You in that dress….”

  “You like it?”

  “Love it,” he growls.

  “Thanks. It has pockets.” I beam while showing him the pockets, causing the girls to giggle.

  Reed smirks. “So I can’t offer to hold the shiny shit on your lips or your phone for you?”

  “I mean, you could, but I think I have it under control for now,” I tease.

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He sighs. “What about a dance?”

  I notice a familiar face in the crowd.

  “How about you hold that thought. I owe someone else a dance first.” I reach out and squeeze his arm as I pass.

  “Who?” I hear him ask from behind me, but I choose to ignore him.

  I walk up to Jared and tap on his shoulder.

  He turns and looks at me. “Hey, Sage,” he says happily.

  “Hey, Jared.” I look at his friends. “You guys don’t mind if I steal him for a sec, do you? He promised me a dance.”

  “Go ahead,” his buddies say in unison, giving him a look of wonder.

  I turn to Jared and find him looking slightly bashful.

  “You still up for it?” I ask softly while holding out my hand.

  “It would be my absolute honor, Sage,” he tells me while grabbing my hand. Jared flips my hand right side up and holds it while leaning forward and laying a kiss on it.

  He leads me to the dance floor, placing his left hand in my right and his right on my upper back with my left hand resting on his shoulder. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be,” I tell him with a smile.

  We move around the dance floor slowly and quietly.

  “Thank you,” he randomly says.

  “For?”

  “Remembering to dance with me. You didn’t have to actually do it, but you did. You came to me.” He shrugs.

  “Well, if there’s one thing to take away from tonight, Jared, it's that I keep my promises. I told you I would, and I am. You took a shot with me when you didn’t have to.”

  “It was the right thing to do,” he says before sighing. “I just hope I live through the night to remember it.”

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  “A certain Yates is giving me a death glare,” he tells me with a raised brow.

  “Eh, he’s harmless,” I tease.

  “Either way, it was worth it.” He blushes slightly as the song wraps up.

  He leads me off the floor and towards my friends, but I stop and tug on his hand. Jared turns to me. “Everything okay?” he questions.

  “The best. But you don’t have to walk me over there. Your friends look ready to talk to you anyways.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Definitely. Thank you for everything, Jared. I wish you nothing but the best,” I tell him honestly before stepping up to him and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “Have a good night, and dance with another girl. She would be lucky to be led around the dance floor by you.” I squeeze his arm and then step around him, heading towards my friends.

  My friends. There it is again.

  Tinsley and Sage are barely containing their laughter, and the guys look ready to stop whatever madness Reed is considering.

  “Have a nice dance?” Reed asks through clenched teeth.

  “I did. Thank you for asking.” I place my hand on his jaw and slowly rub it. “Might want to stop grinding those pretty teeth of yours, Yates.”

  “Was the kiss necessary?” he asks with a raised brow.

  “For this reaction? Completely,” I deadpan, making those around us laugh.

  Reed pulls me flush with him. “The rest of the night, I’m the only man who dances with you,” he demands.

  I simply arch my brow and take a step back only for him to pull me forward once more.

  He sighs. “Please.”

  “We may be able to work it out. But I did promise Keaton a dance or two,” I tell him while patting his chest. “How about we talk about it over a drink?”

  We make our way over to the bar, and Reed places our drink orders with the bartender.

  “You know, most school dances have a punch table, not a bar.”

  “I would have thought you’d have figured it out by now but we’re not like other schools. Besides, can it really be called a bar if they aren’t serving the hard stuff?” he asks with a raised brow.

  “Fair enough.” I sigh.

  Reed thanks the bartender for our drinks and guides me towards a dark corner. He sets his drink and mine on the tall table, then pulls me in to him.

  “So,” we say in unison, causing us both to laugh.

  “You nervous, sweetheart?” Reed asks.

  “Me? Nervous? Psh.” I wave away the thought.

  “How about we just cut the bullshit.”

  “Okay….”

  “I found a peace with you that I never knew was possible, Sage. I didn’t want to let you in. I didn’t want my sister or my brother to get attached to you. I wasn’t worried about myself. I just knew you were going to disappoint them. You were ready to run from day one. But slowly but surely, it began to fade. Your eyes lit up a little more. Next thing I knew, both Tinsley and Keaton were depending on you when they had never depended on anyone but me. I braced myself for the fallout. Then you fell asleep across from me, you told me your secrets, you let me have a part of you. And in return, I gave you a part of myself. I’m done fighting it, Sage. I want you and only you. Do you think you can handle that?”

  I look away from his intense stare and sigh before looking back. “If anyone can put up with you for life, Reed Yates, it’s me. For some reason, I want you and your asshole ways.”

  Reed steps close enough for our bodies to brush
against one another. His hand moves from the top of my head through my hair to my neck, which he squeezes, his eyes flaring with desire.

  “We have some decisions to make.”

  “As long as we make them together and you don’t try to run the show,” I deadpan.

  He smirks. “But you love it when I run the show.”

  “Shut up and kiss me, you dick,” I say before clutching his shirt and pulling him against me.

  “With pleasure,” he growls right before he slams his mouth onto mine.

  I don’t know what it is about kissing Reed Yates, but it feels like coming home.

  Author Bio:

  Cala Riley, better known as Cala and Riley, are a pair of friends with a deep seated love of books and writing. Both Cala and Riley are happily married and each have children, Cala with the four-legged kind while Riley has a mixture of both two-legged and four. While they live apart, that does not affect their connection. They are the true definition of family. What started as an idea that quickly turned into a full-length book and a bond that will never end.

  Reader Group Boudoir of Sin:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/591736658074510/?ref=group_browse

  Links:

  www.facebook.com/CalaRiley

  www.instagram.com/author.cala.riley

  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cala-riley

  Acknowledgements:

  Husbands- Thank you for loving us through our rambles that you honestly couldn’t care less about. Mr. Riley for reminding the kids to be quiet and Mr. Cala for driving Cala around just so she can be inspired to write. We love you.

  Ashley Estep- Thank you for falling in love with this group like we did.

  Louise O’Reilly- Thank you for being you, our constant cheerleader.

  Jenny Dicks- Thank you for giving us your honest opinion.

  Krys with Take Cover Designs- Thank you for taking our vague, one sentence summary and turning it into a beautiful cover. Thank you for also agreeing to make all the others just as pretty. Without you, our books would be incomplete.

  Hot Tree Editing- Thank you for making Unbidden pretty. Without you there would be missing commas.

  Give Me Books- Thank you for promoting the hell out of Unbidden.