Defiant Princess (Boys of Oak Park Prep 2)

“After school is okay. Are you sure you want to drive me?” I kept my gaze on Finn’s face so I wouldn’t have to absorb the full impact of Leah’s disapproving glare.

“Fuck yeah.” He grinned, flashing his dimples. “The Roseland Medical parking lot is the tits.”

Dan gave a snort that might’ve been a disguised laugh, and I pursed my lips against my smile. “Okay. I’ll meet you outside Craydon at three.”

“You got it.”

His grin widened, and Elijah brushed a hand over my shoulder. Heat bloomed at his touch, radiating over my skin in ripples that reminded me of everywhere else he had touched me.

“Let us know if you need anything else, okay?” he said softly. “If there’s anything else we can do.”

I glanced up at him, trying not to let the mess of feelings bouncing around inside me show on my face.

His use of the term “we” had thrown me a bit. I knew he and Finn wanted to try to make amends—or at least, they’d claimed they did—but I wouldn’t have thought Mason or Cole would be on board with that.

They all stood together though, a united, single force once again, like they had been when I’d first met them.

My head dipped in a jerky nod. “I—I will.”

As the four boys returned to their table, the volume of conversation around us seemed to swell, and I couldn’t tell if it was because I’d been so distracted I hadn’t heard it before, or if the whole room had quieted while the Princes and I spoke.

Like a dam breaking, everyone at my table started to speak at once, their voices low and intense.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Are you really gonna let Finn drive you?”

“Are they serious?”

I scrunched up my face. “I don’t know. Yes. And… I don’t know.”

Leah shook her head at me, her auburn bob swaying. “Girl, I’m just saying—”

“I know.”

“After last year—”

“I know.”

She didn’t know about the little black notebook that sat in my backpack though. I hadn’t told her the long game I was playing. You have to get close to stick the knife in.

“I dunno.” Maggie looked thoughtful as she glanced furtively over at the Princes’ table. They sat in their usual spot, talking quietly amongst themselves, their faces serious. “This seems different somehow.”

“What?” Leah turned to her with wide eyes, and I couldn’t help my own surprised look at Maggie’s words.

The blonde girl shrugged. “It doesn’t seem the same. That was public, all for show. And they sort of like, adopted you. They made you come to them. This time, they’re coming to you. Which gives you the power, right? And then there was that whole thing with Cole and…” Her gaze flicked to Dan, and she trailed off. I was glad she didn’t mention Oliver, but I knew exactly what she was talking about. “Anyway, it just seems like they’re not doing it for show now.”

“Yeah, or maybe they’re just the best actors in the history of the world,” Leah said pointedly, and I huffed a humorless laugh, inclining my head toward her.

Hearing her and Maggie debate was like hearing the two sides of my head and heart go back and forth.

Round and round.

As it turned out, I saw Finn before three o’clock. Several times, actually. He was already waiting in the dance studio when I arrived—he always beat me there, since it took me longer to get changed—and he watched me practice my audition piece with a curious look on his face.

“How do you come up with the moves?” he asked when I took a break to reset and make a few notes on the choreography.

I glanced at him. His head rested against the wall, tipped back slightly so he could meet my gaze.