Falcon (Trinity Academy 1)

“Are you a night or morning person?” I ask.

He thinks before he answers, “I’d say a mixture of both. And you?”

“Both, but God helps the person who wakes me up while I’m sleeping.” After a couple of minutes passes, I ask, “Are Mason and Lake your only friends?”

Nodding, he says, “They’re my family.”

“Don’t you get along with your parents?”

“No.”

I can’t imagine something like that. I’ve never even had a fight with my parents.

“My father spends all his time at work. He’s actually just a stranger.” I keep quiet, hoping he will tell me more and eventually he does. “Clare Reyes only cares about one thing, her status. I used to get along with Julian, my older brother, but things have become so competitive between us. I sometimes wonder whether the memories I have of us aren’t all just wishful thinking.”

“And Lake’s parents? Do you get along with them?”

Falcon nods. “Lake has the best parents out of the three of us.”

It makes me happy to hear that.

“And Mason? Is he in a similar situation as you?”

Falcon shakes his head, and minutes pass before he says, “They were like Lake’s family, but after Jennifer, Mason’s older sister, died in a car accident, the Chargills fell apart. Mr. Chargill works until he falls asleep at the desk. He seldom goes home.”

“And Mason’s mom?”

“She’s in and out of rehab.”

I close my eyes as empathy for Mason fills my heart.

“How old was he when the accident happened?”

“Seventeen. Jennifer collided with a tree. She died when West’s car crashed into her from behind. Mason blames West.”

“Is that why they fight a lot?”

Falcon nods again, and I wonder if there isn’t a way to help Mason. All that anger and hurt is destructive, and he might end up doing something bad.

“Tell me about you,” he murmurs.

“What do you want to know?”

“Who are your friends? Are any of them guys?”

I let out a chuckle. “Kingsley is my first real friend.”

Falcon shifts me to the right so he can look at me. “Why?”

“I had a lot of acquaintances, but I don’t think any of us kept in contact after school ended. We only used to spend our breaks together.”

For a couple of minutes, we watch the sun setting, then I ask, “Are you joining CRC when you’re done with your studies?”

“No.”

I’m getting used to Falcon pausing before he answers.

“The three of us made a deal with our parents. Mason will join CRC, and I will start a new company. My father is still trying to get me to join CRC, but that won’t happen.”

“Because of your brother?”

“Yeah, besides, Julian has the majority shares for our family.”

“Does that bother you?”

He shakes his head. “I have Mason and Lake. Our shares combined out votes everyone else.”

“So Lake will join CRC as well?”

Falcon doesn’t answer the question and instead says, “Lake deserves someone like you more than I do.”

I glance back at Falcon.

“Lake’s already engaged. The wedding is set for next summer.”

“Don’t you like his fiancé?” I try to remember if any of them have ever mentioned her, but there’s nothing.

“I’ve never met her,” Falcon admits. “It’s an arranged marriage.”

“What?” I sit forward and turn so I can face Falcon. “Why?”

“One of us has to marry her.” Falcon’s words send shock rippling through me. “We talked about it a lot before we made our decision. Mason would be the best person to work alongside Julian. I made my first million when I was nineteen, and because of it, it’s my job to get our company off the ground.”

“And that left Lake,” I whisper.

Falcon nods and tries to smile. “He seems okay with it. I’ve overheard them talking on the phone, and it didn’t sound awkward. I’ll only know for sure when I see them together.”

“You and Mason are both very protective of Lake,” I mention. “I understand why, though. I want to protect him, and I’ve only known him a couple of weeks.”

“I’d kill for Lake and Mason.”

The statement sounds harsh, but I hear the loyalty behind it. They have an unbreakable bond, and it makes me feel better that they have each other.Chapter 18Falcon“It just took on a life of its own.” Mason, Lake, and I are sitting in our lounge, catching up before we head to bed. “The one second I was still realizing I like Layla and the next…”

“She became important to you,” Lake completes my sentence.

I nod while staring at all our feet, resting on the coffee table. “This isn’t very comfortable, yet we do it every time we sit here.”

Mason frowns and glances up from his phone. “What?”

“Our feet on the coffee table. The damn thing is hard,” I explain.

“We should get something softer,” Lake agrees.

“Kingsley will be lying there if I have my way,” Mason growls before he tosses his phone to the side.

Lake coughs to cover up a laugh, and I chuckle and ask, “Is she ignoring your texts?”