have to figure this one out on my own.
In the meantime, however, I had to keep up with my regularly scheduled life. And that included a study date with Jason Darlington.
Fun, independent Reed was about to start her fun, independent life. It was still raining and windy, as it had been all day long, when I
started across the dark campus, keeping to the pathways closest to the buildings in an effort to duck the weather. I huddled under my
black umbrella and kept my head down as I scurried along, already looking forward to being back in my room later, cuddled up under
the covers. Halfway to the library, the wind carried a voice to my ear and I looked up. Headmaster Cromwell stood just inside the
open doorway of Hull Hall, shaking hands with Detective Hauer. I nearly tripped over myself when I saw them.
Detective Hauer. Lead investigator of the Thomas Pearson murder case. The man who'd arrested Josh last year right in front of me.
The man who had later arrested Ariana after she tried to kill me. What the hell was he doing back on campus? My abrupt stop caught
their attention. Predictably, the Crom fixed me with a grim glare. But Detective Hauer was less in character. Last year he had almost
always been nice to me--treated me as if I were his kid sister--as if he were on my side. But when he saw me there, he didn't smile or
wave. Didn't even nod. He simply stared at me as if disconcerted. As if he didn't quite know what to make of me. What was up with
that? Thrown, I quickly started walking again, and even jogged the last few steps to the library. Why had Hauer looked at me that
way? And why did it make me feel so... guilty? I didn't have time to dwell on it. The moment I stepped into the cozy warmth of the li-
brary, my iPhone beeped. I had a text from Jason. U on ur way? im in 2nd flr stax. got a good corner, come up. Study-date time. I
took a deep breath, shook my damp hair back, and started up the wide staircase at the back of the marble-floored lobby. The lighting
in the upstairs stacks was dim at best, provided mostly by low-wattage, fogged-glass lamps in the ceilings. Way more conducive to
sleep than studying. I could hear people whispering at the ends of the packed bookshelves, ensconced in the high-backed chairs or
huddled over the small tables. I even caught a telltale snore near the antiquities section. When I finally reached the end of the aisle
near the window, I looked right, then left, and spotted Jason. He had not only found us a private corner, he had found us the only cor-
ner in the Easton Library with a love seat rather than single chairs. He looked up and smiled, flashing those dimples. Damn. He really
was cute.
Okay, date time. If Josh could have breakfast with Ivy, then I could do this. Fun, independent Reed could do this. "Hey," I whis-
pered, hoping I didn't look as unattractively waterlogged as I felt. "Hey." He was taking up one half of the small couch. I shrugged out
of my wet coat and slung it over a nearby chair, out of the way. As I perched on the other side of the couch, I placed my bag on the
floor and pulled out a hair band to wrap my soaked locks back in a ponytail. Once that was done I felt much more human. Much more
dateworthy. Dateworthy. I was on a date with someone who wasn't Josh. How was this possibl
e? "Can you believe this weather?" Ja-
son asked. "Kinda makes you want to hunker down in here all night and wait it out." I smiled. Way to work in the phrase "all night"
before I'd even settled in. Boy was jumping right in.