Bad Boy Hero - Tanglewood Academy

“Keep the change,” he tells me, his fingers brushing mine as he hands me the bill. Maybe it’s just my nerves already standing on end, but I swear, a physical electric charge runs down my arm, the current passing from him into me, making my heart beat even faster. “I’ll see you on campus, Missy.”

There’s something about the way he says it. The hint of more. It makes me want to leap across the bar and drop to my knees in front of him. Beg him to keep my secrets.

But I hold my tongue, and my position, standing there with his crisp $50 in my hand like I’ve gone numb. “See you,” I finally manage to call, after he’s already turned to leave, nodding to his drinking companion. I stare after them the whole way outside, unable to tear my gaze from Keanen’s back, wondering—hoping?—he might turn around for one last glance in my direction. But the door swings shut behind them, and he vanishes into the night without a backward glance.

Henry notices me watching, and nods at the fifty in my hand. “Always a great tipper, that kid. It’s funny, you see a lot of those rich kids letting wealth go to their heads, but not him. His father, now, Chancellor Kross is another story.”

My stomach tightens. Chancellor? But of course. I knew Bette’s last name sounded familiar when she first introduced herself. It’s because I first saw it on my acceptance letter to Tanglewood.

Oh, God. Not only does Keanen’s sister rule the social roost in my grade, but also his father runs the entire school. I have to make sure he keeps my secret. Whatever it takes.

4

I keep my eyes peeled on campus for Keanen over the next couple of days, but I don’t see him anywhere. The upper-class students eat in a different cafeteria from us lowly freshmen—rumor has it they have a sushi bar in theirs. Although, I have to admit, for being the crappy frosh caf, I’ve loved all the meals I’ve eaten here.

Not that I don’t enjoy my mom’s cooking at home, but it’s always comfort food. Mac and cheese, grilled cheese, tomato soup with… well, cheese. We have a theme going.

Now I’m discovering for the first time that salads can actually be delicious, if you add more than just a few tomato slices and some store-bought dressing on top. And the steaks, oh my God. I never thought I liked meat. I realize now that’s only because my mom and grandparents always overcooked it.

I’m tired most days, especially when I have early morning classes the day after closing down the bar, but I can’t complain. All in all, things are looking better than I ever believed they could have. It’s hard to believe that just a couple of months ago, I was back in Boston, assuming I’d never get a chance to study at university, figuring my whole life was going to be stuck in one place. Now…

“Don’t look now,” Leah murmurs from her seat across from me in the library where we’ve holed up with Sara and Yvette for a group study session this afternoon. “But Tanglewood’s most eligible just walked in.”

I startle and glance around, only to find Keanen striding past with a cluster of boys. They’re all handsome, in a generically preppy way, but even among guys of his same caliber, Keanen stands out. It’s not just his chiseled features or those intense eyes, or even the thin slice of his mouth and sharp cut of his jaw. Something about him just seems more mature than the other guys, even the seniors. Like they’re all new to this, but he was born to be here.

As if sensing my stare, he glances our way. But unlike at the bar, when it seemed he couldn’t take his eyes off me—for better or worse—here, his gaze just skips right past me. Almost like he didn’t even notice me.

My heart climbs up my throat and then sinks back down again, all in that one split second.

I tell myself I should be relieved. It’s a good thing he doesn’t notice me. It means he’s not going to go blabbing my secret all over campus. I’m guessing he hasn’t yet, based on the fact that Bette hasn’t stopped me in the hallways of the dorm to torment me, or that rumors haven’t started swirling about my off-campus employment. Maybe he isn’t ever going to.

Maybe Henry was right. Maybe Keanen’s one of the good ones. Not like the other rich kids.

“Hello, earth to space cadet.” Sara waves a hand in front of my face, startling me back to our conversation, my cheeks flushed.

“I said don’t look, geez.” Leah snickers, and nudges me under the table.

“Hey, I can’t blame her. It’s a great view.” Yvette rests her chin on the palm of one hand and sighs, watching the guys cross the library. “How mad do you think Bette would be if I asked her brother out?”