Cruel Love (Privilege 6)

“I didn’t want the other members of Stone and Grave to find out, especially not the alumni, because even though I might have gotten in through a back-door deal, I’ve worked so hard since I’ve been here,” she rambled. “I’d like to be judged on the basis of that, rather than the fact that my grandmother felt the need to grease the admissions board.”

Jasper said nothing. Ariana picked a speck of lint off his T-shirt and crushed it between her thumb and forefinger. He wasn’t buying it. She could feel it.

“I just want everyone to believe I deserve to be here,” she said finally.

Because I do, she added. After everything I’ve been through, I so, so deserve to be here.

“Well, anyone can see that,” Jasper said.

Ariana looked up at him, feeling a thrill down her back. “Really?”

“Are you joking? You ace all your classes, you were the star of our pledge class, you were here about five seconds before you made friends with Lexa’s crowd.” Jasper pulled a face and scoffed. “You deserve to be here more than anyone I know.”

Ariana smiled and leaned in to kiss him. His hand went around the back of her neck and brought her in even closer. Ariana felt a stirring deep inside of her, but tamped it down. This was not the time to be getting physical. Not with Lexa in the hospital. She broke off the kiss and bit her lip.

“You know I never would have really hurt you, right?” she lied. She had been about to hurt him. She had been about to slaughter him, in fact. Anything to keep her secrets. It would have killed her to do it, but a girl on the run had to do what a girl on the run had to do. “I was just messing around.”

“I know,” Jasper said, cupping her shoulder with a grin. “Besides, I like a girl who can take care of herself. Less work for me.”

Ariana rolled her eyes, but laughed.

“Remember the other day when I invited you to Thanksgiving at my house?” Jasper asked.

Ariana’s heart fluttered. “Yeah.”

“Well? The offer still stands and my parents would love to meet you,” he said. “Have you thought any more about it?”

With everything that had gone on over the past few days, Ariana had completely forgotten about the invite. But after the awful drama of the night, running off to Louisiana with Jasper and putting Atherton-Pryce behind her for a few days seemed like a dream.

“I have and I’m in,” Ariana replied. “I can’t wait to meet your family.”

Jasper grinned. “I’ll book you a ticket in the morning.”

Ariana smiled and settled in again, cuddling into the crook between his arm and his chest as she imagined a big, picturesque family Thanksgiving—something she hadn’t experienced in years. She was more thankful for Jasper than for anything or anyone else in her life. If she had pulled a pair of garden shears on Palmer, he probably would have broken up with her in disgust and turned her in to the police for attempted assault, goody-goody that he was. Everything with him was black and white, but Jasper knew there were other shades to the world. As she inhaled the clean scent of his T-shirt it suddenly hit her full force that she could have lost him tonight. The horror of it crashed over her like a tidal wave, threatening to sweep her away and she found herself clinging to the front of his shirt.

Don’t leave me, she thought. Please don’t ever, ever leave me.

“Ana? Are you okay?” Jasper asked.

Ariana forced her fingers open and released his shirt. A little mound of white cotton stood up in the center of his chest.

“Can you just … stay with me? Until I fall asleep?” she asked.

“I was planning on staying the whole night,” he replied.

He leaned down and kissed her ever so softly, and within minutes, Ariana had drifted off to sleep.

COME TOGETHER

Wearing her black Stone and Grave robe, Ariana stood at her designated place between Tahira and Landon. The cavelike room beneath the library where all official meetings took place was as still as night. Candles flickered along the stone walls, set in sconces and candelabras of various heights and sizes, but other than the occasional rustling of a bell sleeve, the room was eerily silent. Ariana stared at the empty spots on the opposite side of the circle. Lexa, the president, was missing, of course. But the spot next to her, usually occupied by Palmer, was empty as well, as was the spot next to April Coorigan, usually occupied by Lexa’s boyfriend, Conrad Royce. No doubt they were both stationed dutifully at Lexa’s bedside.

Lexa’s current love and Lexa’s ex were each claiming a proprietary spot in the vigil. Ariana wondered if anyone had picked a fight yet. She hoped that if they had, Conrad had given Palmer a sound pummeling.

Finally, April lifted the hood from her head, exposing her mass of red curls. “We are the Stone and Grave,” she intoned.

“We are the Stone and Grave,” the rest of the brotherhood replied.

“You may be seated,” April said.