“Looks like you’ve got a lot of that to do yourself,” I quipped, going without argument.
I was starving and the food looked good. It was just a table. I took a chair diagonally from Judas. Audrey sat left of me, placing herself across from the guy with indigo eyes.
Bri took the seat on the right, making her diagonal to the last guy—the one that had called me kitten. I paid none of them any attention.
I unwrapped my sub and began to eat, making sure I stayed aware of where I was. The taste of grilled chicken and pepper jack cheese exploded in my mouth, and I almost moaned.
Seeing the guy with deep set blue eyes was watching me with a hint of a smile on his face, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and eyed him back questioningly. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you haven’t noticed them.”
I was confused until Audrey spoke up.
“Everyone’s staring at us.”
I leaned back and cast my gaze around the massive room. Sure enough, half the student body was looking our way. Didn’t they know how creepy that was? To watch someone eat?
“That’s ridiculous.” I shook my head and went back to my sandwich.
“You might as well get used to it.”
I lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It’ll fade. I’m a novelty right now. As soon as I sit somewhere else, they’ll be back to staring at the four of you again.”
His blonde brows rose, a soft laugh spilling from his mouth.
“Why is that funny?” Audrey questioned.
“Because she thinks she’ll be sitting somewhere other than here. You two don’t have a choice anymore.”
Great. He sounded like Judas. “Do you guys sit in a huddle and plan out how you’re going to be misogynistic assholes, or does it come naturally?”
Another laugh came from the guy with the sky-blues. “That’s not fair, kitten. We ain’t prejudiced against chicks. I for one love them.”
“Do you?” Sarcasm dripped from my tone.
“Yeah. I have a medical condition, and it requires multiple women to alleviate the symptoms a few times a month.”
Despite how fuck-boyish that was, I laughed.
Brianna rolled her eyes. “Ignore all of them, you two. They’re actually part of a small male population that thinks with their brains more often than their cocks. Listening to him,” she nodded, “you wouldn’t think so.”
I grinned down at the him in question. “Which one are you?”
“Owen. I’m a Rook, like Bri.”
“I was adopted,” Brianna explained their obvious differences.
“And she’s the best little sister,” he cooed.
“Big sister,” she corrected with another eye-roll.
“I’m a Knight.” The guy kind-of across from me stated.
“In name only,” Audrey muttered.
He shot her a wicked smile. “I’ll remember you said that.”
Yeah, I’d certainly be grilling her too.
“How did all four of you end up in the same lunch period?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Aside from Bri’s English class, we’re only here for pre-college electives and can opt in to any class as long as we get em done.”
Holy shit. Smart fuckers.
“Why come at all then?” Audrey asked.
I could tell by her expression that this was news to her too.
“Something needed my undivided attention,” Judas replied, his eyes trained on me.
Wait. So, he was the reason I got in? Did he have that kind of sway over his family’s reach? Throat suddenly dry, I reached for my water. What would my parents have done to make a deal with the devil?
The conversation continued to flow around us, but he and I might as well have been at that table alone. We stared at one another, neither giving too much away in terms of what the other was thinking.
I found it ironic that his eyes were the color of the moon, but all they reflected was darkness. Being attracted to him felt wrong knowing he was Dax’s cousin, but I couldn’t stop myself from seeing what was right in front of me or forgetting what we did. I couldn’t tell my heart that it shouldn’t speed up every time he looked at me this way, all brooding and mysterious.
I could chant a mantra that Judas Barron was devasting for my health—a direct threat to my charade of morality—but when he smiled at me, I was reminded of all the malign promises he’d made.
I was unable to help wondering if he really meant it when he said he’d make good on them.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Rhiannon
I survived. Barely.
Nothing had changed since Freshman year. Math was still my weakest subject. All those arrows, numbers, and A+B had me thoroughly regretting attending the last class. The teacher hadn’t even been expecting me until tomorrow. I’d subjugated myself to mental torture for no reason.
And if Kelly would have ‘accidentally’ kicked the back of my chair one more time, the heavy ass textbook we were given was about to ‘accidentally’ make an imprint on the side of her face.