Broken Empire (Boys of Oak Park Prep 3)

“That’s good.” I tightened my grip on his arm, which I still held even though we were no longer walking. “I hope I get to meet her someday. She sounds really sweet.”

“You want to?” His face became oddly still as he asked.

“Yeah.” I smiled. “She’s your best girl, isn’t she? I know that makes her special.”

His body was tense and rigid, and I couldn’t begin to guess what was going on in his head as he gazed down at me. He didn’t seem angry, but he was definitely… something.

“I’m taking her to play mini-golf this weekend,” he said suddenly. “Come with us.”

I blinked. “Really?”

He nodded, not saying anything else.

“You sure you want me to?”

His jaw clenched, and he took half a step back from me. “If you don’t want to—”

“No!” I held his arm tighter, not letting him back away. Cole, for as much as he would willingly run into a fight with fists swinging, seemed to struggle with the softer emotions, with feelings of vulnerability. And I had a feeling what he’d just asked had made him feel very vulnerable.

He stopped, regarding me with wary eyes.

“I want to,” I promised. “I really, really want to. I just don’t want to get you in trouble, that’s all.”

His gaze softened a little, and he shook his head. “It shouldn’t. My parents let me take her out places sometimes. They don’t even have to know you’re with us.”

It shouldn’t wasn’t exactly the reassurance he seemed to think it was. His father shouldn’t ever hit him, but obviously that hadn’t stopped Mr. Mercer from doing it on multiple occasions, so what should and shouldn’t happen didn’t mean a whole lot.

But Cole looked almost excited as he watched my face, waiting for my answer—and the truth was, I did want to meet Penny. I wanted to know more about the black-haired boy, and she was such a huge part of his life and of his heart.

“Okay. That sounds fun. What day?”

“Saturday.”

He grinned, and the way it transformed his whole face made my heart squeeze in my chest. He didn’t do it very often, and it gave his broad, heavy features an almost boyish quality. His face settled back into its usual mask quickly, but when we started walking again, he tugged me closer to his side, letting the heat of his body permeate mine.

When we arrived at Clarendon Hall, the dorm was already beginning to fill up. I didn’t see Adena or any of her minions there, which didn’t surprise me. Once upon a time, she’d been at every damn party the Princes threw, but now lines had been drawn in the sand, and the two factions never mingled.

Leah, Maggie, and Dan were there though, as were a bunch of kids who hadn’t picked a side in the battle between Adena and the Princes—those still hoping to ingratiate themselves with the four boys to take advantage of their family connections.

I waved at Leah, who caught my gesture and lifted her red Solo cup in a mock salute. I expected Cole’s footsteps to veer toward the back room the Princes always escaped to during these parties, but instead, he led me over toward my three friends. When we reached them, he threaded his fingers through my hair and leaned close to speak over the music.

“I’ll be back. We have some things we need to take care of.”

My brows drew together as a familiar zing of unease traveled through me. Fuck. Would I ever stop bracing for the other shoe to fall? Stop wondering if this was it—the end of the illusion?

“What are—?”

“Trust us, Tal.”

I forced the ants crawling around in my stomach to stop.

They had trus

ted me. I could trust them.

He stepped away from me with reluctance, but when he threaded his way through the crowd, he still didn’t head toward the back. And as he moved, I caught sight of the other Princes too.

None of them were in the back room. They were all out on the main floor, and they were… mingling.