Chapter 23 #2
“Alright, everyone. Grab your shit. Or we’re going to be late.” We moved together, like a team, out the door and into the bright autumn morning. I hated how easy it felt. I hated how much I wanted to believe it could last.
By lunchtime, the sense of normalcy had carried me further than I expected.
I found myself at a table in the university dining hall, surrounded by Megan, Silvia, Luce, Melody, and a handful of Courts girls whose names I’d never quite managed to pin down.
Megan was in her element, phone out, swiping through images of designer dresses on her screen as the girls crowded around her, oohing and aahing over silks and sequins and alarming price tags.
“Look at this one!” Megan brandished her phone under my nose, a blush pink slip dress that shimmered even in the digital photo, the kind of gown that looked like it belonged in Vogue, not in any closet I’d ever owned.
“It’s only… well, okay, it’s a bit expensive, but worth it, right?” She scrolled, and the price tag flashed up: ￡10,325. My jaw dropped.
“Fuck me,” I startled. “For a dress?” Megan laughed, bright and unfazed.
“Well, we gotta look good for our men, right?” she said with a wink.
Geez, did everyone know that I had finally fucked one of them?
Or was it written all over my face? The first thing Luce had asked me as we walked into English this morning was why did I look different.
I squirmed under her scrutiny as she was sure I looked more at peace.
I had glanced over at Cole, who just smiled and kissed my cheek before declaring he was going to sit with some of the other students, making up some shit about a project or something.
I knew he was just giving me space to talk through my feelings with Luce.
Who, after telling me she didn’t want details about her cousin’s sex life, not that I planned on going into detail, was super excited that I had got some.
And now Megan clearly knew something as well. I tried to laugh it off, feeling mortified.
“I’m sure I have something nice enough in my closet. I don’t think I could wear anything that costs more than my tuition.”
“Don’t worry about it. The Regents always cover all the Consorts’ costs for the Alumni Dinner. It’s kind of a tradition,” Megan said. Melody nodded, her eyes warm as she set her hand on my arm.
“Seriously, Cade. Don’t let money stress you. The boys will take care of everything. That’s what they’re for.”
Luce’s eyes sparkled as she leant in, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulder.
“My dad’s dragging me shopping this weekend. You should come. He won’t mind, God knows he’d rather spend his money on someone who’ll actually appreciate it.” Her smile was conspiratorial, and suddenly I felt a sharp, sweet pang of belonging, of being wanted.
“I… maybe,” I hedged, but the idea warmed me. For the first time since I’d arrived at Regents, I didn’t feel like an outsider. I felt, almost, like any other girl here.
The conversation hummed on, silk versus velvet, the merits of backless versus slit skirts, the best salons for hair and makeup.
Melody told a story about last year’s dinner, making Megan giggle so hard she snorted iced tea through her nose.
Even Silvia, normally quiet, was animated, showing off a picture of a dress she was considering.
As always, the atmosphere shifted when the guys entered the dining hall.
I didn’t even need to look up to know that they had walked into the room.
It was like everyone stopped what they were doing to get a peek at these guys.
They swept into the dining hall in a wave, Logan always a couple feet ahead, posture straight and unreadable; Ryder behind him, rolling his eyes, and Cole, arms crossed, scanning the room as if searching for danger.
They drew eyes wherever they went, but their steps didn’t falter as they made their way to our table.
Ryder slid into the empty seat beside me, close enough that our thighs touched. He took my hand, his thumb stroking circles over my knuckles, and the heat of his skin sent a jolt of memory through me, last night, this morning, the way he’d looked at me as he came.
Cole appeared at my other side, a paper bag in hand. He pulled out a frosted bun, a ridiculous, childish treat from the vendor carts by the quad, and set it on my plate.
“Thought you might want this,” he said with a shy, crooked smile.
“Saw them on my way in. So I grabbed you one.” I blinked, suddenly, stupidly close to tears.
It was such a small thing, but the kindness of it cut deep, straight through the armour I’d built to survive.
I managed a smile, brushing his hand in silent thanks.
The girls greeted the guys with practised ease, Melody teasing Ryder about his hair, Megan flashing Logan a wide smile that he ignored with his usual cool indifference.
The mood remained weirdly light, almost familial.
Melody nudged Logan’s arm after a few minutes.
“Tell Cade not to worry about the dress, Logan. You’ll handle it, right?”
“Of course we’ll cover it,” he said without even thinking. “Dress for what?”
“For the Alumni dinner next weekend, silly,” Melody said. For a moment, I saw the tiniest flicker of annoyance in Logan’s eyes, but he covered it with a bite of his apple, his jaw flexing.
“Oh, we aren’t going to the Alumni Dinner this year,” he said, offhand, casual as anything. The table fell silent, and Ryder’s hand tensed slightly, pausing the circles before continuing. I stared at Logan, stunned.
“What? Why not?” Logan shrugged, tossing his apple core in the bin and standing.
“Because I said so. That’s final.” Without another word, he strode away, his long legs carrying him out of the hall before any of us could process what had just happened.
The silence stretched. Megan’s mouth hung open; Silvia looked to Melody, who frowned in confusion.
Luce blinked at me, her hand hovering over her phone.
Ryder squeezed my hand, his thumb still gentle, but his eyes were wary, searching my face for a reaction.
Cole leant back, lips pressed together, his gaze flicking between the girls and the door Logan had vanished through.
“Is he serious?” Megan finally asked, her voice hushed, as if saying it too loud might shatter the fragile peace in the room. I swallowed, trying to still the ache in my chest, the sense of something precious slipping through my fingers.
“I… I don’t know.” I glanced at Luce and she shook her head, just as confused as I was.
I didn’t know why Logan had made this decision but from everyone else's reaction, it was definitely out of character, and I wasn’t going to let that slide.
If I was ever going to find out more information about my mum, then I would need to go to that dinner.