Chapter Eighteen
Amelie
Kalen doesn’t leave. He watches me silently as I finish getting ready for school, an unreadable expression on his face.
I can see the hope in his eyes though, and as much as I enjoyed last night, I know what has to be done.
Sighing, I pick up my school bag and Susan, accepting that he’s going to want to walk me to breakfast at least. He thinks everything’s back to normal and that we’re good, and now I have to act like a bitch and kick a puppy.
“Kalen, you know last night doesn’t change anything, right?”
He frowns.
“What do you mean? Of course everything has changed.”
“No, Kalen.” I shake my head emphatically at him. “It hasn’t.”
“But...you forgave me!”
“No, I didn’t. And I still don’t.”
“Then what the hell was last night about?!” He glares at me, using anger to shield the hurt that I am causing him.
“I had needs. You saw to them.” Fuck, even I can hear how much of a bitch I sound like saying that.
“You don’t mean that,” he wheedles. I sigh, because I know he’s a determined son of a bitch at the best of times and I’m really going to have to hit him where it hurts.
“Kalen, I needed a good fuck. That’s all.”
“But—” He gives me huge puppy dog eyes and I hate myself. But I have to protect my heart and he hasn’t grovelled nearly enough.
“You were there.” I take a deep breath, hating the next words before they even tumble from my lips. “And Sawyer was busy.”
His eyes flash with hurt, and I swear, I feel worse than I would if I kicked an actual puppy. But...fuck him. He hurt me too and an earth-shattering orgasm does not make things okay.
I leave him gaping at me as I push past him to go to breakfast. Opening the door, I find Elsie poised and ready to knock.
“Breakfast?” I ask her hopefully. She nods, so I link my arm through hers and together we walk off down the corridor, leaving Kalen in our wake.
“Wow, so...Kalen...again?” she prompts me with a grin.
“You heard that?”
“I think the whole dorm heard you last night.” She sniggers, and I nudge her with my hip.
“Did not.”
“So all’s forgiven?”
“Hell no!” I exclaim. “I just...had an itch.”
“And did he scratch it?”
“Real good!” I grin devilishly at her. “Besides, Kalen’s the softest of the Knox brothers. I can use this to our advantage.”
“Please tell me how you screwing Kalen ‘monster dick’ Knox is going to help me?” She snorts.
“First, it’s ‘monster cock’ not dick. Second, if he thinks we’re friends again, I can get information from him about our little project…speaking of which, I have something to show you later. Can I bring it to your room?”
“First,” she grins at me, “hell yes, I’m intrigued so you better bring it to show me. And second, I don’t think you and Kalen were ever friends.”
“Touché.” I groan because she’s right. “Feed me? I have way too much of a hangover to face classes today.”
“So what will it take for you to forgive Kalen?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “A lot of grovelling. He’s not really there yet. And maybe pizza...oh! And puppies! Definitely puppies.”
Elsie laughs but does indeed drag me into the dining hall to feed me.
She’s such an angel that she even deposits me at our usual table and goes off to get me coffee and a full English fry up – something I love and missed when I was back home – and I have to smile. I’m lucky to have such a good friend.
Baxter flops down into the chair across from me. “You know, you are becoming a pain in my ass.”
“Is that so?” I smirk.
“Yes, babysitting is not something I want in the Baxter Branson repertoire.”
“I know something is going on. Your ‘Debbie’ cryptic clue was bullshit. Just tell me and whatever this is...” I gesture between us. “Can end.”
He leans back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, and my eyes wander to his shirt that has lifted showing his abs.
“Don’t you have enough guys on the go?” he asks in a low seductive tone. My eyes snap to his and he laughs.
“I friend zoned you,” I reply. “But you have this evil allure that sucks me in. My eyes still work though, so I’ll take advantage of that whenever I can.”
“Who are you taking advantage of?” Elsie asks, placing a tray of food on the table and sitting beside me. “Is it Kalen again?”
“Elsie,” I chastise. “Some things are secret.”
“Doubtful, he is over there moping about it and I’m sure half the school knows.”
I groan, because of course he is.
“Can we get back to my issue at hand?” Baxter demands. “I have considered hiring a security guard to follow you around.”
“Then what else would you do all day besides skulk in the shadows?”
“I do my best work from the shadows.”
“I can handle myself, I have a tracker on my phone now.”
“You always had a tracker on your phone. These people don’t care about something so trivial as privacy. If you don’t want security, then it pains me to say it, but you need to forgive the dickheads. Their claim will save your ass.”
“Security it is,” I say immediately before shovelling food into my mouth. They’re not getting out of my bad books that easily.
“Oooh, can he be hot?” Elsie jumps in, rubbing her hands together with excitement. “Six foot or taller, shoulders for days, and a nice ass? Not too old though.”
“I thought you liked pussy?” Baxter asks with confusion wrinkling his brow.
“I prefer it, but I am not opposed to the odd cock...if it’s the right fit.”
I snort when Baxter coughs. Elsie isn’t usually so…whatever this is. She’s always so...put together.
“I’ll see what I can do for you, ladies.” Baxter pushes away from the table and winks before he disappears.
As soon as Baxter has gone, Onyx takes his place.
“What?” I snap.
“We are starting family training this week, the obstacle course is being set up.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
“The Knox family event is coming up, and since you’re part of the Knox family, you’re required to join in.”
“Hard pass, but thanks for offering.”
Onyx brings his palm down hard on the table. Half the room, including myself, jump.
“It wasn’t a request,” he seethes. “Grandfather will not take no for an answer.”
I stare at him. I won’t be the first to break eye contact; Onyx doesn’t scare me. “I said no.”
“We will come and get you, so let’s do this the hard way. I love it rough, Amelie, so resisting is just foreplay for me.” He gives me a dark grin that terrifies and thrills me, my heart pounds and my palms get slick.
“If I do this, tell your father I won’t be doing any of his other bullshit self-defence crap,” I snap back as Onyx abruptly stands and leaves.
Why they sent him to tell me the good news is beyond me.
Anyone else would have been better than him.
That is one Knox brother I am no way near to forgiving.
“What do you know about this obstacle course?” I turn to Elsie.
“It is a huge event, though only certain families take place. The Knox family win every year, though word has it that it is a secret society event from when some old ass dudes were in university.”
“Elsie!” I hiss under my breath.
“What?” she whispers back, her eyes like saucers.
“I think you figured it out! We need to sneak out, spill a drink on me.” She still doesn’t register what I’m saying. I lean in and tip the drink myself and juice goes everywhere.
“What the hell?” I yell, drawing all eyes to us. “We need to get changed before class.” I grab Elsie’s hand and drag her to my room, into the bathroom and shut the door, turning on the shower.
“What are you doing?” she asks and I shush her.
Pulling out the stolen book from its hiding place, I hand it to her. She studies the cover and flicks through the pages.
“I have been over and over everything in my head, and I know we had theories but a secret society makes sense. From the ones I have seen on TV they are a tad sketchy, but it would make sense why they all have the tattoo, including Baxter. Why else is he all evasive with any questions I ask?”
“But what does it all have to do with you? I mean, do you even think it involves you?”
“I don’t know, but I plan to find out. It can’t be a coincidence that my mother shows up out of nowhere and this necklace is an exact match for the tattoos,” I point out, fingering the pendant on the thin chain.
“They won’t tell you anything. Maybe it’s time to forgive them? You could get close to get answers. Even if you don’t really forgive them, you know?”
“They’ll know something is up if I forgive them that easily, especially Onyx. We have a hate/hate relationship.” I laugh.
“If you are involved somehow, that means they’re all lying or using you, so you need to find a way to get them all under your spell. Again. It worked before. It wouldn’t surprise me if they have bugged your room.”
“I didn’t think about that.” My eyes widen in surprise. “Maybe we should set a trap and see if we can catch them somehow?”
The drink I spilled a little too enthusiastically has soaked through my uniform, so I strip down to my underwear.
“I know, let's go out there and talk about what it would take for you to forgive Kalen. He would be the one to target. The twins would be harder nuts to crack.” Elsie shuts off the shower and I stash the book away for safekeeping, not that it is of much use to us if we can’t read whatever weird language it’s written in.
We exit the bathroom and Elsie strikes up conversation about the Knox brothers while I pull out a new uniform.
“Are you ever going to forgive them? I mean, most girls would fall at their feet and be happy with the crumbs they leave them.”
I sigh because it’s the truth. Why they all like me blows my mind. I’m not your average girl.
“I don’t know, Els, how can I forgive what they’ve done?”
She turns to me as if she is thinking. “Food is always a good place to start. I know how much you love pizza.”
“Pizza and puppies. I think I could be swayed to forgive if a cute fluffy puppy was involved in a real apology.”