Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
It feels good to be back at the Academy.
I think I spent four hours in the bathtub, adding warm water whenever it would get cold. I’m definitely not cut out to be in the woods, or for any physical labor, because my sore muscles haven’t recovered just yet.
The bubbles, all essential oils, and body lotions smelled divine, and the fact that I finally got to do my hair care routine made all of the troubles vanish from my mind. It helped me relax immensely.
That is, until I remember what I did with Soren in the woods, and then all the emotions come back, flooding my mind.
It was dirty, it was unhygienic, and it shouldn’t have happened.
But it did. And that’s precisely why my first stop was Grace’s dorm, where I stole a day-after pill, just to cover my bases, until I go home and get on birth control.
Lila’s sitting on the bench of the small church beside me, her eyes closed, hands clasped in front of her as she prays.
She’s dressed modestly, hiding her pink hair behind a black scarf.
Her dress is long, reaching down to her ankles, and she pairs it with boots to match.
It’s covering all the small tattoos she has on her arms, and the sleeves aren’t as skin-tight as the clothes she’d wear normally.
I’m not very religious. My parents are Christians, and they visit church every Sunday. Growing up, my older brother Sawyer and I went with them. We celebrate Christmas and all the holidays, though the religious aspect isn’t as big a part of my life as it used to be.
However, after what Soren and I did in the woods, I need God.
The mass is about to begin, and there are another twenty students around. It’s silent as we all take moments to pray, though I can’t help but squirming and look around. Lila notices it and opens her eyes, leaning in.
“Would you quit it?” She hisses in a quieter tone. “If you don’t want to be here, then don’t.”
“Sorry,” I mumble. “It’s been a while.”
She sighs, angling her body to look at me, while keeping her voice as low as possible. “Is everything okay? You never attend the mass.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, swallowing down the truth. “Yes, I just felt like I should probably try to reconnect with the religious part of me.”
She smiles. “If it’s meant to be, it will be.”
“You’re right.”
“Oh, the priest is coming,” she says, getting all giddy.
I roll my eyes. “At least now, I know why you’re always in the front row.”
“That’s not true,” she scoffs. “I’ve been attending Sunday mass long before he was appointed to this specific church."
“You do realize he’ll never look at you, right? He quite literally can’t.”
“Oh, he doesn’t have to,” she shrugs. “I’ll do all the looking.”
My eyes flick to the front of the church, a couple of feet away. The priest… well, he looks like a priest. A handsome one, though. From what I can tell, he’s in forties, with warmth in his expressions. And when he smiles, I can practically feel Lila melt beside me.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter. “Behave.”
“I am,” Lila defends. “I’ll go to the confession booth after this.”
“I’m sure you will,” I drawl out. “At least make sure your tongue isn’t quicker than your brain. You wouldn’t want to call him daddy instead of father, would you?”
Lila bites her lip to prevent herself from bursting into a fit of giggles, then straightens up in her seat. The mass lasts quite a while — or maybe I’m not used to it, so it feels like an eternity passed by before the mass ends.
Lila’s the last one to go into the confession booth, chatting with other students, while keeping her eye out for the priest. She’s so in love with a man she can’t have, it’s almost painful to watch.
With a deep breath, I say the last bits of prayer, then walk out of the church. It’s not helping, and it’s only now that I realize I’ve wasted enough time. I need to pack, because tomorrow I’ll be going home, and I’m in desperate need of a break.
When I reach my room, Avalon and Grace are already inside. Grace is sketching something in her sketching notebook, while Avalon’s busy reading a book. I tilt my head to the side, trying to read the title.
“What’s the book about?”
I plop on the bed next to Avalon, because as always, Grace takes up the entirety of mine. Avalon glances at me, then points at the book cover. It’s a design in a deep green shade, with golden elements all around.
“About a fae king fucking literally everyone while he’s engaged to someone, until the heroine shows up, and then apparently he’s a loyal man.”
Grace snorts. “No man is loyal.”
“Amen to that,” Avalon chuckles, then puts the book down. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow morning, right after breakfast. My family will send us a driver, then we’ll fly private.”
She lifts a brow. “Sometimes, I forget just how wealthy you people are.”
Grace scoffs, then looks up from her sketchbook. “Do you have any details about the party?”
“Not yet,” I shrug. “I’ll let you know when my mother tells me everything. But knowing her, it’s going to be very extravagant, so dress accordingly.”
“When have I not?” Grace deadpans. “But enough of that, please, what was Soren’s reaction to the tattoo?”
Avalon frowns. “What tattoo?”
“Well, to get back at him for literally everything, I spiked his drink and tattooed him while he was asleep.”
Avalon’s mouth drops open, jaw hitting the floor. Shock floods her eyes, and they widen. For a moment, she’s silent, staring at me in disbelief. Her eyes slowly dart to Grace, and she can’t seem to wrap her head around the fact that I’d do something as stupid as that.
“You did what?!” Her voice gets squeaky, and she sits up straighter. “And I wasn’t aware of this because?”
“Because you and Lila are the only two people who’d try to talk her out of it,” Grace shrugs. “And this has been one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Of course, we’d talk her out of that! It’s stupid, and for what, exactly? He can sue you, for a bunch of things, might I add!”
“Oh, please,” Grace waves her hand dismissively, the pen dropping out of her hand, landing on the carpet. “If he wanted to sue her, he would’ve sued her for leaking his sex tape.”
“Let me guess,” Avalon’s eyes narrow. “This was your idea?”
Grace smiles proudly. “Absolutely, and here, look,” she puts the sketchbook away, pulls her phone out, then walks over, squeezing herself on the bed that’s definitely not meant for three people. She shows Avalon the pictures she took of Soren and me.
I’m sitting on top of him, his shirt undone, his hair messy, whilst he sleeps. The tattoo gun is in my hand, and the wide grin on my face just describes how giddy I felt in that moment.
“God,” Avalon breathes out. “If Sinners and Saints get a hold of this, they’ll have a field trip. You’d better delete that.”
“I’d never send this,” Grace scoffs. “I’m not that much of a bitch.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Avalon shakes her head. “While Sophia was at the camp, I spent a lot of time at the library. Some freshman girls were close by, and they had a theory.”
“Which is?” I press, leaning my cheek against Grace’s shoulder.
“How does the person behind the website know everything?”
“Because they have a form where people can anonymously tip them.”
“Yes,” Avalon nods. “But aside from a few confirmed sources, such as Sophia sending in Soren’s sex tape, and Soren sending in the picture where it looks like him and Sophia are kissing, there hasn’t been anyone confirming that the sources are real.”
“That’s because no one will ever outright say they were the ones who sent in the rumors,” Grace says, then lifts a brow. “Why do I get a feeling you have some ridiculous conspiracy theory?”
“No one else has access to your phone, right?”
“Right,” Grace confirms.
“If that image of Sophia and Soren gets leaked by the end of winter break, my theory will be proven correct.”
“Get on with the theory, Ava,” I groan.
“I believe they might have some systems that are able to hack people’s phones, through the school’s wifi.”
I frown. “Is something like that possible in real life? This isn’t a poor budget crime TV show.”
“It is possible,” Grace says. “But the person doing it has to have some incredible skills, tools, and knowledge of the network. Just to test it, I’ll change all of my passwords, and we'll see what happens.”
Instantly, she changes her phone password, all her social media passwords, and even her email one. It takes her a couple of minutes, but once she’s done, she sets the phone aside.
“There, it’s done. I highly doubt it will happen, though.”
“Me too.”
“At least we’ll have something to look forward to.”
A groan comes from me, and I slump into the bed properly, hugging Avalon’s pillow. “Don’t say that. I don’t want those pictures leaked, ever.”
“I don’t even want to imagine the look on your father’s face, when he sees his little princess straddling the heir of the family he loathes the most.”
I wince at the thought. My father would not only throw a hissy fit, but I have no doubt he’ll actually find Soren, break all of his bones, then broadcast it, just as a warning to anyone who’s even considering approaching me.
My parents and brother are half of the reason I’ve been single all my life.
“Where’s Lila?” Avalon asks, a small yawn slipping past her lips. “I haven’t seen much of hers.”
“The last time I saw her today was at the church. She was waiting in line for the confession booth.”
Grace rolls her eyes. “I adore the girl, but she has no sins to confess. I think her only sin, and the biggest one, is crushing on the priest.”
“I understand her, though,” I lift my face off the pillow. “He is very handsome.”
“Do you know who else is handsome?” Grace asks, eyes flicking between Avalon and me. A beat of silence passes, and she’s keeping us in suspense, a small smirk on her lips. “Dean Colton.”