Chapter 12
Twelve
Blair
The day was off to a good start when Enzo didn’t show up to class the following morning.
I didn’t care why he wasn’t there. Maybe he skipped, was sick, or was attending his weekly meeting in hell.
His absence eased my worries, especially since I hadn’t worn his shirt. Violating the dress code could risk me earning another strike from Arisono.
It was Friday, so I hoped Enzo had left campus for the weekend. I also hoped to figure out a way to do that myself, since I needed a new laptop and phone. Handwritten notes weren’t cutting it for me.
I ditched the library and decided to eat lunch in the cafeteria.
Just like the rest of the university, the stone-lined passageway that led to the cafeteria had a curved ceiling.
Brass sconces lit the way, and the light from the stained glass windows streamed distorted patterns across the polished marble floors.
When the hall opened up to the cafeteria, I halted.
Calling the room a cafeteria was like saying the stars at night weren’t big and bright deep in the heart of Texas.
The space reminded me of a high-end European restaurant. Not that I’d been to one, but I’d seen them on TV. Big fan of House Hunters International here.
The ceiling was painted gold, or possibly was gold, and stretched high overhead. Crystal chandeliers hung low from it.
Like this was a formal event, candles flickered from the white-clothed tables. This wasn’t a simple lunch where we ordered crappy microwaved food or plucked items from a buffet table. Servers moved between tables, carrying trays.
Lingering near the edge, I backed up against the wall, feeling like I didn’t belong.
This wasn’t me. I’d grown up eating at tables my father had built with his bare hands. Tables that gave you splinters when you cleaned them. The cafeterias at my other schools had plastic furniture and flimsy trays.
“Blair!” Daphne’s voice cut through the room.
I glanced up, searching for her, and stepped away from the wall in relief when she waved me over.
I beelined to her table in the center of the room, nearly colliding and apologizing five times to a server. Adelina scooted her chair over to make room for me.
For the first time here, I felt a sense of belonging.
Adelina’s smile was friendly. “Hey, girl.”
I returned her smile, all bubbly inside, and dropped my bag to the floor before sitting beside her. Mine was apparently the only bag cheap enough for the floor. The others hung from small hooks on the table, their expensive bags kept neatly in place.
The other girls, the same ones with judgy stares, introduced themselves.
They no longer looked at me with distrust, as if Daphne had put in a good word for me. Like me, they all wore the Saint Vale uniform, though they each showed their own style with it.
I tried to memorize their names and faces.
There was Alessia. Her long, thick, wavy hair was parted down the middle and pulled into tight French braids, and a ballet slipper necklace hung around her neck.
Then there was Livia, a petite girl sporting white pearls and a black bob.
Then Seraphina.
Enzo’s sister.
I struggled not to stare at her longer than the others. But my curiosity about her was so strong.
Studying her, I searched for the resemblances she had with Enzo.
She was definitely younger. Her black hair, the same color as his, was held back with a sparkly pink band. She wore no makeup on her smooth, flawless face. Diamond earrings sparkled in her ears. The same with the tennis bracelet clasped around her wrist.
She was the only one not wearing the school’s button-up. Instead, she wore a black polo.
I gnawed on my lower lip, grateful I hadn’t worn lipstick today or I would’ve smeared it. For a second, I wondered if these girls knew what Enzo was doing to me.
Do they know about the Fawns?
Daphne had said she hung out with Havens, so these must be them. According to her, they were protected from being a Fawn.
A server, dressed in a full tuxedo and white gloves, stopped by our table and handed us menus.
My stomach rumbled embarrassingly too loud as I read the options.
Lobster. Crab. Filets. Pastas.
There was even a page for vegans and vegetarians.
And here I was, eating stale bars and chips in the library when I could’ve been here.
The menu didn’t list any prices. For all I knew, a meal could range from ten dollars to hundreds. My stepfather could easily afford anything I ordered. That wasn’t the issue. I was just always careful about what I spent.
The others ordered their food first, and I went with a simple spaghetti.
A girl needed carbs to keep up with being tormented, right?
“Question,” I said when the server left.
All eyes shot to me.
“Do any of you have a car here by chance?”
They stared at me like Arisono had last night when I asked if we were going outside.
“Or does Uber come to campus?” I quickly added.
Livia leaned in closer. “Arisono banned Uber.”
Seraphina bumped Adelina’s shoulder with hers. “What was her name for them?”
Adelina raised her fingers in quotes, moving them as she said, “Unapproved third-party carriers that could also be spies.”
Seraphina rolled her eyes.
Daphne groaned, throwing her head back. “I swear, we need to get that woman laid. Even if it is by one of the third-party spies.”
“How do you guys leave campus then?” I asked. “Does no one have a car?”
“A select few do,” Seraphina said.
“What do you need a car for?” Daphne grabbed her water flute. “You ditching me already?”
I hesitated, unsure if I should tell her this in front of these girls.
How close is Seraphina with Enzo?
Deciding I had nothing to lose, I took a deep breath and said, “Enzo stole my laptop. My phone too. I reported my phone stolen—”
Alessia interrupted me with a whistle, “Yikes, bad move.”
Adelina agreed with a nod. “It’d have been easier to let him just look through it.”
“Hey!” Daphne said. “Would you guys want someone snooping through your things?”
I paid her a smile for the backup.
“Absolutely not,” Seraphina said. The smile she sent me was similar to what I’d given Daphne. “But we’re only trying to help her tame Enzo.”
“Is there even any taming Enzo?” Adelina asked.
“My mom tried.” Seraphina shook her head. “Failed. I gave her a gold star for the attempt.” She made a simple clapping motion.
Adelina scooted closer. “Look, if you need a ride—”
She abruptly stopped talking.
So did everyone at my table.
And the rest of the room.
My heart wilted when someone tapped on my shoulder. I debated even turning around. When I didn’t, they tapped again.
Slowly, so agonizingly slow, I turned my head to find Enzo behind me.
His stare swept over me as he worked his jaw, assessing every inch. It sharpened, as if deciding I didn’t measure up to the others.
Then I realized that wasn’t the problem.
“You broke my dress code,” he said.
I nervously tugged on my sleeve. “Yes, but I’m wearing the school’s.”
“I override the school’s.”
Since everyone’s attention was on us, I hushed my voice so only he could hear. “Arisono said I only have one more strike before I’m expelled.”
Enzo gripped the back of my chair, yanking it back. “Up.”
My knees hit the edge of the table. “What?”
“Up,” he spat, throwing a clean shirt on my lap.
One of his black shirts.
I crossed my arms, refusing to be humiliated in front of my peers again.
But like always, I should’ve remembered who I was dealing with.
Enzo snatched the shirt from my lap, draped it over his shoulder, and reached past me. Someone at our table gasped when he grabbed the water flute and poured water over my head.
Cold water hit my face and stole my breath.
I choked on my spit, speechless, as ice cubes scattered across my lap. I blinked back tears as water streamed down my chin.
Everything in the room froze.
Every sound dulled.
Every movement slowed.
Students, teachers, servers—no one dared to move.
Enzo leaned in to brush his lips along my ear. “Uh-oh, Blair. Looks like you’re in need of a dry shirt.”
I wiped water from my forehead to hide my embarrassment.
His voice grew more menacing. “If you don’t get up and follow me right fucking now, I’ll make you strip out of that shirt in front of everyone and change into mine.” He clicked his tongue. “You know I don’t make empty threats.”