Chapter 11 Maddison #3
I instantly shake my head. “Do you know what’d happen if anyone saw me either going into your room this late or leaving in the morning? Besides, you can’t protect me forever.”
He sweeps his fingers through his hair. “I know that. But if you stay tonight, you’ll be safe long enough for us to get more info from Finn.”
“What if he won’t tell us anything?”
“He will.”
“How can you be so sure?” I question. “I already tried to ask him a few questions about this library incident, and he shut it down every time.”
“Because he was being cautious.” He glimpses around then leans toward me. “He’s well aware of what I told you tonight. Plus …” He trails off, his attention shifting ahead. Not that there’s anything there but an empty hallway lit up by faint lighting and a few glittering chandeliers.
“Plus what?” I hedge with my arms crossed.
He exhaustedly sighs. “I’ll tell you later, when we’re in my room.”
“Who said I was going?” I question as we stop in front of my dorm room door. “I never agreed to that.”
“Maddy,” he starts, leaning against the wall beside my door with his arms folded across his lean chest. “Please consider doing it. At least until we talk to Finn. We can wait up for him, if you want, and then if he tells us it’s nothing, I can walk you back to your dorm.”
I want to deny his offer—this is the sort of stuff that starts rumors. But what if I stay the night in my room and I’m woken up by a group of guys hazing me? I could report what we overheard, but I know firsthand how well that stuff goes down—more than likely, I’ll be called a liar.
“Fine,” I agree with annoyance not directed at him but at this crazy-ass society who thinks I’m worth targeting for their weird hazing.
I dig my phone out of my pocket and unlock the door, highly aware that my compliance has alleviated some of River’s nervousness.
“Thank you,” he tells me quietly as I push open the door.
“Don’t thank me.” I step over the threshold. “You didn’t do anything but try to help me out.”
He follows me into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. I strip off my jacket as I walk into the living quarters. A lamp is on, offering a trickle of light, and I set my jacket on the arm of the sofa.
The place is quiet, making me wonder if Lily’s asleep or out.
I twist to River. “What about Lily?”
He’s sending someone a text and doesn’t glance up. “What about her?”
When his gaze raises to mine, I give him a pressing look. “What if this society shows up and I’m not here but Lily is?”
The corners of his lips sink into a deeper frown, and then his gaze strays to Lily’s door. “Do you know if she’s here?”
“Let’s find out.” I approach the door and lift my hand to knock but pause. “Wait—if she’s asleep and I wake her up, on a scale of one to ten, how pissed off will she be?”
“Let me.” He knocks before I can, answering my question that Lily doesn’t like being woken up.
He waits a moment before knocking again. When she doesn’t answer, he sends her a message. About a second later, his phone buzzes.
“She’s out, apparently,” he informs me. “I’ll give her a heads-up of what’s going on and tell her to stay at Wren’s place.”
“Okay, I’ll get into my pajamas and grab some extra clothes and stuff.” I cross the room, step into my bedroom, and turn the light on. The moment I do, I’m overwhelmed with an unsettling feeling that someone is watching me.
I cautiously endeavor further into my room while meticulously taking note of my surroundings. Nothing appears out of place, but I still check underneath my bed, in the closet, and then search the bathroom. By the time I return to the bedroom area, River is standing in the doorway.
“Everything okay?” he asks with his shoulder propped against the doorframe.
“I think so.” I stand in the center of my room with my hands on my hips. “I just can’t shake this feeling that someone is watching me. But no one’s here, so …” I chew on my bottom lip. “I guess I’m just being paranoid.”
His eyes roam around my room, taking everything in. “How about you grab your stuff and change at my place, just in case?”
I’m not positive what he means by that, but I’m also too uneasy to decline his suggestion. So, I nod, pack up my stuff, and we leave my dorm and head to his. Luckily, we don’t pass by anyone on the way.
River quickly unlocks the door and lets me go in first. Then he reaches past me and turns on the light right as I’m yawning.
“You’re tired,” he states as he closes and locks the door.
I shake my head as I yawn again, covering my mouth. “Nah, I just do this for fun,” I tease as I lower my hand.
He chuckles, tossing the keys into a glass bowl that’s perched on a table near the door. “Even at the brink of exhaustion, you’re still such a smartass.” He passes by me, grabbing my bag from off my shoulder as he does. “Come on. You can change in my room, and then you can crash.”
I follow him into the main section of his dorm.
It’s similar to mine but slightly wider, and the vibe is different, the walls navy blue, the leather sofas are black, and the chandelier is woven with metal vines and thorns that glitter with black diamonds.
Bookshelves line the wall, and to my right is a kitchen area that has granite countertops and midnight blue cabinets.
The silver trim adds a splash of color, along with the stainless steel appliances.
“I thought we were going to wait up for Finn,” I remind him as I yawn again. When he aims me an insinuating look, I add, “I’m not really tired. I’m just worn out from all the training we’ve been doing, but it’s a different kind of exhaustion.” I sound like a stubborn idiot, but I don’t care.
I need to stay up and talk to Finn about what I overheard, or I’ll be too stressed to go to sleep.
“All right.” Skepticism rings in his tone. “How about we get into our pajamas and watch a movie while we wait?”
“Sounds good to me.” I feel the urge to yawn again but fight it.
He takes me to his room and sets my bag on his bed. For the most part, everything is clean, from his made bed to his desk. A few shelves line the wall; one has rows of books and the other has medals he won from cross country and track.
“You have so many medals,” I say as I make my way over to the shelf. I skim through them while shaking my head. “I’ve never been to a race that’s given medals. Not like this, anyway. I got a plastic one once and a T-shirt, but that’s about it.”
He’s standing beside me now. “It’s not fair that things have been that way for you.”
“I can live without trophies and stuff,” I assure him as I face him. “I just want to make the team. Then maybe I’ll give myself a gold star.”
He smiles at that then shakes his head. “You’re the most fascinating person I’ve ever met.”
These compliments are making me uncomfortable. I can’t have this sort of reaction with two different guys—two different royal guys and brothers, for that matter.
So, in Maddy fashion, I crack a joke. “You say fascinating. Most people say crazy.”
“Well, they’re crazy, because you’re definitely not crazy.” He grows quiet for a beat, and I swear to fucking God, he stares at my lips again.
I’m literally about to kiss him so he can get this need out of him. I’ll take one for the team if it means we can get past this mouth-staring obsession he has.
Yeah, Maddy, because the only reason you’ll kiss him is for him. It’s not like you’re currently thinking about kissing him, too.
“I’ll let you get changed, and I’ll go change in Finn’s room,” he conclusively mumbles, tearing his focus off my mouth. Then he grabs some pajamas from the dresser before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
I release a breath I didn’t even realize I had trapped inside my chest. Then I unzip my bag and grab my pajama shorts and T-shirt. My phone is shoved in my bag, too. I’ve had it silenced since I left with River, mostly to avoid my mother texting me and the unknown caller that I’m certain is Drew.
I consider checking the messages, but I don’t want to deal with that tonight, not when a secret society is coming for me.
So, I leave my phone in the bag and grab the locket.
I smooth my finger over it as I think about what River told me tonight.
It’d be so much easier to get answers about it if my aunt hadn’t totally disconnected from the world.
I hurriedly get changed then brush my teeth and return to the living room. River is already there, sitting on the sofa, and he has the remote pointed at a massive flat-screen mounted to the wall.
When I enter, his gaze travels to me and scrolls up and down my body. My shorts are pretty short, but my T-shirt is baggy. My tattoos are on full display, and his gaze momentarily lingers on the intricate ink.
“What sort of show are you in the mood for?” He attempts to act all casual, like he wasn’t just openly checking me out.
I sit down onto the sofa close to him but not touching. “I don’t know. I’ve never really watched a lot of TV or movies, so I don’t even know what’s good or what’s on.” When he gapes at me, I shrug with my hands tucked under my legs. “We never had the money for movies or subscription services.”
His wheels are turning—I can tell—as if he’s grasping to understand this concept.
“So, what’re your suggestions?” I recline back in the chair and put my feet up on the coffee table.
“Hmm …” He contemplates this, and then his eyes light up. “I have an idea.” He starts pushing buttons as he scrolls through options on the television. “Lily and Wren are always talking about this movie.” He selects the title Mean Girls.
“Looks like a chick flick.”
“So?”
I secretly smile to myself. He’s so damn cute. If only I could enjoy his cuteness without all this crazy, scary shit going on.
“Hey, River?” I ask, and he glances at me. “Why did you act weird when we were in my room? Like maybe someone could hear us talking?”
He stretches his arm along the back of the sofa, his hand grazing the back of my head. “I’m not positive, and I could be overacting, but the thought crossed my mind that perhaps someone planted a camera in your room.”
My back goes ramrod straight. “What?”
He scoots closer to me. “Like I said, I have no proof, but the society is capable of a lot of things.”
“What if they did? How the hell am I supposed to feel safe in my room again?”
He reduces the space between us even more. “Finn will give us answers. I promise. Now, let’s watch the movie, okay? It’ll help you take your mind off of this.”
I nod but know it’ll probably take more than a movie to help me take my mind off of this.
No, the only thing that’ll help is for me to get some damn answers.