Chapter 3
T hree months later
I sighed as I looked down at my packed suitcase where it sat waiting by the kitchen door. The summer holidays had gone way too quickly for my liking, and I was due to go back to university today.
"Don't look so glum," I looked up as my nan came into the room with a smile. Her long since grey hair was pulled into a messy bun at the back of her head, and her hands were covered in dirt from the garden. She set a muddy trowel on the side by the sink and began washing her hands.
I forced a smile for my nan's benefit, but my stomach churned with anxiety. "Just nervous about going back, I suppose."
"You'll be fine, love. You've always been a clever girl," she reassured me, drying her hands on a tea towel.
I nodded, not wanting to burden her with my worries. The truth was, I'd been on edge ever since the end of last term. It felt like eyes were constantly on me, watching my every move. And Luce had grown oddly distant over the summer. Maybe she was busy with family stuff, but I felt like she was trying to avoid me.
"Did you sort out that scholarship mix-up?" my granddad asked, shuffling into the kitchen.
I swallowed hard. "Not yet. I'll talk to the finance office when I get back." The scholarship grant that had arrived last week was four times the usual amount. At first, I'd been ecstatic, thinking it was a reward for my hard work. But doubt quickly set in. It had to be a mistake, and I dreaded the inevitable awkward conversation about returning the money.
"Well, don't let them short-change you," Granddad said with a wink. "You deserve every penny." If only he knew how much it really was. I forced another smile, guilt gnawing at me for not telling them the full story. But they had enough to worry about without my university drama.
There was the sound of a car horn outside and a message pinged through on my phone telling me that my taxi to the train station had arrived. I looked out the window as I stood up to grab my suitcase. Before I could get it, my granddad was already holding it and carrying it to the front door. I smiled sadly at my nan, and she enveloped me in a tight hug.
"Call us when you get there, alright?" I nodded, breathing in her familiar scent of lavender and soil.
"I will. Love you." I finally and reluctantly released my embrace and followed my granddad out to the waiting taxi. He turned to me just as he closed the boot of the taxi and glanced over at the house before a serious look settled on his face.
"I need you to be more careful, sweetheart," he said. "I know that you are hoping to find some answers about Lissa, but I don't want your nan or you getting hurt." My eyes widened as he mentioned my mother's name. I knew he had been angry at my mother for a long time, not just because she left me behind, but also from before that. My granddad chuckled at my surprise, and he pulled me into a hug.
"You forget that your old granddad knows you more than you think, child," he said in my ear before pulling back and looking at me. "You think I don't know the reason you really accepted the scholarship at Regents? I just don't want you getting hurt, okay?" I smiled and nodded.
"I'm sorry," I said. "It's not that I don't love you and Nan, and I am so grateful for both of you, but…" I trailed off, wondering how anything I would say wouldn't sound like they weren't enough.
"It's okay sweetheart," my Granddad said. "I understand, what girl wouldn't want to know her own mother?" He stepped back and opened the back door of the taxi for me. "Just be smart about it, in fact be smart about that whole school. I don't like that place one bit." I nodded again and climbed into the taxi. My Granddad closed the door and waved as the taxi pulled away from the curb of my childhood home.
I got to the station in time, and I settled into my seat on the train, relief washing over me as I realised I'd have the entire journey to myself. No awkward small talk, just me and my thoughts. Perfect. The train lurched forward, and I leaned back, closing my eyes. Just as I was about to pop my earbuds in, my phone buzzed. My stomach dropped as I saw the name on the screen.
Damien.
I stared at my phone, willing it to stop ringing. But it didn't. The buzzing continued, seeming to grow louder with each passing second.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I'd successfully dodged his calls and messages all summer, but now, trapped on this train, I felt cornered. My mind raced back to that night last term. We'd been studying late, Damien had been amazing, helping me get my final Maths paper done. One thing led to another and... well, we ended up in bed together. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't earth-shattering either. Just two friends who'd crossed a line they shouldn't have. The problem was, I knew Damien. He'd want to talk about it, dissect it, maybe even try to turn it into something more. But I couldn't. I valued his friendship too much to complicate it with a relationship that I wasn't ready for, or even sure I wanted. The phone stopped ringing, and I let out a sigh of relief. But my reprieve was short-lived. A text notification popped up.
Damien: "Cade, we need to talk. I know you're avoiding me. Please pick up."
I groaned, sinking lower in my seat. Why couldn't he just let it go? We'd made a mistake, sure, but did we have to make it into this big dramatic thing? The phone started ringing again. I glanced around the carriage, suddenly feeling exposed. An elderly woman a few seats away gave me a curious look. I hit the reject button and quickly typed out a message:
Me: "On the train. Can't talk now. We'll catch up at uni."
I hit send before I could second-guess myself. It wasn't a lie, exactly. I was on the train. And we would eventually have to talk at uni. Just... not right away. I tried to ignore the knot of anxiety in my stomach, but it wasn't going away. I pulled out my phone again and sent a quick text to Luce, asking if she was still picking me up from the station before settling down with my earbuds and a copy of the latest book from my new term English Lit reading list.
I jolted awake as the train lurched, signalling our approach to the station. Blinking groggily, I fumbled for my phone, squinting at the bright screen. My heart sank as I realised two things: nearly two hours had passed, and Luce hadn't replied to my message.
"Shit," I muttered, hastily gathering my belongings. The elderly woman from earlier shot me a disapproving look, but I ignored her, too preoccupied with my racing thoughts. As the train screeched to a halt, I shouldered my bag and joined the throng of passengers shuffling towards the exits. My eyes darted around the platform, searching for Luce's familiar blonde hair and warm smile. But she was nowhere to be seen. I stepped off the train, my stomach churning with a mix of worry and frustration. Where was she? It wasn't like Luce to forget plans or leave me hanging without explanation. I pulled out my phone again, double-checking our conversation. My message sat there, a lonely blue bubble with no response beneath it.
"Come on, Luce," I whispered, dialling her number. It rang once, twice, three times before going to voicemail. I hung up without leaving a message, my unease growing.
The platform began to clear as other passengers met their rides or hurried off to catch connecting trains. I stood there, feeling increasingly lost and alone. This wasn't how I'd imagined starting the new term. I tried calling Luce again, but this time it went straight to voicemail. My mind raced with possibilities. Had something happened to her? Was she still upset about whatever had caused her to distance herself over the summer? Or was this connected to the strange feeling of being watched that had plagued me since last term? I was about ready to give up and call a taxi when a sleek black Audi roared into the car park, pulling up right in front of me. My heart leapt, thinking Luce had finally arrived. But as the driver's door swung open, my jaw dropped in shock. Ryder Purcell, Luce's cousin, unfolded himself from the car with a charming smile plastered across his face. His dirty blond hair was perfectly tousled, and those piercing blue eyes locked onto mine.
"Cadence Turner," he drawled, leaning against the car door. "Fancy meeting you here." I blinked, trying to process this unexpected turn of events.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, looking around, wondering if he was picking up one of his friends or something. He chuckled, the sound sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
"Rescuing a damsel in distress, it seems." I had the feeling he could tell that I was on edge and was enjoying it.
"Why you?" I asked, curious as to why one of the elite Regents was on taxi service, and he shrugged nonchalantly.
"I was available." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively as he stepped forward, reaching for my suitcase. "Now, shall we get you back to campus?" As Ryder loaded my suitcase into the trunk, I couldn't help but notice the way his shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. He was undeniably attractive, but something about his easy confidence put me on edge.
"All set," Ryder said, slamming the trunk shut. He caught me looking and flashed me a knowing smirk. "Like what you see, Turner?" I felt heat rise to my cheeks and quickly looked away as he chuckled.
"Well, we can't stand around here all night," he said and opened the passenger side door and looked at me expectantly. I hesitated, my instincts screaming at me to be cautious. Ryder had always been polite enough when we'd crossed paths before, but there was something about him that set me on edge. Maybe it was the way his eyes seemed to catalogue my every movement, or the fact that he was part of that elite crowd I'd always felt excluded from. But what choice did I have? I was stranded at the station, and Luce had apparently forgotten about me.
As I slid into the passenger seat, the leather cool against my skin, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was stepping into something I didn't fully understand. Ryder settled behind the wheel, his cologne filling the confined space. As he started the engine, he turned to me with a playful glint in his eye.
"So, tell me Cadence. How was your summer? Get up to anything... exciting?" The way he drew out the last word made me shift uncomfortably.
"It's Cade, and it was fine," I said curtly. "Nothing special."
"Shame," Ryder replied, pulling out of the parking lot. "Pretty girl like you should be having all sorts of fun." I bristled at his tone, unsure if he was genuinely flirting or just trying to get under my skin. Either way, I didn't trust it.
"I'm not here for fun," I said. "I'm here to study." And to find out about my mother, I added silently to myself. Ryder chuckled, his eyes flicking to me briefly before returning to the road.
"Why not both?" he asked. "Life's too short to be all work and no play." I remained silent, staring out the window as the scenery whipped by. But I could feel Ryder's gaze on me, heavy and considering. Whatever game he was playing, I wanted no part of it. But a small, traitorous part of me couldn't help wondering what it would be like to let my guard down, just for a moment.
The drive back to campus was tense, to say the least. Ryder kept trying to make small talk, but I responded with curt, one-word answers. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this whole situation. As we approached the familiar grounds of Regents, I felt a small sense of relief. But that relief was short-lived as Ryder took an unexpected turn, heading away from the main campus.
"Where are we going?" I asked, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. Ryder just smirked, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"You'll see."
A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of a grand, imposing Victorian building. It was set apart from the rest of the campus, surrounded by manicured lawns and hedges. My heart started racing. This wasn't right.
"You've got the wrong place," I said, turning to Ryder. "My dorm is on campus." Ryder killed the engine and turned to face me, a devious smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
"No mistake, Poison. My instructions were very clear, I was to bring you here" I felt a chill run down my spine.
"What instructions? Who gave them to you?" He shrugged, that infuriating smirk still in place.
"That's not for me to say. But trust me, you're exactly where you're supposed to be." I was going to tell him what he could do with his instructions when the door to the house opened, and a few women came rushing out. The first one who I recognised as Melody, a third year student, smiled brightly as she opened the passenger door.
"Cadence, finally you’re here," she said with a big warm smile. I reluctantly got out of the car and shook my head.
"I think there has been some mistake," I said quickly, and she shook her head and giggled. She looked into the car and smiled at Ryder.
"Ryder, be a sweetheart and take Cadence's luggage to her room." Ryder jumped out of the car with a mock salute and a cheeky grin before heading to the boot and getting my suitcase. He winked at me before heading into the house.
"I know it is a happy surprise, but I assure you there is no mistake," Melody continued as she herded me into the house after Ryder. We stopped in the over the top entrance hall where there were more women, all with looks of curiosity or in some cases such as Julia's, disgust. Melody squeezed my arm and grinned.
"Cadence Turner, welcome to the Courts."