Chapter 35
Declan pushed to his feet and whirled on Chloe. “What the hell is your problem?”
Chloe flushed, and her eyes blazed. “You know what my problem is. You know what our future holds. You can’t do this!”
There was no almost-foot stomp this time. She slammed her foot down like a three-year-old who hadn’t gotten the candy they wanted.
Declan glared at Chloe. “As far as I know, The Assembly still supports free will.”
What the hell was this Assembly that they all kept talking about?
“You know it’s not as simple as that.” Chloe’s voice softened, almost taking on a croon. “We need you all to lead. But you have to be anchored to do that.”
Declan cast a quick look in my direction.
Suddenly, I felt on the outside again. But that was exactly what Chloe had wanted. I stood, dodging the two of them, and headed down the hall.
Declan tried to follow, but Chloe grabbed his arm to halt him. I didn’t even want to look at them. Picking up my pace, I tried to get my bearings and at least find my way to my next class, even though I’d likely have to kiss English Lit goodbye for today.
Footsteps sounded behind me, and then Declan’s hand closed around my elbow. “Leighton.”
I turned, looking up at him. The moment Declan took in my glassy eyes, pain streaked across his face. “I’m sorry. Chloe’s a piece of work and—”
“Just stop,” I whispered. Suddenly, I was exhausted. The kind of fatigue that swept through you and settled into your bones.
“Stop what?”
“You all have an endless stream of secrets, and that’s fine, but I don’t want to be around people like Chloe, and it’s obvious you have a tie to her.”
Declan gripped my arm tighter. “It’s not like that.”
“Then explain it to me.”
He didn’t speak right away, and I tugged my arm from his grasp, shaking my head.
“It’s our families,” Declan said.
I paused, looking up at him.
“They’ve been tied together for centuries. It means we’re limited in what we can do about Chloe, no matter how much we dislike her.”
“The Assembly?” I asked.
Declan nodded. “It’s kind of like a community organization. Families that have been in leadership for a long time.”
My heart picked up speed. “And they want you to do what?”
He swallowed hard, his eyes boring into mine. “We’re all expected to lead, but they want Chloe to lead with us.”
I stared harder, trying to read deeper into Declan’s words. They felt truthful, but it was like there was something more. Something underneath those words.
Declan laced his fingers through mine. “That’s not what any of us want. But we have to tread carefully because of expectations.”
I hated that for all of them. To not be able to simply live how you wanted to or be associated with whom you wanted to. This world of the powerful elite was unlike anything I’d ever known.
I squeezed Declan’s hand. “Thank you for telling me.”
He pulled me close, kissing the top of my head. “Trust me when I say, you’re the only one that I want. Always.”
I followed my classmates out of AP Bio and into the throng of students making their way to the dining hall. But they were all a haze. I was lost in a train of cycling thoughts. Declan’s words echoed over and over in my head. “Trust me when I say, you’re the only one that I want. Always.”
God, I wanted that. Wanted him. But he wasn’t the only one I wanted, and that had guilt swamping me.
“Hey, Leighton.” Connor grinned down at me as he came to a stop at my side.
“Hi,” I returned, trying to cast off my existential crisis.
“There’s a party at Joe’s lake house tomorrow. You should come.”
I blinked a few times. I hadn’t once been to a party at my old school. When your entire goal was to be invisible, you didn’t tend to get invited. I had no idea if I’d even like parties.
“Why does it feel like I just asked you to solve the world’s most complicated equation?” Connor asked.
I looked up at him. “I’ve never been to a party.”
He blinked a few times. “Seriously?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t really have friends at my old school.”
Connor’s brow furrowed, and then he grinned, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “Well, you’ve got friends now.” His eyes flared for a moment. “Damn girl, you smell—”
“Finish that sentence, and I will remove your spleen from your body,” Ronan growled behind us.
“Shit!” Connor instantly dropped his arm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just haven’t smelled anyone like—”
Ronan growled.
Connor snapped his mouth shut, his gaze ping-ponging between the two of us. “I’m gonna go. See you guys later.”
I stared up at Ronan. “What the heck was that about?”
“He shouldn’t be touching you,” Ronan grumbled.
“Shouldn’t I be the one to decide that?”
Ronan stilled. “Did you want him touching you?”
There was something akin to pain in his face as he spoke, and I took pity on him.
“Not like that. But he’s my friend. I haven’t had a lot of those in my life, and it’s nice.”
The tension in Ronan eased as we moved toward the dining hall. “Okay. I still don’t like him touching you, though. Scenting you.”
I wrinkled my nose. “What is it with the smell thing?”
Ronan’s mouth curved into a grin, and the effect was devastating. “You smell amazing, Leighton.”
“I’m not wearing perfume or anything.”
Ronan shrugged. “It’s just you.” His footsteps slowed as we approached our lunch table. “Are you okay?”
There were likely a million reasons why he was asking. Chloe’s stunt about where I’d come from. Trace betraying me to Declan. The fact that this whole world was still very new.
I took a deep breath. “I’ve made it through way worse than this.”
Ronan’s jaw went granite hard. Shit. That had been the wrong thing to say.
“No one hurts you. Not anymore. And that includes Trace,” Ronan gritted out.
I swallowed hard and nodded. Wrapping my arms around Ronan, I pressed my face to his chest. “I’m okay. Promise.”
He rested his chin on my head and breathed deep. “Good,” he grunted.
I released him, suddenly aware that every eye in the dining hall was trained on us. I sighed. “Don’t they have anything better to focus on?” I grumbled.
Ronan chuckled. “Their lives are obviously boring.”
As we approached our table, I saw that someone had grabbed food for both of us. Declan was already here, and I braced for hurt at him seeing me with his brother, but there was only curiosity in his expression.
Dash sent me a cautious smile. “Missed you this morning.”
I took the seat next to him and leaned over, pressing my shoulder against his. “Missed you, too.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I need some classes with you.”
“We all do,” Colt groused.
I sent a look in his direction. “Grumpy much?”
“When people mess with you, I get grumpy.”
The statement had my gaze shifting to Trace. For the first time since I’d met him, he seemed unsure. Good. He should be sweating after the shit he pulled.
I pinned him with a stare. “If you ever share my private business with anyone ever again, I will castrate you myself.”
Our entire table went silent.
Trace swallowed, then nodded. “Understood.”
“Good.” I grabbed a potato chip and popped it into my mouth. “Connor invited me to a party this weekend at some lake house. Can we all go?”
It took the guys a few seconds to make the transition, and then they were all talking.
“No way,” Colt snapped.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dash mumbled.
“Over my dead body are you going to that party,” Ronan gritted out.
I slumped in my chair. So much for my first party, my first normal high school experience.
Declan reached under the table and squeezed my knee. “I’ll take you to the party.”
I instantly brightened, but that quickly died when I took in the murderous looks on the other guys’ faces.