thirteen
Harper Apple
“Come on,” Baron says, his hand falling on Royal’s shoulder. “It’s time to go.” He gives me a tight smile, something close to regret in his eyes.
Royal tenses, breaking our kiss. And though his face shows nothing, I’ve studied him for the past four months. I’ve learned to read him a little, enough to know that he doesn’t want to go. It’s in the way he stiffens, almost annoyed, at the interruption. It’s in the reluctant way he drops his hands from around my body and steps back.
“See you around, Jailbird,” Baron says. “Stay out of trouble.”
Gloria appears at my side, linking her arm through mine. “Oh, but we’re planning on getting in lots of trouble tonight,” she says, batting her lashes at the boys. “Aren’t we, Harper?”
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Somewhere you aren’t invited,” Royal says flatly. “And leave the rest of my family alone.”
Duke appears on his other side, already swaying on his feet. A flicker of irritation crosses Royal’s face, but he jerks his chin at the twins. “Let’s go.”
Without a word of goodbye, he turns and stalks off. The twins follow, Duke stumbling drunkenly beside Baron.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask.
“Oh, you know,” Gloria says. “Boys will be boys.”
“They’re going to a Midnight Swans meeting, aren’t they?” I ask, remembering Mr. D’s introduction. He said they meet at midnight once a week. What better night than New Year’s?
“You have to let them have their own lives, too,” Gloria says. “You wouldn’t want Royal all up in your business seven days a week.”
Royal has made it very clear he has the right to be up in my business any time he wants. True, he lets me have Saturdays, and I let him have Sundays, but there’s no agreement beyond that.
“Let’s follow them,” I say, grabbing Lo’s hand and dragging her toward the door. “Come on!”
“Are you crazy?” she asks, digging her heels in.
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” I say. “You have your car here. It’s the perfect chance to follow them and get info on one of the meetings.”
“Harper, they don’t want us there.”
“Of course they don’t want us there,” I say. “That’s why we’re following them. They’ve never wanted me anywhere. I sure as hell didn’t get where I am by leaving them alone when they told me to.”
“Harper,” she says firmly, grabbing my wrist and finally grinding to a halt at the door to the fancy ballroom where the hotel is throwing a party for what looks like every rich person in town. “Listen to yourself. You’re going off the deep end. This isn’t how you relationship.”
“And you know how to relationship?” I ask. “You’ve been chasing a guy who doesn’t like you for two years.”
“I’m not chasing Royal,” she says. “And if I was, I sure as fuck wouldn’t be a desperate, aggressive bitch who didn’t know when to leave well enough alone.”
“Is that why you let him take you here every Sunday to fuck?” I ask. “Because you’re not some desperate bitch?”
“You need to calm down,” she says. “Let him want you. Chase you. Stop throwing yourself at him.”
“I’m not throwing myself at him,” I say, stung. I draw back, looking at this girl who has been a friend for all of a month. I got so caught up in finding out about Royal I almost forgot she’s his friend first. That she’s not like me, she doesn’t know why I’m so desperate for information on the Swans.
“It’s okay for him to have his own life,” she says. “He’s with his brothers. He’s not with another girl, and he’s not going to get himself killed. Isn’t that enough?”
No. It’s nowhere near enough. Because if I don’t get this information, I won’t be back at Willow Heights with them. And I’m not naïve enough to think Royal will still talk to me, still want anything to do with me. When I’m back at FHS, he’ll find some other Dolce girl, and I’ll be just another notch on his belt. He’ll leave this town when he graduates in five months, and I’ll probably never leave at all. Not if I get shuffled back to Faulkner.
I could live through losing Royal. But I can’t live through losing my scholarship.
“I don’t care if he’s pissed,” I say. “I need to know.”