Chapter Eight
Ava didn’t show the next day at school or the following. Whispers of her absence traveled through the halls, everyone speculating about her whereabouts and if she’d show her face again.
She might be embarrassed to come to school, something I didn’t quite fully understand. Yes, I’d humiliated her, but shit, she’d done so much worse to me, and never once did I run and hide.
This week wasn’t lacking in excitement, that’s for sure. If the halls weren’t buzzing about me, Kenna, the Elite, or Ava, everyone was talking about the graffiti and who was behind it.
No one knew. Not yet.
I could guess.
Smearing a heaping hunk of avocado onto my English muffin, I grabbed the bagel seasoning to sprinkle on top. I had ten minutes to slam down my breakfast before Grayson, Kenna, and I left for school. I took my first bite when Kenna came strolling into the kitchen looking all dolled up. Her dark hair hung loosely over her shoulders, not a curl out of place. Her makeup was expertly applied, unlike mine. I’d gone for the natural look today. A.k.a., I didn’t have time to apply even a quick coat of mascara.
Sleep lately had been tough. I spent most of my nights tossing and turning, thinking about Angie, Easton, and Carter. It was like the calm before the storm. I knew at any minute, the thunder would strike, the winds would howl, and the rains would pour. Basically, shit would hit the fan, and it was causing me to lose sleep at night.
“Hey,” I greeted with a mouthful of avocado toast, feeling groggy and gross. My white shirt was untucked from my skirt, my black stockings were twisted, and I just barely had the energy to toss my hair into a messy bun before rushing downstairs.
“Morning,” she smiled, swiping the other half of my English muffin from my plate. I nearly slapped at her hand, before I remembered that Kenna wasn’t Grayson. Kenna and I were still in the getting-to-know-each-other stage. Perhaps food sharing was a triplet thing. Regardless, I wasn’t used to sharing. Anything. I’d grown up as an only child, and this instant-family thing was throwing me through a loop. I didn’t know how I was supposed to act. “Grayson’s waiting in the car,” she said, leaning a hip against the counter as she took the most dainty bite possible of my breakfast.
“Shit,” I muttered, swiping my half off the plate, and grabbed my to-go mug of coffee.
Kenna held the door open for me as I haphazardly followed her. God, I was such a fucking mess today. Grayson lay on the horn seconds before Kenna and I rounded the corner toward the driveway.
My frazzled nerves jumped. “God, hold your fucking horses. We’re coming,” I muttered, glaring at the Jeep and the driver inside. I don’t know how I did it, but I somehow managed to shove the English muffin into my mouth and stick up my middle finger, flipping Grayson off.
The fool grinned when I climbed into the passenger seat, dumping my crap onto the floor, and my coffee into the cup holder. Kenna and I agreed to take turns riding shotgun. It seemed fair, although I didn’t give a shit where I sat in the car. Biting off a hunk of English muffin, I secured my seat belt just as Grayson reversed.
“What’s going on with you?” Grayson asked, giving me a sidelong glance before pulling out onto the street.
Obviously, I knew I didn’t look my best, but did he have to point it out and make me feel crappier? I knew he hadn’t meant to come off like a jerk, because I could see from his expression that he was only concerned. “I just haven’t been sleeping,” I admitted, staring out the window, finishing the last bite of my breakfast. At least I’d eaten this morning. “It’s no big deal.”
“Has he tried to talk to you?” Grayson asked with a sudden hardening of his jaw.
I didn’t need Grayson to clarify whohewas. Carter was always the culprit. I shook my head, reaching for my coffee. “No, he hasn’t so much as looked in my direction.”
“And that makes you uneasy,” he concluded.
“Yeah,” I confessed, sipping my coffee. “It does. He’s up to something. I just know it.”
Grayson’s eyes shifted to the rearview mirror. “Kenna? How about you?”
“What do you think?” she snapped. “I haven’t been alone for two seconds. I can’t even pee by myself when I’m at school.”
“You’re the one who decided to come home,” Grayson reminded her, not the response she was looking for.
“Good thing, or I still wouldn’t know that I had a sister,” she grumbled, pouting with her freshly applied glossy lips.
Grayson eased the car to a stop at the light just a few blocks from the Academy. “Brock’s shadowing you today,” he informed, looking over at me.
I lifted my brow. “You mean, the king of Elmwood is gracing me with his presence? To what do I owe the honor?”
A hint of a smirk tugged at Grayson’s lips. “Beats the shit out of me. I don’t want to be caught in the middle of your love affair.”
The corner of my mouth twitched. “Too late, bro.”
Kenna leaned to the side, her hands gripping the back of my seat. “You and Brock seem to have gotten close. He doesn’t usually let strangers in, especially so quickly.”
I turned in my seat to look at her, because it felt weird talking to her without seeing her face. “I wouldn’t have survived these last few months without him and the Elite.”