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Authors: Julie Anne Lindsey
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furious. There wouldn’t be students on campus for another thirty or forty minutes. I prayed I wouldn’t find the same guy standing there. My tummy tightened. I turned my face upward to the shadow.
“You’re here early.” Brian’s voice sounded concerned. His eyes narrowed, judging. “You shouldn’t be here alone.”
I tried to shake off the warning. How would he know what was or was not safe? Better yet, why wouldn’t I be safe? Had he heard the rumor, too? The square of his shoulders and his roaming eyes made me think of my dad. His words were formal, making him sound different than he had in Elton and different from any guy my age I’d ever met. How could he be a senior in high school? I blinked my eyes to concentrate. How could he not be? The tiny school must have tons of hoops and screens to filter its applicants. Then again, how had I gotten in? I had decided to come only three months before I arrived.
“Right. All these prep-school girls can be dangerous.” I smiled. I’d perfected the say-one-thing, think-another style years ago when Dad made it clear we wouldn’t discuss Mom, the ribbons, his work, or anything else other than me.
Brian’s fierce expression dissolved. The corners of his mouth turned up, and he squatted beside me.
I took a long, full breath as I absorbed his entirety, enjoying the return of his familiar smile.
He was unbelievable. His thighs tested his pants as they accommodated his new position. The buttons on his shirt struggled, too. His hands hung loosely between his knees, and I saw what I hadn’t before. Under his jacket, peeking out from beneath the white shirt, were the unmistakable silver beads of military tags. I’d missed them that first day.
“When did you enlist?” I motioned to his chest.
His hand moved instinctively to touch the chain. “Elle.”
I smiled. Everyone had picked up my nickname from Pixie.
“Forgive me. You prefer Gabriella?”
He started to stand, and, without thinking, I reached out for him.
We both looked at my hand on his. I pulled back. Shutting my eyes against the humiliation, I shook my head.
“No, Elle is fine. Please, not Gabriella. My dad is the only one who calls me that.”
Forgive me . He was too young to be so formal. Could others see that?
I looked at him again, feeling nauseous but feigning bravery. “You wanted to tell me something yesterday, and I interrupted.”
He searched my face for a moment. I had no idea what he expected to find, but I hoped he wanted to tell me all his secrets. To hear all his stories at once was possibly more exciting than digging them up one at a time. Frankly, I needed the excitement.
His eyes moved from my face to the distance. He looked around. “I didn’t tell you I was enrolled here when we met because I didn’t know I would be. I didn’t intend to deceive you in any way. I know how it must seem.”
He waited for me to respond, but I was busy processing the words. Did he know he had slipped? He had admitted knowing I went to school here, and I’d never said that.
When I dared look into his face again, his eyes were back on the horizon. I followed his gaze. Nothing.
When I turned back, his eyes were on me. “What?”
“Are you angry?”
“No. I understand.”
“Do you?” Tension licked his words.
I nodded.
“You should study in the library, not out here in the open, and not alone.” As he spoke, his eyes focused hard on mine. Again, I sensed there was something more he wanted to say. I had a rough idea of how it went, but I didn’t know the specifics.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” His eyebrows rose. Did he anticipate an argument? His beautiful face fell a bit. A crease appeared between his brows.
Uh-oh. I should’ve put up more of a fight for show. Between the creepy janitor guy and the stupid serial-killer speculation, I didn’t feel much like arguing.
“Well, if you think I should study inside, then I’ll study inside.” Maybe he could join me, tell me about where
“You’re here early.” Brian’s voice sounded concerned. His eyes narrowed, judging. “You shouldn’t be here alone.”
I tried to shake off the warning. How would he know what was or was not safe? Better yet, why wouldn’t I be safe? Had he heard the rumor, too? The square of his shoulders and his roaming eyes made me think of my dad. His words were formal, making him sound different than he had in Elton and different from any guy my age I’d ever met. How could he be a senior in high school? I blinked my eyes to concentrate. How could he not be? The tiny school must have tons of hoops and screens to filter its applicants. Then again, how had I gotten in? I had decided to come only three months before I arrived.
“Right. All these prep-school girls can be dangerous.” I smiled. I’d perfected the say-one-thing, think-another style years ago when Dad made it clear we wouldn’t discuss Mom, the ribbons, his work, or anything else other than me.
Brian’s fierce expression dissolved. The corners of his mouth turned up, and he squatted beside me.
I took a long, full breath as I absorbed his entirety, enjoying the return of his familiar smile.
He was unbelievable. His thighs tested his pants as they accommodated his new position. The buttons on his shirt struggled, too. His hands hung loosely between his knees, and I saw what I hadn’t before. Under his jacket, peeking out from beneath the white shirt, were the unmistakable silver beads of military tags. I’d missed them that first day.
“When did you enlist?” I motioned to his chest.
His hand moved instinctively to touch the chain. “Elle.”
I smiled. Everyone had picked up my nickname from Pixie.
“Forgive me. You prefer Gabriella?”
He started to stand, and, without thinking, I reached out for him.
We both looked at my hand on his. I pulled back. Shutting my eyes against the humiliation, I shook my head.
“No, Elle is fine. Please, not Gabriella. My dad is the only one who calls me that.”
Forgive me . He was too young to be so formal. Could others see that?
I looked at him again, feeling nauseous but feigning bravery. “You wanted to tell me something yesterday, and I interrupted.”
He searched my face for a moment. I had no idea what he expected to find, but I hoped he wanted to tell me all his secrets. To hear all his stories at once was possibly more exciting than digging them up one at a time. Frankly, I needed the excitement.
His eyes moved from my face to the distance. He looked around. “I didn’t tell you I was enrolled here when we met because I didn’t know I would be. I didn’t intend to deceive you in any way. I know how it must seem.”
He waited for me to respond, but I was busy processing the words. Did he know he had slipped? He had admitted knowing I went to school here, and I’d never said that.
When I dared look into his face again, his eyes were back on the horizon. I followed his gaze. Nothing.
When I turned back, his eyes were on me. “What?”
“Are you angry?”
“No. I understand.”
“Do you?” Tension licked his words.
I nodded.
“You should study in the library, not out here in the open, and not alone.” As he spoke, his eyes focused hard on mine. Again, I sensed there was something more he wanted to say. I had a rough idea of how it went, but I didn’t know the specifics.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” His eyebrows rose. Did he anticipate an argument? His beautiful face fell a bit. A crease appeared between his brows.
Uh-oh. I should’ve put up more of a fight for show. Between the creepy janitor guy and the stupid serial-killer speculation, I didn’t feel much like arguing.
“Well, if you think I should study inside, then I’ll study inside.” Maybe he could join me, tell me about where
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