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Authors: Daelynn Quinn
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love
with her. After all, he had been with Lily for almost five months. If he could
love her, why wouldn’t he love Belle? I’m ten times prettier than Lily , she thought. But Belle was not always comfortable
being straightforward with Finn. She would be fine until he pierced her with his
emerald eyes. Then her knees would wobble and her stomach would drop ten
stories. She’d lose her nerve. Tonight will be different , she thought. She couldn’t afford to drop the ball
this time. She had to say something or risk losing him to the new girl. That
couldn’t happen.
Finn often went out at night. Sometimes
he would hunt or fish and bring back rabbits and crappie for the cooks to
prepare. Sometimes he would go skinny dipping in the lake at the outskirts of
the property. Other times he would just sit in the meadow by the lake, staring
at the stars. Belle knew he was doing none of those things now. She knew
exactly where he was and she didn’t like it. She liked being the only girl
here. Apart from Lily anyway, but that relationship had run its course and it
was her turn now. She didn’t want any more competition.
A shadow, moving swiftly behind the
boys’ dormitory, stirred her attention. She squinted, trying to ascertain
whether it was Finn or just a grazing deer. The shadow bolted across the quad
to the garden. A second one followed, slower and wavering. The figure turned
and looked as if to see if it was being followed.
Belle dropped to the floor, wounded and
on the verge of tears. It was too late. How could he have brought her here? If only Belle had spoken her heart sooner, maybe she
could have avoided this disaster. Why her? What could Daphne possibly do that none of the other boys could do? A
single girl alone in the presence of all those boys, stealing the attention.
The thought sickened Belle and her grief thickened until she couldn’t take it
anymore. Her heartbeat raced and her shoulders rose and fell with each labored
breath. Her heartache turned into resent, which turned into fury.
Belle stood up, angry and resolved. That
Daphne girl would not overshadow her. No way. She would make sure that Daphne
did not last the night at Neverland Academy.
Belle flung her side table across her
bed, the sound muffled by her thick comforter, and disappeared into the tunnel
in her wall.
***
“Psst
. . . in here!” Finn whispered to Daphne, who was caught behind the hydrangea.
It wasn’t that it was too dark, Daphne could see just fine in the moonlight.
But she’d only been through the garden once and she remembered how complicated
the layout was. She didn’t want to get her pajamas caught in a tangle of rose
thorns.
“I’m
coming,” she whispered back. Daphne thought she had found her way back onto the
cleared path between the foliage, but launched forward when she tripped on some
vines that had scurried across the path. Before she hit the ground she felt
herself lifted. Warmth spread around her midsection, warmth that found its way
deep into Daphne’s chest. She rose up to find Finn standing behind her, his arm
still clasping her waist, so close she could feel his heart beating against her
back. She caught her breath. The feeling of Finn holding her against him made
Daphne nervous, frightened even, and yet, she didn’t want him to let go.
“You
okay?” Finn whispered against her ear. Daphne shivered and nodded. He took her
hand and after a few steps, squatted by a hole in the ground. Next to it was a
large, flat stepping stone that had been pulled aside.
“You
want me to go down there?” Daphne’s jaw dropped in disbelief. In fact, she
nearly shouted at him for playing this cruel joke on her.
“Well,
yeah. Don’t worry—it’s not just a hole in the ground. I’ll explain
further, but not out here. It’s too dangerous.”
Daphne
looked around at the buildings with windows that seemed to be staring at her
like monstrous beasts with
with her. After all, he had been with Lily for almost five months. If he could
love her, why wouldn’t he love Belle? I’m ten times prettier than Lily , she thought. But Belle was not always comfortable
being straightforward with Finn. She would be fine until he pierced her with his
emerald eyes. Then her knees would wobble and her stomach would drop ten
stories. She’d lose her nerve. Tonight will be different , she thought. She couldn’t afford to drop the ball
this time. She had to say something or risk losing him to the new girl. That
couldn’t happen.
Finn often went out at night. Sometimes
he would hunt or fish and bring back rabbits and crappie for the cooks to
prepare. Sometimes he would go skinny dipping in the lake at the outskirts of
the property. Other times he would just sit in the meadow by the lake, staring
at the stars. Belle knew he was doing none of those things now. She knew
exactly where he was and she didn’t like it. She liked being the only girl
here. Apart from Lily anyway, but that relationship had run its course and it
was her turn now. She didn’t want any more competition.
A shadow, moving swiftly behind the
boys’ dormitory, stirred her attention. She squinted, trying to ascertain
whether it was Finn or just a grazing deer. The shadow bolted across the quad
to the garden. A second one followed, slower and wavering. The figure turned
and looked as if to see if it was being followed.
Belle dropped to the floor, wounded and
on the verge of tears. It was too late. How could he have brought her here? If only Belle had spoken her heart sooner, maybe she
could have avoided this disaster. Why her? What could Daphne possibly do that none of the other boys could do? A
single girl alone in the presence of all those boys, stealing the attention.
The thought sickened Belle and her grief thickened until she couldn’t take it
anymore. Her heartbeat raced and her shoulders rose and fell with each labored
breath. Her heartache turned into resent, which turned into fury.
Belle stood up, angry and resolved. That
Daphne girl would not overshadow her. No way. She would make sure that Daphne
did not last the night at Neverland Academy.
Belle flung her side table across her
bed, the sound muffled by her thick comforter, and disappeared into the tunnel
in her wall.
***
“Psst
. . . in here!” Finn whispered to Daphne, who was caught behind the hydrangea.
It wasn’t that it was too dark, Daphne could see just fine in the moonlight.
But she’d only been through the garden once and she remembered how complicated
the layout was. She didn’t want to get her pajamas caught in a tangle of rose
thorns.
“I’m
coming,” she whispered back. Daphne thought she had found her way back onto the
cleared path between the foliage, but launched forward when she tripped on some
vines that had scurried across the path. Before she hit the ground she felt
herself lifted. Warmth spread around her midsection, warmth that found its way
deep into Daphne’s chest. She rose up to find Finn standing behind her, his arm
still clasping her waist, so close she could feel his heart beating against her
back. She caught her breath. The feeling of Finn holding her against him made
Daphne nervous, frightened even, and yet, she didn’t want him to let go.
“You
okay?” Finn whispered against her ear. Daphne shivered and nodded. He took her
hand and after a few steps, squatted by a hole in the ground. Next to it was a
large, flat stepping stone that had been pulled aside.
“You
want me to go down there?” Daphne’s jaw dropped in disbelief. In fact, she
nearly shouted at him for playing this cruel joke on her.
“Well,
yeah. Don’t worry—it’s not just a hole in the ground. I’ll explain
further, but not out here. It’s too dangerous.”
Daphne
looked around at the buildings with windows that seemed to be staring at her
like monstrous beasts with
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