Read Online Ripple Effect: A Novel by Adalynn Rafe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Adalynn Rafe
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emotion filled her face for half a moment before being replaced with a fake smile again. This was not good. The duchess was never scared or distressed. What was she roping me into?
“I don’t feel comfortable with this,” Cecily said honestly. She seemed so tired.
Sabrina glanced at someone over Cecily’s shoulder before returning her gaze to her eyes. “Cecily, you have potential. You wouldn’t want to pass this up.”
“How does this guy know me?” Cecily asked. “And why is he scouting female students from a high school?”
“He’s seen you around town,” Sabrina lied, expertly.
“You’re dating him, aren’t you?” Cecily raised her eyebrow and I could hear all sorts of accusing names running through her mind. “He’s a pedophile, isn’t he!?” Her voice was extremely quiet now.
Yet again, Sabrina’s confidence was broken down and her fear showed through her façade. She wiped the look away and snickered at Cecily. “That’s none of your business,” Sabrina snapped, but quickly held an apology in her eyes, for her own sake.
Cecily began to feel unsure of the invitation. She never got attention from the royals, and judging by Sabrina’s actions, something was horribly wrong.
“You hate me, remember? Why would you want me there?” said Cecily.
Sabrina laughed. “We have our differences, but I don’t hate you.”
Glaring at her arch enemy, Cecily shook her head. “Go to hell, Sabrina. Where you belong.” She went to walk around her.
Sabrina grabbed Cecily’s arm with desperateness. “Cecily, really, you need to come. It will be good for you to go.” Sabrina lowered her voice now. “You’ve had some hard times and you deserve some fun, don’t you think?” There was a hidden meaning in her words. “If not, people will start to make assumptions . . .”
Cecily’s eyes widened and she looked down. “There is nothing to make assumptions––”
“Let’s be honest, Cessy, ” she whispered in her ear. “I know what happened.”
Her cheeks flushed and sweat gathered on her forehead. I imagined she was clammy. “I’m bringing Hazel,” Cecily said, glowering into Sabrina’s dark eyes. “That is the only way I’ll go.”
“Fine,” Sabrina said, as if she didn’t care. She brushed the hair out of her face and I saw the outlines of a bruise on her cheek. It was ugly and nasty, and I wasn’t the only Cecily that saw it. “You’re making the right choice, trust me,” she whispered as her eyes darted past Cecily.
I flipped around quickly to find nothing but the few souls wandering down the hallway.
Students lounged around the cafeteria, lost in their own little worlds, naïve and oblivious to the dangers around them. Cecily felt sick about it all. I felt sick about it all. No one even knew that something bad was happening.
“Seeing that I am left with no other option . . .” Cecily turned her back to Sabrina.
Victorious, the duchess left the area and blended into the cafeteria crowd.
Cecily plopped across the table from to her best friend. Her shoulders slumped.
“What was that?” Hazel bugged, her sights glued to Cecily. The book still sat open I her hands. “The duchess just spoke to you.”
“We’re going to a party.” Cecily handed the flyer to Hazel before rubbing her eyes with fatigue. “There is no option.”
Hazel stared down at the flyer. “No. I don’t want to go to a stupid royals-only party.” She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Don’t let her boss you around.”
“It will be . . . fun.” Cecily picked at her nails—she didn’t look very convincing.
“You aren’t really going to go to this, are you, Ces?” Hazel seemed bewildered.
Her eyes gleamed and she pouted. “I don’t want to go alone.”
“I don’t––Ces––I don’t have the best feeling about it.”
“Just—trust me?”
Hazel gave Cecily a worried look as she leaned closer. “I know you don’t want to go.” She’d never seen her best friend beg like
“I don’t feel comfortable with this,” Cecily said honestly. She seemed so tired.
Sabrina glanced at someone over Cecily’s shoulder before returning her gaze to her eyes. “Cecily, you have potential. You wouldn’t want to pass this up.”
“How does this guy know me?” Cecily asked. “And why is he scouting female students from a high school?”
“He’s seen you around town,” Sabrina lied, expertly.
“You’re dating him, aren’t you?” Cecily raised her eyebrow and I could hear all sorts of accusing names running through her mind. “He’s a pedophile, isn’t he!?” Her voice was extremely quiet now.
Yet again, Sabrina’s confidence was broken down and her fear showed through her façade. She wiped the look away and snickered at Cecily. “That’s none of your business,” Sabrina snapped, but quickly held an apology in her eyes, for her own sake.
Cecily began to feel unsure of the invitation. She never got attention from the royals, and judging by Sabrina’s actions, something was horribly wrong.
“You hate me, remember? Why would you want me there?” said Cecily.
Sabrina laughed. “We have our differences, but I don’t hate you.”
Glaring at her arch enemy, Cecily shook her head. “Go to hell, Sabrina. Where you belong.” She went to walk around her.
Sabrina grabbed Cecily’s arm with desperateness. “Cecily, really, you need to come. It will be good for you to go.” Sabrina lowered her voice now. “You’ve had some hard times and you deserve some fun, don’t you think?” There was a hidden meaning in her words. “If not, people will start to make assumptions . . .”
Cecily’s eyes widened and she looked down. “There is nothing to make assumptions––”
“Let’s be honest, Cessy, ” she whispered in her ear. “I know what happened.”
Her cheeks flushed and sweat gathered on her forehead. I imagined she was clammy. “I’m bringing Hazel,” Cecily said, glowering into Sabrina’s dark eyes. “That is the only way I’ll go.”
“Fine,” Sabrina said, as if she didn’t care. She brushed the hair out of her face and I saw the outlines of a bruise on her cheek. It was ugly and nasty, and I wasn’t the only Cecily that saw it. “You’re making the right choice, trust me,” she whispered as her eyes darted past Cecily.
I flipped around quickly to find nothing but the few souls wandering down the hallway.
Students lounged around the cafeteria, lost in their own little worlds, naïve and oblivious to the dangers around them. Cecily felt sick about it all. I felt sick about it all. No one even knew that something bad was happening.
“Seeing that I am left with no other option . . .” Cecily turned her back to Sabrina.
Victorious, the duchess left the area and blended into the cafeteria crowd.
Cecily plopped across the table from to her best friend. Her shoulders slumped.
“What was that?” Hazel bugged, her sights glued to Cecily. The book still sat open I her hands. “The duchess just spoke to you.”
“We’re going to a party.” Cecily handed the flyer to Hazel before rubbing her eyes with fatigue. “There is no option.”
Hazel stared down at the flyer. “No. I don’t want to go to a stupid royals-only party.” She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Don’t let her boss you around.”
“It will be . . . fun.” Cecily picked at her nails—she didn’t look very convincing.
“You aren’t really going to go to this, are you, Ces?” Hazel seemed bewildered.
Her eyes gleamed and she pouted. “I don’t want to go alone.”
“I don’t––Ces––I don’t have the best feeling about it.”
“Just—trust me?”
Hazel gave Cecily a worried look as she leaned closer. “I know you don’t want to go.” She’d never seen her best friend beg like
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