Read Online Thorns of Decision (Dusk Gate Chronicles) by Breeana Puttroff - Free Book Online

nonsense. He just took her into his arms and held her there. She rested her head on his shoulder. He let her stay there, softly rubbing her back, until she finally pulled away, even though all she really wanted was to stay right there, where she felt safe.
    She couldn’t spend the whole day with William, though, even if she hadn’t felt guilty just for wanting to talk to him. Last night on the phone when she’d told Zander that she just wasn’t going to be able to have the kind of relationship that he wanted with her, the first thing he’d accused her of was cheating on him with William.
    She knew that he had every right to feel that way, had felt like a liar as she’d assured him that wasn’t the case. She’d had trouble looking at herself in the mirror this morning.
    So today, when she had already hurt Zander so badly, the last thing she wanted was for him to see her talking to William the whole day. It felt like rubbing it in his face. So she ended their conversation before anyone else could arrive and see her with him.
    The morning quickly turned excruciating, though. She couldn’t concentrate on anything in any of her classes, even though the teachers were trying to keep things fun to hold the attention of the students whose minds were on Spring Break. There were a lot of videos.
    Everyone else seemed excited and carefree about this last day of school before a glorious ten-day vacation, but Quinn was miserable. The look Zander gave her the one time she caught a glimpse of him in the hallway made her want to crawl into a hole, and Abigail wasn’t talking to her either. By lunchtime she knew she couldn’t do it anymore. There was no way she was going into that cafeteria.
    She found William by his locker, putting his heavy coat on over his sweater.
    “You’re leaving?” she asked.
    “Yes. I want to make it home before Nathaniel gets back with Thomas. There isn’t anything going on in any of my afternoon classes that I need to be there for.”
    “Can I come with you? I can drive and you won’t have to walk.”
    William frowned, his gray eyes concerned behind his wire-framed glasses. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Quinn?”
    The only thing she heard was that he didn’t say no. She looked up at him pleadingly. “I’m out of ‘good ideas’ right now, Will. I need some space just to breathe, okay? Please?”
    “Let’s go get your things.”
    William was holding her backpack for her while she turned to get her coat, when suddenly a familiar voice behind her made her heart jump into her throat.
    “Nice, Quinn.”
    She whirled around, and found herself face-to-face with Zander. He was warily eyeing William, who was staring at the floor, zipping Quinn’s backpack while red colored his cheeks.
    Quinn found she couldn’t meet his eyes either. “Zander … I …”
    “You couldn’t just be honest with me? Tell me the real reason you were breaking up with me?”
    “It isn’t like that, Zander!” She blinked furiously, trying to hold back the tears that were building in the corners of her eyes.
    “Sure it isn’t! And what is your problem?” he growled, turning on William. “Can’t be bothered finding a girl unless someone else is interested? Or has this been going on for a long time and it’s some kind of joke on me? The two of you plan this out together in the library?”
    A spark flashed in William’s eyes that surprised Quinn. “That’s enough, Zander.” His voice was low, careful, and firm and his eyes met Zander’s directly.
    But Zander was angrier than Quinn had ever seen him. “Who are you to say what’s enough?”
    “I know what it looks like, Zander, believe me, I do. But Quinn has been as straightforward with you as she can. She and I are friends. My family has had some challenges lately, and she has been a friend to me. Now she’s having a hard time, and I’m trying to return the favor. I’m sure you can understand that.”
    Zander didn’t look like he could, at all,