In the distance behind him, a crackling energy pressed down over the forests and mountains. A thunderstorm was building, and the gorgeous afternoon was long gone, replaced with gloomy grey skies and bone-chilling wind.
Of course a storm would pop up when Hunter was nearby. He was honestly that much of a moody asshole that it wouldn’t surprise me if the weather actually changed whenever he was around to match his shitty attitude.
“Well?” I asked, tilting my head to one side. He still hadn’t said a word.
He kept staring down at me, seemingly unruffled by my snark. “My sister used to row too,” he finally muttered.
Then he turned and strode away in a diagonal line, heading toward the main dock.
Okay…
I still had no idea what his problem was, and frankly, I didn’t care anymore. My priority at RFA was getting the best education I possibly could. I didn’t need to win any popularity contests or break my back trying to figure out why some rich prick hated me.
I headed for the boatshed, covering a yawn with one hand. I’d sleep well tonight.
A chill suddenly trickled down my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I whirled around, expecting to see someone behind me, but there was no one there.
Weird. It really felt like someone was following me.
I kept going, mouth dry and heart pounding. Even though there was nothing but a strange feeling to suggest it, I couldn’t shake the idea that someone was watching me.
A dense grove of trees stood next to the school-side edge of the shore. I tensed up as I moved closer to it to avoid a giant patch of slimy lakeweeds that had floated up from the water, and the tingles up and down my spine grew stronger.
I stopped abruptly and squinted into the dark trees, hoping to catch someone crunching over the dead foliage on the ground, just so I’d know I wasn’t losing my mind. But once again, there was no one there, and nothing to be heard. Just trunks, branches, shrubs, and the sound of the wind blowing through them.
I finally made it back to the boatshed, put my equipment away, and stepped around to the changerooms. My bag was exactly where I left it earlier, and the room was empty. Everyone else in the rowing club had already cleared out.
Yawning, I went through all of the pockets again, searching for my keycard. I couldn’t get into my room without it, so if it was really missing, I was screwed.
“There you are,” I murmured to myself a moment later, yanking it out with a triumphant flourish. Tracey was right—it had fallen into a different pocket. Or maybe I’d just remembered it wrong in the first place, and it was there all along.
My legs felt like they were about to fall off by the time I made it back to Blair Hall. I slumped down on my comfy bed, sighing with relief. Then I pulled out my phone and opened my group text with Adam and Trina.
A flush of excited adrenaline went through me as I typed out a new message. We need to get some costumes!
Trina messaged back almost immediately. How come?
I smiled and tapped out a response. We’re going to Chris Hewittson’s party tomorrow night…
9
Laney
A gust of wind ruffled my hair as I walked across campus with my friends. The fall night air was crisp, lit by a yellow harvest moon hanging low in the velvety sky, and everything smelled of pine needles and distant woodsmoke.
Trina and I were dressed as 80s-style camp counselors with blue retro shorts, white T-shirts, sweatbands, sneakers, and long white socks with blue stripes around the top. Adam was dressed as Jason Voorhees—hockey mask, loose olive green work shirt, tan pants, chunky black boots and a utility belt.
“I’m glad you made us come out tonight,” he said, slinging an arm around my shoulder. “It’s gonna be so fun. I can’t wait to see my brother’s face when he sees you strutting in.”
I let out a wry laugh and rubbed my arms to warm myself up. “Yeah. Let’s just hope it isn’t another setup.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on you and make sure nothing happens,” he replied. “Unless you want to sneak off with Chris.”
He snickered, and I playfully shoved him, grinning. They’d been teasing me about Chris ever since last night, even though I kept telling them I wasn’t interested in anything but friendship from him.
“Honestly, isn’t this just the perfect night to throw a Friday-the-13th-themed party?” Trina cut in, wrapping her arms around herself. “It looks so creepy out here!”
She was right. Fog was starting to roll in from the lake, eerily backlit by the full moon, and it lent a seriously spooky vibe to the atmosphere. I half-expected a crazed murderer to jump out from behind the bushes with a chainsaw at any minute.
“You know it’s literally Friday the 13th today, right?” Adam said. “That’s why he picked the theme.”
Trina’s brows shot up. “It is? I thought it was the 11th,” she replied. “Guess I’m not really on top of things at the moment.”
“Probably because you’ve been so distracted by that guy in our English class,” I said, jostling her side.
“What guy?” Adam asked, voice taking on a tinge of excitement.
I let Trina fill him in on her latest crush, smiling contentedly as we walked along. I had a feeling this was going to be a good night.
A heavy musical beat filled the air as we drew closer to the lake. A massive ‘Welcome to Camp Crystal Lake’ banner had been strung up between two towering birch trees on either side of the main path, and beyond that, fake cobwebs and bloodied hockey masks hung from the smaller trees and shrubs.
A bunch of chairs littered the shore near the dense forest on the western side of the lake, and someone had also set up a table with snacks, drinks, and red Jell-O shots served on silver platters in the shape of machetes. Strings of fairy lights lit the area, with bloody knives hanging between the glowing globes.
A little farther down from the main party area was a fire pit ringed with big gray rocks. A bonfire was already burning in it when we arrived, and students were milling around it, laughing and throwing back drinks.
“Wow,” I said, taking a deep breath as I took it all in. “Chris went all out with these decorations.”
“I know, right?” Trina said. “It’s awesome!”
As we headed closer to the action, I spotted Hunter sitting on a low wooden bench near the firepit. When he noticed me, his eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything.
Talia was perched on the bench next to him, dressed in tiny shorts and a T-shirt with ‘Camp Crystal Lake’ emblazoned on it. She must’ve wet the top, because part of it had gone see-through, exposing her hard nipples.
“Desperate much?” Trina muttered, noticing the same thing.
I nodded. I had to admit I felt a little gleeful when I saw how Hunter was ignoring Talia, even though she was practically throwing herself at him.
“Who the fuck invited you?”
I turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Jessica Fitzgerald was standing behind us, hands on her hips and red lips twisted into a sneer. She obviously hadn’t understood the party theme very well, because she was dressed as something I could only describe as a slutty cat.
“I—”
Before I could get more than one word out, Chris strode up behind us and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I invited her. Everyone’s welcome at my parties.”
Jessica’s button nose wrinkled. “They shouldn’t be,” she hissed before stomping off.
Chris grinned and handed me a cup. “I got this for you,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you drink or not, so it’s just orange soda. But if you want, you can add a little of this…” He opened his jacket to reveal a silver flask.
“Thanks, but I’ll keep it virgin for now,” I replied.
“Nice. A virgin drink for the Virgin,” he said with a chuckle. I stiffened, and his eyes widened. “Wait… is it too soon to make jokes about that dumbass nickname?” he added hurriedly.
“Maybe a little,” I said, shoulde
rs relaxing as I realized he wasn’t actually mocking me.
“Sorry. I was just kidding, I swear.”
I smiled. “It’s fine. I get it.”
“I’m going to go and get us some drinks too,” Trina interjected, giving me a meaningful side-eye before striding off toward the table.
Adam hastily followed her, leaving me alone with Chris.
“Come for a walk,” he said, cocking his head to one side. “It’s kinda loud here, and I want to show you something.”
My cheeks grew warm. “Sure.”
He led me past the bonfire, toward a dark path along the lake. The black water looked oily as it caught glints of moonlight, and above that, thick fog hung in eerie gray clouds.
“It’s a great night for a party like this,” I said, echoing Trina’s earlier comments. “It looks like a horror movie set.”
“Yeah, it turned out perfectly with the fog and the giant moon. Lucky, huh?” Chris said. He dipped his chin toward my left. “Go that way. There’s another path.”
“You know, I’d feel a lot safer about wandering into the woods with you if you didn’t have a machete hanging off your hip,” I replied, raising my brows.
He laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s fake,” he said. He paused. “Hey, can you hold my drink for a minute?”
“Sure.”
After I took his cup, he grabbed his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and turned on the flashlight app to illuminate our new path. His free hand rested on the small of my back as we walked. At first his touch made me stiffen—I wasn’t used to guys putting their hands on me—but I relaxed into it eventually. He wasn’t going to hurt me. The hand on my back was just a protective gesture.
“I’m taking you to one of the abandoned school buildings,” he said. “You’ve heard of them, right?”
“You mean the half-finished ones from thirty years ago?”
“Yeah. They look creepy as fuck at night. I figured you’d think it was cool, though.”
“Well, I do like creepy things. That’s why I’m hanging out with you,” I said in a teasing tone.
He grinned. “Smart-ass.”
We halted and put our drinks down on a flat rock as we reached a clearing in the forest. A half-constructed gray brick building stood in the center.
My eyes widened as I took it in.
Time hadn’t been kind to the place. Parts of it had crumbled under the weight of decay and neglect, and like Trina and Adam told me two weeks ago, it looked ancient despite its relatively young age compared to the rest of RFA. It was still beautiful, though. The brick was banded with stonework that ran around the building, carved with rosettes and fleur-de-lis emblems.
“Wow,” I said breathlessly, running a hand over one of the rosettes. “This is so cool.”
“Told ya,” Chris said. He turned off his phone light, allowing our eyes to adjust to the building under the moonlight. “Anyway… I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“Why does Hunter hate you so much?”
I frowned. “He hasn’t told you?”
“Nope. It’s fucking weird.”
“Then you know as much as me,” I said, lifting one shoulder in a feeble shrug. “I wouldn’t have a clue why he hates me.”
“I thought maybe you two hooked up, and then you rejected him afterwards,” he said. “That’s not really his style, but I can’t think of anything else.”
“I’ve never touched him. I barely even know him,” I said. Then I tilted my head curiously. “Why do you want to know, anyway?”
He scrubbed a hand over his chin. “Uh… the guys and I might’ve made a sneaky bet about the whole situation,” he said in a half-guilty, half-mischievous tone of voice.
“Oh? And what’s this bet you might have made?”
“First one to correctly guess why he hates you wins.”
“Ah. So that’s why you lured me here. To get all the goss.”
He grinned. “Hey, you had an ulterior motive too,” he said. “You wanted to be seen with me at the party to get under Hunter’s skin.”
A smile curled up my lips. “Fair enough.”
“So there’s really nothing going on between you two?”
“Nope.” I shook my head.
“And nothing’s happened in the past?”
“Nope.”
“Damn. Guess I lost that bet,” he said, shoulders sagging slightly. “But that means I won something else.”
I frowned. “What’s that?”
He took a step closer. “Well, if there’s really nothing between you and Hunter, then it doesn’t matter if I do this.” He slowly stroked one finger over my cheek and leaned down, lips only inches from mine. “I consider that a win.”
“Wait,” I murmured. “I don’t want—”
I didn’t need to finish my sentence to stop him from kissing me. Hunter did it for me by charging into the clearing and yanking Chris away from me.
He slammed him up against the decaying stone building, eyes blazing. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he growled.
Chris struggled under his grip. “Hey, get off me, man! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You know what’s wrong,” Hunter practically spat. “You’re out here trying to hook up with her.”
“So?”
“So she’s off-limits! How many fucking times do I have to tell you?”
“Jesus, whatever. I’ll go, okay?” Chris muttered, holding up one hand. “No pussy in the world is worth this amount of shit.”
I rolled my eyes. What a lovely sentiment.
“Guess I’ll catch you later, Laney,” he went on, giving me a rueful smile as Hunter loosened his grip on him. He headed back down the path, boots loudly crashing over twigs and mounds of dead leaves.
I turned on Hunter, cutting my eyes at him as a rush of angry adrenaline slammed through me. “Why am I ‘off-limits’?” I asked, putting the term in air quotes. “Why do you care who kisses me?”
He took a few steps toward me, closing the distance between us.
Before he could say anything, I shook my head and went on. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were jealous,” I said, crossing my arms. “I’d think you followed us all the way out here and pulled him away because you want to be the one kissing me!”
Hunter’s fingers moved to my chin, dragging my face upward before sliding around to lock at the back of my neck. All the air in my lungs vanished. I was trapped in his grip now, lips only inches from his cruel yet beautiful mouth.
“I guess I haven’t been clear enough with you,” he said in a dangerously low voice. He moved his other hand to my throat and ran one finger across my collarbone. His steely gaze told me I might regret provoking him.
My body was burning up, nerves tingling and legs trembling. I couldn’t get the thought of his hands on me out of my mind. I wanted to hate his touch, but I didn’t. I wasn’t scared of it, either, even though I knew I should be.
He leaned even closer, warm breath fanning over my lips as he softly exhaled. My heart skipped a beat. For a second, I thought he might kiss me, but then his eyes narrowed. “Stay the fuck away from my friends,” he said through gritted teeth.
Before I could respond, he stormed off down the path, leaving me alone in the moonlit clearing.
“Asshole!” I called out, stepping back onto the path as well. I wanted to be mad at him, but truthfully I was angrier at myself. My traitorous body wanted that kiss, and I hated that about myself. Hated that I would ever crave such a horrible man’s touch, especially after the things that had already been done to me by other horrible men in my short life.
Maybe I was damaged by my past, so broken I sought out pain and suffering because I was used to it.
“Time to book myself into therapy again,” I muttered to myself as I turned back onto the lakeshore and trudged along the sand.
“Hey, there you are!”
I looked up to see Trina running tow
ard me. “Hey,” I said weakly.
“I was worried about you,” she said when she reached me. “I saw Chris come back without you, and then I saw Hunter stalking back from the same direction. I thought he might’ve done something to you.”
Goosebumps broke out over my skin as I pictured his hands on me, mouth almost closing over mine. Oh, he did something, all right, I thought bitterly. I’m just not quite sure what it was.
“You look freezing,” Trina went on, noticing the goosebumps. “Let’s go to the fire.”
I followed her over to the fire, ignoring the icy stares from Talia and her crew.
“Where’s Adam?” I asked, peering around the party.
“Over there,” Katrina said, pointing over my shoulder. “Talking to some guy from his class.”
I turned to see Adam laughing and chatting with a cute redheaded guy. As I looked, I couldn’t help but notice another guy nearby, throwing interested glances at Trina.
“Hey, there’s your English class hottie,” I said, nudging her.
She blushed. “So?”
“So you should go and talk to him! I think he likes you.”
“I’m staying right here,” she said, shaking her head.
“Why?”
“Because Adam’s busy with his friend, so if I went off to talk to someone, you’d be alone,” she said. She turned her gaze in the opposite direction, toward the lake. “Hey, look. The fog is gone.”
She was right. Every last cloud had dissipated, and the water was shimmering brightly under the stars and moonlight. In the distance, I could see the dark outline of the island that sat in the middle of the lake.
I pointed to it. “What do you know about that island?” I asked.
Katrina’s forehead wrinkled. “That’s Harker Island. Named after one of the guys who discovered this whole area, I think.”
“It’s not on the campus maps,” I said. “I only realized it was there on my first day when I went to the old observatory in my room and saw it through some binoculars.”
She shrugged. “I guess they didn’t think there was a point adding it to the map,” she said. “It’s not very big.”
Savage Prince: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Royal Falls Elite Book 1) Page 13