The Stranger Trilogy Box Set

by Isadora Brown

  “No. You’re not.”

  “Yes, I am,” Jane insisted. “You guys need me to keep watch and have your back.”

  “Do you even have your own back?” Depogare asked, raising a brow. “You can’t even stand up right.”

  “Sophie is my friend,” Jane said through gritted teeth.

  “And you’d best help her by getting better.” Depogare’s voice was oddly gentle, almost soothing. “You can’t help anyone in your condition. If anything, you’d be a burden, because we’d both be worried about your state rather than where Miss Harper currently is. In all likelihood, she’s still at this café, and Will’s intrusion is completely unwarranted.” Will growled, but Depogare ignored him. “However, I can understand being concerned of the welfare of someone you care about. As such, I will assist in seeking her out. You, on the other hand, will stay here.” There was a lengthy pause, where the tension cackled like lightning. “This is not a request, Jane. You will stay here. Do you understand?”

  Jane’s teeth were still clenched together, but she appeared as though she were listening to Depogare and his reasoning. Her eyes stayed on his, didn’t drop to Depogare’s neck, collarbone, tattoos … He stood in front of her in a towel with no shame. He might not even remember that he wasn’t completely dressed.

  “Fine,” she replied, then sat on the bed.

  Will could tell it took everything in Jane not to collapse, and he prided her for her dignity.

  “Let me get dressed, and then we can go,” Depogare said, before disappearing out of the room.

  “Sorry, kid,” Will began, looking at his student, “if it were up to me …” He thought about it for a moment as Jane picked up her eyes to look at him. “If it were up to me, I’d probably make the same decision Depogare made just now. You’re not going to be any help to us keeled over. You’d slow us down. I know you’re concerned for Sophie, and I promise this will be the first place we come to once we’re back.”

  Jane nodded, but didn’t say anything. Will couldn’t blame her.

  It was a few more minutes before Depogare emerged. When they left, Jane didn’t watch them go.

  24

  The minute Will and Depogare left, Jane pushed herself back up. There was no way she was going to just sit around and not do anything. It wasn’t even about finding Sophie; although she was concerned about her friend, it seemed too soon to assume the worst. Jane had to get out. She wanted fresh, crisp air. She needed to do something, or else she’d go bat-shit crazy. Will presented the perfect opportunity for her to do so—get out of the room, off of campus, and go help find Sophie. Depogare killed that, though, with his wet hair, toned body, and firm abs.

  Her brow pushed up as she thought about him, standing in front of her, still glistening from the shower. If he didn’t have all the tattoos and his hair didn’t cover half his face when down, he would have resembled a model on the cover of a romance novel. Thinking about him caused her to bite her bottom lip and her insides to churn.

  She had never seen him so naked before. Yes, they had been together in her dream, but this was reality. She had never seen him look … He was beautiful. There was no getting around just how beautiful he was, to the point where Jane was uncomfortable around him. He wasn’t supposed to be a good-looking guy. Girls called him ugly behind his back, but if only they knew, if only they saw what she saw.

  But no. She didn’t want that, either. She didn’t want girls to see just how great Depogare was lest they start to develop feelings for him, too. And Jane didn’t want to imagine how she would feel if girls started whispering about how hot he was. She wondered how Sophie could stand it.

  Jane shook her head. She needed to get Depogare out of her thoughts for the time being. He and Will were gone, and this was her only chance to leave. She was surprised Depogare hadn’t called someone to watch her while he was out. Perhaps he was so caught up in helping Will he hadn’t even thought about it. Whatever the case, she planned to use it to her advantage. She started walking, slowly, as best as she could, over to the door.

  God, she probably looked pathetic. But she’d rather be pathetic, then trapped.

  When she made her way out of Depogare’s flat, she realized that she probably needed to figure out where she was going. She couldn’t exactly walk around like this without the students that had returned asking questions, and she was certain the last thing Ethan wanted was an epidemic of fear on his hands. But she needed to get out, to go for a walk, something. She would not sit around here waiting for the men to return. She needed something to occupy her time.

  At that moment, the stairway opened up, and Brielle appeared. Her brown eyes widened when she saw Jane, and she all but ran over to her friend, offering Jane her arm as a means of support.

  “Jane!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing out of bed? Where’s Professor Depogare? Are you okay?”

  Jane paused. She wasn’t sure if she could trust Brielle—which was a terrible feeling, she knew, especially after everything that she had done for Jane—so she hesitated. Brielle looked at her with patience; no indication that Jane struggled within herself of whether or not to tell her the truth. Today, Brielle wore her brown hair down, her brown eyes big, surrounded by naturally long lashes Jane couldn’t help but be envious over. The girl herself was beautiful in a perfectly subtle way, but she hid herself so she wouldn’t garner unwanted attention. Jane always wondered about that.

  “It’s Sophie,” Jane said. Brielle and her were friends, and maybe they weren’t super close when compared to Elle and Sophie, Brielle still played an important role in saving her life. To Jane, that constituted some level of truth. Whether Depogare and Will agreed, well, that was their problem. “Depogare and Will think she might be missing. I didn’t want to be left behind.”

  “Can I be blunt with you, Jane?” Brielle asked. She wore khaki pants rolled up in the same style as boyfriend jeans and a long-sleeved white collared shirt. Her shoes were simple and brandless—probably something purchased at Payless in order to provide cost-effectiveness and comfort simultaneously. “It’s going to be difficult for you to walk on your own right now. If you force yourself, you’re just going to hurt your recovery process. But if there’s ever a moment when you want to get out of Professor Depogare’s flat, please call me. I can help you.” She gave Jane a mysterious smile. “More than you think.”

  Jane felt herself smile back. “Okay,” she murmured. “You’re right. I just hate being left behind when I know I can help.”

  Brielle’s smile deepened. “Of course,” she said, leading Jane to the elevator. She reached out to push it so Jane wouldn’t lose her balance. “But you’ll do everybody a favor if you just go steady like a tortoise instead of sprinting like a hair. Since you’re up anyway, why don’t we take a walk about the campus? You haven’t walked for that duration of time yet, so you’ll push yourself to your limits, but you won’t be alone. I’ll have you each step of the way.”

  “Thanks, Brie,” Jane said. She felt herself blush at how nice Brielle was being when she realized Brielle wasn’t just being nice, this was who she was. She wasn’t even trying. And maybe Jane could take a page or two out of Brielle’s book.

  The ride down to the first floor was uneventful, but Jane found she could straighten her back for a portion of time. She wasn’t keeled over the way she had been in the room. When the cool, crisp hair hit Jane’s face, it was like she was waking up from a dream. Having been in Depogare's flat for just over a week enabled her to forget about the world. She literally lived in a daydream where no one else but the two of them existed. It was nice while it lasted, but at that moment, Jane realized she was grateful for the wakeup call. There were things in her life outside of Depogare that needed her attention, and it was important for her to start marking arrangements to take care of them.

  First and foremost, she needed to get out more, especially with the resumption of soccer season fast approaching. Her eyes scanned the two large soccer fields just across the way,
in between the protective walls that surrounded the property and the four resident halls. Two more soccer fields were on the other side of the halls, giving each team their own field to practice. Without realizing what she was doing, Jane began to make her way toward the Ignis field.

  The grass was green and cut, and it was the perfect weather for a game. The sky was overcast, and right now, her skin prickled with goose bumps, but she knew that if she was running around, the temperature would be perfect. Once she and Brielle were officially on the field, her green eyes closed and a memory of the last game she played in started to piece back together in her mind. The pounding of her heart in her ears. The stretching muscles that made up her body. The snap of the ball being kicked down the field. The shrill of the whistle. The silence as every person waited with bated breath during a penalty shot. She wanted this back. Needed it.

  "When can I start playing again?" she asked as she opened her eyes.

  Brielle smiled, and it was only then that Jane realized she wasn't wearing her glasses. She looked natural, beautiful.

  "You miss it," Brielle stated, and Jane nodded, her eyes going back to the field. "Like Kessler said, you won't be able to play until the second week of school, and that's if you make a miraculous recovery and don't feel pain. However, I can walk with you twice a day—after breakfast and after dinner—to help you build your strength. I can't promise that it will help your recovery time, but it definitely won't hurt it unless you push yourself too hard."

  "Yeah, but I have you here to keep me in check, right?" Jane asked with a grin. "You have no idea how much I appreciate your help, Brielle. The fact that you would give up your time is ... Well, to be honest, it makes me a bit uncomfortable that you would do that for me. But I promise you I appreciate it." She paused. "Sometimes, it's hard to differentiate when I'm doing too much and when I can push myself just a little bit more."

  "I can definitely help you with that, Jane," Brielle said. "And after what you've done for me, it's the least I can do."

  Jane furrowed her brow. "What did I do for you?" she asked, her voice soft. It was as though she didn't want to disrupt the stillness the outdoors currently provided.

  Brielle tucked an errant strand of chestnut hair behind her ear, a tad uncomfortable with the question. "You're my friend," she said simply, with a shrug of her shoulders. "You don't know how much that means to me."

  Jane felt herself smirk. “So,” she said, nudging Brielle with her shoulder playfully, “what’s going on between you and the good doctor? I see the way he looks at you. I mean, the few times that he’s been up to visit me.”

  The tips of Brielle’s cheeks turned pink, and Jane couldn’t help but grin. This was what it felt like to joke around with a girlfriend. She missed this. As much as she loved being trapped in a flat with the man of her dreams, she didn’t realize how much she needed her girl time. And since Sophie was currently unavailable, she was glad to get it from the unlikely source of Brielle.

  But, Jane promised herself she would amend that. Brielle was an integral part of her recovery, and she seemed to take that for granted. Not anymore. Jane knew she couldn’t force friendships; she couldn’t force trust. However, Brielle was important and she wanted to make sure she knew that. If she and Sophie were going out, Brielle would be invited. Jane also knew that Sophie would be open to that as well. Sophie wasn’t a snob and loved Brielle the same way Jane did. Brielle was trustworthy as well. She had been there the night of the club and hadn’t said a word.

  “Nothing inappropriate,” Brielle murmured shyly.

  “That’s no fun,” Jane went on. “Clearly you have a thing.”

  “It’s not that clear, is it?” Brielle asked, her head snapping over to Jane.

  Jane started laughing, a deep, throaty laugh. Her head went back and she felt herself relax completely. It had been too long.

  “Oh, Brie, trust me, if anyone knows what you’re going through, it’s me,” she said honestly. “Come on. Let’s walk. We have much to discuss.”

  25

  “So where is she?” Depogare asked from the passenger side of the golf cart Will currently drove. His hazel eyes were narrowed and focused on what was in front of him.

  “Fire Starter’s,” Will said, his voice tense. “To meet her parents.”

  To say he was livid when he found out Sophie’s secret was an understatement. Upon looking through her desk and finding the letters, Will nearly let out a howl that would have made the moon jump. Instead, he clenched his fingers into fists, the little stubs that barely passed as nails leaving crescent moon marks in his palms. He was furious, and he needed to let his anger out on something. As such, he had shifted into a wolf, and clawed and dashed out of the room onto the field, running around in circles until he was tired. If he hadn’t left when he had, her bedroom would be in shambles. And while Sophie might have deserved it, Jane and Elle certainly did not.

  “You seem … tense,” Depogare remarked, looking at Will from the corner of his eye.

  Random passersby eyed them with strange looks on their faces. Will couldn’t exactly blame them; he and Daryl were an odd pair. Will was dressed in a red plaid shirt and jeans; Depogare had on a silk charcoal shirt and dark grey slacks—pressed, so they had that defined wrinkle running up and down the pant legs. Will’s hair was wild and free, going every which way, crawling down his face; Daryl’s was pushed back from his face so that every copper lock was in place. The funny thing was, Will had no tattoos; Daryl had too many to count. Will had a temper; Daryl got silently furious. Will was physical; Daryl was mental. They were complete opposites in almost every way. In fact, the two didn’t socialize much due to the fact that they didn’t get along well.

  Yet here Daryl was, helping him, no questions asked.

  He wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

  And, if Sophie was to be believed, the two had more in common than either realized.

  “Try furious,” Will said.

  For whatever reason, he felt compelled to tell Daryl everything … well, almost everything. A gentleman didn’t kiss and tell, and while Will prided himself on the fact that he wasn’t much of a gentleman, he wouldn’t betray Sophie’s trust with that. Quite frankly, he didn’t know if he could trust Daryl completely, and he didn’t want to share the details of something so intimate with anybody. Talking about it with anyone but Sophie took meaning away from it and would taint the purity of it, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Even if he was mad at her.

  As such, Will told him about the closeness that developed between the two, sharing a bit about Sophie’s background without betraying her confidence. He told him Sophie was abandoned because of her peculiar nature and her birth parents suddenly wanted to be a part of her life again. She hadn’t really told him much after that, but judging by the second note he found in her room, they were meeting today for lunch at Fire Starter’s.

  Daryl was quiet the entire time, taking in everything Will told him, even nodding a couple of times. He didn’t interrupt. Will couldn’t even read the guy, his face was so stoic. But he knew Daryl was listening, and he appreciated that.

  By the time Will finished, they were a block from the café. Will kept his eyes out in front of him, hoping to catch a glimpse of familiar red hair. As of yet, he didn’t see anyone worth looking at. He hoped he wasn’t too late and they had already left. Yet he couldn’t shake this gut feeling that something was wrong.

  “I can understand your frustration,” Depogare said as Will parked the golf cart.

  “That’s surprising,” Will muttered, but he wasn’t snide about it. In fact, he knew Depogare was being honest. “You seem like an in-control guy. I can’t picture you pissed off.”

  “I hide my emotions well.” There was a pause as his hands slid in his slack pockets. “However, I, myself, get easily frustrated with Jane. She’s stubborn and possesses a quick temper. She’s … reactive. She’s constantly talking; she’ll never shut up. And if she doesn’t agree with me regardin
g anything, she has no problem saying so and no problem explaining all the reasons why I’m wrong. Just thinking about her—”

  “Drives you crazy?” Will guessed, then nodded before Depogare could answer. “It’s the fire in ’em. We wouldn’t feel the way we do about them if they were any other way. I just wish Sophie would talk to me.”

  “Well, perhaps she doesn’t because you’re reactive as well,” Depogare pointed out. They stood facing each other in front of the café doors, not going in just yet. “She needs to trust you’ll hear her and let her words settle before you react.”

  Will pressed his lips together, ready to argue. However, Depogare had a point. Perhaps, he, like Jane, had a quick temper as well. If he wanted Sophie’s trust, maybe he needed to let her work out problems for herself instead of telling her what to do—even if he knew he was right. Making a decision for her took the trust away, and she would resent him for it. Maybe not now, but it would happen, and he didn’t want that.

  “Maybe,” Will growled under his breath. He didn’t like admitting defeat, especially not to Depogare. “And just a tip for you … Jane wants you to acknowledge her feelings. You don’t need to understand them or even agree with them. But she wants validation that she’s feeling what she’s feeling. Trust me; the worst thing you can say to a woman is ‘You don’t mean that’ or ‘You don’t really feel that way’.”

  “I thought it was ‘Calm down’,” Depogare said with a smirk.

  “No, it’s ‘You’re overreacting’.”

  “No, it’s—”

  “Excuse me,” a voice drawled from the doorway. CC stood with a hard expression on her face, her brows resting over her eyes. “Are you boys going to stand around talking or do you actually plan on coming inside?”

  Depogare immediately straightened and cleared his throat while Will had to turn away lest anyone notice the flush cast on his cheeks. He couldn’t believe Caroline had the power to make him feel ashamed—like he was a kid back in grammar school getting called out by his teacher for being disruptive—but she did, and he didn’t want Depogare to find out.