Bridges Burned (Entangled Teen) (Going Down in Flames)

by Chris Cannon

  Not smart.

  Jaxon’s eyes went flat and hard. The lines of his face seemed to sharpen. He moved to stand toe to toe with the other Blue, who no longer seemed so sure of himself.

  “If you cross me, I will do all within my power to make your life a living hell.” Frost shot from Jaxon’s lips with every word.

  The other Blue’s gaze darted back and forth, checking to see if anyone planned on stepping in. All the other students in the vicinity seemed to find their shoes or the sky interesting. None returned the boy’s gaze. Shoulders slumped, the Blue kept his gaze down. “I apologize for my rude comment.”

  “And?” Jaxon leaned in forcing the boy to retreat a step.

  “And it will never happen again.” Apology complete, the young man bolted down the sidewalk, shifted, and took to the air.

  Jaxon glanced around at the students who’d witnessed the incident. “Feel free to share this with your friends.”

  The other students scattered like leaves in the wind. When his gaze landed on Bryn, she grinned at him. “I never thought I’d say these words, but I’m proud of you.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Now my life is complete.”

  …

  Bryn entered the dining hall and almost tripped over her own feet because Zavien stood last in line at the buffet. It was almost like fate was mocking her. She walked up and stood in line behind him, just to see what would happen.

  No response.

  Un-freaking-believable.

  He didn’t even know she was there. If you’d asked her a month ago, she would have said she could’ve felt his presence as soon as he walked into a room. She’d assumed he felt the same way. Apparently not.

  When he shifted positions to grab a plate, he caught sight of her and froze. Tension filled the air. Her pulse spiked. If he didn’t at least say hello to her, she’d do her damnedest to slam his face into the giant serving bowl of mac and cheese.

  “Hello, Bryn.” He moved forward in line.

  Okay. He’d spoken to her. He’d spoken to her like he’d speak to any other student or teacher. His tone screamed, You are not special. You mean nothing to me.

  She grabbed a plate and followed along. “So we’re back to casual small talk? Should I ask how you feel about the weather?”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched. He scooped out a helping of mashed potatoes and put it on his plate. “I’m trying to be polite.”

  She grabbed a spoonful of mac and cheese and smacked it onto her plate. “How does one go from, ‘I’ll work to change the laws so we can be together’ to ‘I’m trying to be polite’? Because I’m still stuck in the ‘What the hell happened to the guy who acted like he loved me?’ stage.”

  Zavien set his plate down and met her gaze. “You want to do this here?”

  “No. I don’t. Let’s go for a walk, and talk somewhere private.”

  “No point. Let’s get this over with.” He sighed. “I need you to understand. I never lied to you. The idea of changing the marriage law…maybe I was lying to myself, hoping it was possible.” He gave her a sad smile. “I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but our relationship was a mistake. There are certain things…things I cannot change. I will always care about you, but it’s best if we go our separate ways.”

  And now she had closure. She’d known it was over, but hearing him say it still made her heart hurt. She’d trusted him. Believed in him. To her horror, angry tears filled her eyes.

  Zavien reached for her. “Bryn?”

  “Don’t.” She shoved her plate onto the buffet and backed away from him. She would not do the whole girlie-crying-thing here, in front of everyone. As soon as she cleared the door, she shifted and took to the sky. Pumping her wings, she drove herself upward and broke through the clouds. There was no fire waiting to be released; there was only disillusionment and disappointment. All this time, she’d held out a tiny bit of hope that he’d apologize and come back to her.

  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. With every downward thrust of her wings, she tried to escape the chant in her head. It wouldn’t go away. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She was a stupid girl who’d believed what she wanted to believe.

  Her grandmother’s warning came screaming back to her. “Only those you love can truly hurt you.”

  How right she’d been.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Escape. She needed to escape this sadness. Taking in great gulps of air, she put as much distance between herself and reality as possible. She pushed her wings harder until her muscles screamed and the sky itself seemed to press down on her. Spots flashed in front of her eyes.

  The school was a mere speck below her. She was as high as she could comfortably go. It wasn’t far enough to escape her problems.

  What should she do now?

  No way in hell was she going back to school. Dragon’s Bluff was off to the right somewhere. Hoping for distraction, she aimed for the town, determined to find the rock formation it was named for.

  Would she be punished for leaving school without permission? Probably. Not that it mattered. Right now she just needed some alone time to sort herself out. She descended below the clouds and breathing came easier. It still felt like an elephant sat on her chest, but that had nothing to do with physiology. Off in the distance, the bluffs rose above the town. Pulling her wings in, she dove for the cliffs. From up here, none of the rocks resembled a dragon.

  She circled the area and skimmed the ground until she found what she wanted. The pile of rocks took on dragon features the closer she flew. Reducing her speed, she landed, digging her claws into the grass and ripping up sod. She walked around the formation. It did appear to be a dragon turned to stone. When Ivy had told her the tale of a dragon who had mourned the knight she loved and turned to stone by his graveside, she’d thought it a colorful legend.

  Shifting to human form, she traced her fingers over the individual scales carved into the rock. The grave marker next to the dragon added to the realism of the tale. Inscribed on the stone were the words, “My knight. My love. My life.”

  Could someone die of a broken heart? If the ache in her chest was any indication, it could happen. Angry tears rolled down her face. She attempted to shut down the waterworks. Why bother? If there was ever a good place to cry over love gone wrong, this was it.

  She backed up to the stone dragon’s flank and slid to the ground. Pulling her knees to her chest, she gave into grief. Losing Zavien meant more than losing a boyfriend. She’d lost her mentor and her best friend.

  “There you are.”

  Her head jerked up at the sound of the familiar masculine voice. “Jaxon? What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here because your friends are slow, both in their flying and in their thinking skills.” He glanced at the gravestone and pursed his lips. “Why isn’t your knight out here searching for you?”

  “I guess because he doesn’t know I left campus. Why are you here?”

  “Your friends accosted me and insisted I chase you, since they had no hope of catching you. Let’s go.”

  “Where?”

  “Back to campus.”

  No freaking way. “I don’t want to go back to campus.”

  “What you want is irrelevant.” His eyes narrowed.

  Inappropriate laughter bubbled out of her throat. “That’s the story of my life.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her like she was a dog who’d peed on the carpet. “I was on my way to see Rhianna when your friends sidetracked me. Unlike you, she has real problems.”

  Now she felt like a dog who had peed on the carpet. Standing up, she dusted off her clothes. “Thanks for throwing that in my face. Now I feel much better.”

  “I don’t know why you’re upset about Zavien. You should have seen this coming.”

  Fire rose in her throat. “Excuse me?”

  “You’ve known from the beginning that his contract was in place.”

  “He told me they were friends. I believed him when he said he’d w
ork to change the law.”

  Jaxon shook his head. “Nice line. Most guys stick to ‘Let’s take a ride in my Lamborghini,’ or ‘We should spend the weekend on my family’s yacht.’”

  Zavien wouldn’t do that. “You’re wrong. He cared about me.”

  “Not enough, it seems. Come on. Let’s go.”

  Smoke shot from her nostrils. She closed her eyes and thought of snow. The flames in her gut died down, but she still wanted to roast Jaxon.

  If it weren’t for Rhianna waiting for him, she’d drag out the argument to delay returning.

  “Fine.” She shifted and flew back toward school. Where should she go? Would Clint and Ivy still be in the dining hall? She definitely didn’t want to go back there. Maybe she’d just go back to her room.

  Jaxon veered off toward the Blue dorm. Bryn’s stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten. First she’d stop in her room, and then she’d order a pizza. Maybe two pizzas.

  Landing on her terrace, she pitched forward and caught herself with her wings. After shifting, she pushed open the window and heard voices. Creeping into the room, she peeked around the doorframe. Clint and Ivy sat on the couch. The spicy aroma of pizza made her mouth water.

  Stepping through the doorway, she gave a lame smile. “Hi, guys.”

  Ivy swooped over and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

  With those three words, the waterworks started again. Bryn squeezed Ivy and then stepped back. “Thanks for being here.” She sniffled and wiped at her face with the back of her hand.

  “Here.” Clint handed her a box of tissues. “Now I’m going to escape while you and Ivy do the whole crying thing.”

  Bryn nodded. “Thanks for the Kleenex.”

  Clint made a hasty exit. Ivy pulled Bryn to the couch.

  Bryn relayed the conversation with Zavien between bites of pizza. “I just feel so stupid for believing him in the first place.” She groaned in frustration. “And I expected more from him. What’s worse is Jaxon thinks all Zavien’s talk about changing the law was a line.”

  A growl emerged from Ivy’s throat. “If we ever find out that’s true, I’ll help you kill him and hide his body.”

  “Thank you.”

  “That’s what best friends are for.”

  …

  Bryn lay in bed that night contemplating her screwed-up situation. Clint and Ivy were wonderful, and they would continue to be there for her, but Zavien’s bowing out left a huge hole in her life. What would she do with the time she used to spend with him?

  She turned on her side and punched her pillow into shape and tried to focus on positive things. Maybe she could visit Valmont tomorrow, because he made her happy. And Christmas was coming up. That was good. She loved Christmas shopping. Maybe she’d focus on her relationship with her grandparents. She didn’t need a guy in her life. She just needed to focus on her own life. There, she had a plan.

  …

  Dragon’s Bluff bustled with activity. Shoppers carried bags decorated with Christmas trees. A mood of cheeriness permeated the air. Something she hadn’t felt on campus since the first attack. On the walk to Fonzoli’s, she people-watched.

  A familiar blond woman stared into a boutique window that featured baby clothes. The high collar of the woman’s coat obscured the lower portion of her face. And what would Jaxon’s mother Lillith be doing looking at baby clothes anyway?

  When she was within five feet of the woman, Lillith looked up and smiled. “Bryn, how are you?”

  “I’m good. How are you?”

  “I’m wonderful.” Lillith pointed to the window. “Which pajamas do you like best?”

  Snowflakes dotted one pair of blue footy pajamas, and frogs decorated a green pair.

  “Since it’s almost Christmas, I’d go with the snowflakes.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Lillith glowed with happiness.

  Life with Ferrin couldn’t be responsible. Maybe it was the holiday season or recreational pharmaceuticals.

  “Then again, maybe I’ll buy both and have Ws embroidered on the collar.”

  “W as in Westgate?” That was weird. “Aren’t they a little small for Jaxon?”

  Lillith laughed. “They’re not for Jaxon. They’re for his brother.”

  Jaxon had never mentioned a brother. Lillith grinned and placed a hand over her abdomen. The pieces fell into place.

  “You’re pregnant?” Bryn asked.

  “Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Holy crap! That meant she’d slept with Ferrin. Bryn swallowed her automatic response of Ewwww, gross and went with “Congratulations.”

  She didn’t like to acknowledge her own parents’…interactions…much less someone else’s.

  “Thank you.” Lillith glanced around. “It makes me feel guilty to be so happy, in light of the recent sad news about Rhianna.”

  Bryn’s good mood burst like a balloon hit with a dart. “Can’t you talk Ferrin into—”

  Lillith shook her head. “There’s not a person in the world who can talk Ferrin into anything. Jaxon told me of his plan to take care of Rhianna. Even though she won’t have the life she wanted, her future isn’t in question. Hopefully that will provide some consolation.”

  It wouldn’t be enough consolation. About that, Bryn was sure. Time to change the subject before Lillith mentioned pairing her up with Jaxon. “I was headed to Fonzoli’s for lunch if you’d like to—”

  “Mother?” Jaxon approached with a wary look on his face.

  Lillith smiled. “There you are. I was doing a little shopping before lunch.”

  “With Bryn?” Jaxon’s eyes went to the display of baby clothes in the window. His brow furrowed and then his face colored. “Dear God, Bryn, how could you be so stupid?”

  “What?”

  He moved in close and spoke in a low voice. “Did you forget about Analise? What do you think the Directorate will do when they learn about your condition?”

  The moron thought she was pregnant? She couldn’t wait to see his expression when he realized the truth. She put her hand on his chest and pushed him back a step. “While I appreciate your concern for my well-being, I’m not the one shopping for baby clothes.” She bit her lip to keep from laughing as confusion wrinkled his brow. Then his gaze darted to his mother, and his face paled.

  “Mother?”

  “Are you going to call her stupid?” Bryn asked.

  “Of course not,” Jaxon snapped. He squared his shoulders. “Congratulations, Mother. I presume this is a happy occurrence?”

  “Yes.” Lillith reached for his hand. “How would you feel about a baby brother?”

  He looked at his shoes while he spoke. “I suppose it’s too late to suggest you adopt another kitten, instead?” His tone was dry, but there was truth in his words.

  Lillith laughed. “Too late, but don’t worry. You’ll always be the firstborn male and your father’s heir.”

  “Until the baby plots to overthrow you,” Bryn muttered.

  Jaxon shot her a look that could melt glass. “Shouldn’t you be running along to meet your knight?”

  “Bryn invited us to have lunch with her. Isn’t that sweet?” Lillith reached for the door to the shop. “But first I want to order some clothes.”

  When she’d asked Lillith to join her for lunch, Jaxon hadn’t been part of the plan. “Now that I know you won’t be eating alone, I’ll be on my way.”

  “I insist you have lunch with us.” Lillith held the door wide. “In you go. Both of you. First we shop. Then we eat.”

  Jaxon reached for the door handle. “Ladies first, Mother. I suppose you should enter as well, Bryn.”

  “Just for that, I’m going to buy matching monogrammed sweaters for you and your baby brother.” She wasn’t sure this store made such things, but they had to exist online somewhere. “I’m sure you’d look great in a blue sweater with choo-choo trains or a Disney character.”

  Lillith winked at Bryn. “I know a store where they sell footy paja
mas for grownups and babies. Wouldn’t it be adorable if Jaxon and his brother wore matching pajamas for our family Christmas photo?”

  The image of Jaxon in Elmo footy pajamas had Bryn snorting with laughter. Lillith’s laughter tinkled like silver bells.

  Jaxon pursed his lips. “I’ll wait right here.”

  Bryn followed along behind Lillith, oohing and ahhing at the baby clothes. That part was easy. What she needed was an escape plan. While Lillith was wonderful, having lunch with Jaxon wasn’t what she needed today. Or any day. God forbid it put ideas in Lillith’s head about the future.

  When it was time to pay for the clothes, Bryn made a show of checking her watch. “I’d no idea it was so late. Time for homework. I better go.”

  “What about lunch?” Lillith’s eyes filled with tears. Real tears.

  And now she’d made a pregnant woman cry. A new low. “Right. Lunch. I forgot. Lunch would be great.”

  “Good.” Lillith retrieved a handkerchief from her handbag. “Sorry about this. I’m a bit emotional.”

  “Not a problem.” Crap. How could she ditch Jaxon without abandoning Lillith? No ideas came to mind. And she still needed to see Valmont. “Want to eat at Fonzoli’s?”

  …

  Jaxon muttered under his breath as they walked down the sidewalk toward their lunch destination.

  “What was that, Jaxon?” his mother asked.

  “I said, ‘Do you think Father would approve of us being seen together, in public, with Bryn?’”

  What was she, a social leper? If she didn’t fear Lillith bursting into tears, she’d insult him right back.

  “Your father isn’t here.” Lillith pulled out her cell phone. “Though three is an awkward number. I know who should join us.”

  Bryn tensed as Lillith dialed. Who was she calling?

  “May I speak to Mrs. Sinclair?”

  Crap. Not her grandmother.

  Jaxon turned to her with terror in his eyes. “Stop this,” he whispered.

  “What do you want me to do?” she whispered back. “Tackle your pregnant mom and wrestle the phone away from her?”

  Maybe her grandmother wouldn’t be able to join them.

  “Good afternoon, Marie. It’s Lillith. Sorry for the late notice, but Jaxon and I ran into Bryn in Dragon’s Bluff and we planned to lunch at Fonzoli’s. Would you like to join us?”