by Ruby Vincent
I felt slightly better by the time I pushed through into Art Studio I and came to a stop just past the doorway. It was incredible in here.
Students were scattered about the room donning smocks, mixing paint, and setting up easels. Above their heads, artwork of many styles and colors covered the walls. Every part of Evergreen had charm, but this was the first room I had stepped into with personality.
“Made it by the skin of your teeth.” Her amused voice brought my attention to the front of the room. A woman in paint-splattered overalls stepped away from the desk and stuck out a hand. “You must be my new student, Valentina.”
The woman smiled and it lit up her whole face. The dusting of freckles on her cheeks stood out clearer. Her green eyes sparkled brighter. I don’t think I had ever met anyone whose smile packed such a punch except for Ryder—but it was for a different reason in his case.
“Welcome,” she continued. “My name is Scarlett LeBlanc. Please, none of that Professor LeBlanc stuff. Just call me Scarlett. They brought me in to lighten up your stuffy little prep school lives and, Hera help me, that’s what I’m going to do.”
I giggled. I liked Scarlett instantly.
She cocked her head. “Goodness, you are a pretty little thing, aren’t you?”
I didn’t know how to answer, but this didn’t seem like a question that required one. Scarlett released my hand and clapped. “So, I know it’s your first day, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to drop you right in it. Today the students start their art projects. It’s due at the end of the month and counts for a quarter of your grade.”
Wow. Dropping me in it was right.
“Everyone is pairing up and creating a painting that reflects who their partner truly is. This is more than a portrait. Any old bastard can draw what they see; I want you to capture what others don’t.”
“Um, okay. I can do that.”
I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t even among the old bastards that could draw what they see. I couldn’t draw at all.
“It’s actually perfect that you’re here,” she went on, “because we have an odd number. I thought Maverick would have to partner with me, but since you’re here, you can do the project together.”
The floor went out from under me. “Did you just say Maverick?”
“Yes, Maverick Beaumont,” she said cheerily, unaware of my growing horror. “He’s in the back so go over and introduce yourself.”
I slowly turned around. Just moments after swearing I would stay away from the Knights... this happens.
Maverick didn’t look up from his easel when I greeted him. I stepped around him and dropped my backpack next to a free stool. This was a great spot. We were right next to the window and it granted us a perfect view of the grounds.
I turned away from the window and looked at him again. He was intent on his task, eyes fixed on his palette while he mixed paint, transforming them into his desired colors.
“Hey, did you hear me? I said I’m your new partner.”
He didn’t lift his head. “I heard.”
“Cool. My name is Valentina Moon.”
“I know who you are.”
His voice was surprisingly soft for such a big guy. It wasn’t soft as in high-pitched, but more like the bass of your favorite song. Not loud enough to crowd out the other instruments, but without it, the music was lacking.
I waited for him to say more. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”
“You know who I am too.”
The dude’s full of himself, isn’t he? Accurate, but that’s not the point.
“I don’t know who anyone is,” I countered. “This is my first day. But out of everyone, I need to know you if we’re going to do this project.”
Maverick finally turned his attention to me and amber locked with green. I had never met anyone with amber eyes before, but it turns out they were just as captivating as the books described. Maverick was even cuter up close.
Stop it! It doesn’t matter how cute he is. If he hangs around Ryder then he is just as bad.
“...trying to find out?”
I blinked. “What?”
“I said, what do you want to know?”
“Oh, um... okay, let’s do this.” I reached behind me and grabbed my chair. I placed it right next to him and climbed up. Maverick’s brows lifted at my sudden invasion of his space. “What do you like to do?”
He lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know. Stuff.”
“I can’t scrawl ‘stuff’ across the canvas. Come on, dude. Dig deep. How about this: you’re sitting in your dorm room, your Wi-Fi is out, and your phone is dead. How would you pass the time?”
“I’d pass it by fixing my Wi-Fi.”
I threw up my hands. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
Maverick set down his palette and I saw a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I am making it easy. That’s what I like to do. Fix things. Build things. Code things.”
“Oh.” I sat up a little straighter. This was progress. “What kind of things do you build?”
Another shrug. “Electronics. Computers. Robots.”
“Wow. I made a clock out of a potato once.”
He was grinning now. “Should I file that away under things to know about Valentina Moon?”
I flushed. I liked the way he said my name. It went well with his throaty, bass voice.
“It is one of my biggest accomplishments, so yes.”
“Cool, and what else do I need to know?”
I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling as I thought. “Let’s see. I love dancing, music in languages I don’t know, and holding chocolate on my tongue until it melts into sweet goodness. Your turn.”
Maverick rose from his seat. My gaze traveled up and up until it passed over his smooth chin and landed on his face. “We should start. Scarlett will be over in a minute to find out why we’re not painting.”
With that, he strode off to get a smock, and after a minute, I got up to do as he said. The project wasn’t due for weeks; I would have time to pick up the questioning. Here’s hoping he would get more descriptive.
Ten minutes later, I was staring at a blank canvas. What was I supposed to do now?
I glanced over to Maverick to find him looking back at me. His amber orbs swept my face, staring with an intensity that brought heat to my cheeks. Then he broke contact and leaned over his canvas.
He’s painting me, I realized with a start. Maybe I should be painting him too.
I couldn’t think of another idea so I swirled my brush in the brown paint and got to work.
The two of us worked in complete silence for the next hour. At one point, Scarlett came over and opened our window, but I didn’t break from looking at Maverick to the painting. Maverick. Painting. Maverick. Painting.
Every now and then our eyes connected as we studied each other and I felt the bubbles make a comeback, growing and bursting in my stomach.
I put the final touch on Maverick’s head and then I sat back. “Done.” Maverick pulled back and got to his feet. “No, wait. Don’t—”
It was too late. Maverick moved to my side and saw my portrait in all of its glory.
“Wow,” he began. “People tell me I’m handsome... apparently they’re wrong.”
A snort ripped from my lips. I giggled as I took in the lopsided head, overly large eyes, and jagged slash for a mouth. “File that away under info about Maverick Beaumont: he’s funny.”
“Keep that one a secret.” I could hear amusement in his tone. “Like this painting.”
“Haha. I get it. I suck.”
A breeze came through the window and played with my hair, sending the wisps dancing in my face. I reached up to brush it away, and smeared paint all over my cheek.
Maverick walked away as I grumbled under my breath. “Great. That’s just great, Moon.”
I let out a soft squeak when firm fingers grasped my chin. I stared at Maverick, body still, as he tilted my head up and pressed a
cool cloth to my cheek. For a big guy, his hands were gentle, and despite the coolness of the cloth, my skin was burning under his touch.
I was supposed to be wary of him... but at that exact moment, I couldn’t remember why.
See him for who he really is.
Is this who Maverick Beaumont was? A secretly funny, gentle guy who was slow to open up?
Did I have to stay away from him? Being a Knight doesn’t mean he’s Ryder’s friend.
The thought no sooner passed my mind that a vision of the four of them laughing at lunch followed it.
They were friends. And the only way I would have the life I wanted here was to let Ryder nowhere near it.
Maverick dropped his hand. “Class is over.”
I looked up. Students were packing their bags and putting away their smocks so I rose to do the same. “So.” I pointed at the back of his canvas. “Do I get to see mine?”
“Maybe some other time.” Maverick took the painting down and I was granted only the barest flash of red before it and he were gone.
“TODAY HAS BEEN A DAY.”
The soda machine had no reply for me, but that was cool. Soon it would be giving me something to make this day better. After crazy hard classes, bizarre hundred-year-old traditions, and running into Ryder Shea again, I could safely say this wasn’t how I pictured my first day.
But now it’s time to turn it around. Focus on what I can do.
I accepted my strawberry root beer and took a long sip, letting the sweet, sharp goodness chase away any lingering dark feelings. That’s right; I was going to focus on what I can do, and top of the list was tackling crazy-hard classes.
I followed a familiar path to the library and found myself standing before oak double doors. I hid my drink behind the fold of my skirt and slipped inside.
“Excuse me?”
A man sitting behind a desk weighted down with books lifted his head. He squinted at me like he was wondering what I could possibly be doing here. “Yes?”
“Where do I go for tutoring?”
“G stack. Next to the computers.”
“Thanks.”
The book stacks were marked by letters and I was starting next to Z. I kept going, marveling at the serene, quiet atmosphere. There wasn’t much light in here for a library, but I didn’t mind the shadowed corners or the floating whispers of turned pages.
I had always loved libraries. Not for the books, but for the squishy beanbag chairs in the children’s section. For the kind librarians who let you stay as long as you wanted to avoid the bullies outside or the sleazy boyfriend waiting at home.
I turned the corner at H stack and my eyes lit on the computers. A head appeared over the top of a computer in the back and I made my way to them.
“Hey, are you the tutor? I was hoping you could help me with—”
They turned to face me.
My mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Ezra Lennox lifted a brow. “Excuse me?”
“You’re the tutor?”
A wide, pleasant smile settled on his lips. “That’s me.”
I glanced around like I was expecting the camera crew to pop out and yell “Gotcha.” I wanted to stay away from these guys. Why was that so impossible?
“Are you looking for a tutor?”
I bit my lip as those eyes looked me up and down. The desk lamp shone on part of his body, but his face was caught in the dimness of the library. It made his already dark eyes appear inky black. I don’t know why it unsettled me. He seemed perfectly harmless sitting straight-backed in his chair—his suit neat and pressed, his manicured hands drumming on the table, that smile on his lips. There was just something about—
“I said, are you looking for a tutor?”
I shook myself. “Um, yeah, but—”
Ezra patted the chair next to him. “Please, sit down.”
I thought about ignoring the command, just turning and walking out, but the weight of my backpack and the assignments within them made me pull out a chair and sit.
Ezra latched on to the drink in my hand. He grinned. “What are you doing with that? This is a library, you know.”
“I was thirsty,” I defended. “Plus, I was craving something fierce. The strawberry root beer is insanely good.”
His brows drew together. “Strawberry root beer?”
“It shouldn’t work, but it does.”
“Hmm. Let’s see.”
Ezra leaned in, and before I could comprehend what was happening, he wrapped his slender fingers around my wrist and brought my drink to his mouth. He didn’t look away from me as his lips closed on my straw.
My heart picked up speed and went racing away. We were close. So impossibly close with only inches separating us while he sipped. I should have pulled away. I should have looked away but those jet-black orbs kept me pinned.
Ezra hummed. “You’re right,” he whispered when he was done. “It does work.”
“That’s... mine,” I croaked much too late.
He chuckled. “So what do you need help with, new girl?”
I was abruptly reminded of why I was here. “It’s math,” I said quickly. “Evergreen is moving faster than my old school and I don’t want to fall behind.”
He inclined his head. “Lucky for you I’m a math tutor.”
We were still sitting much too close. I moved back and Ezra automatically moved with me, maintaining the same distance.
“But unlucky for you,” he continued, “if I decide not to take you on.”
I screwed up my face. “What? Why wouldn’t you tutor me? Isn’t that your job and— Can you give me some space?” I hissed when another attempt to put distance between us failed.
“No.” Ezra’s lips stretched into a grin. “This is a library. We have to whisper. How else will you hear me if we don’t sit next to each other?”
“Write me a damn note.” I put my hand on his shoulder and pushed him back. “I like my space.”
I pulled away but his hand flashed out and held me fast. “Hey!”
“Jaxson said you were feisty.” If it was possible, his eyes had darkened even more. “Tough. Someone we would need to look out for.”
I swallowed. “Yeah? And... what did Ryder say?” I whispered.
Ezra cocked his head. “Ryder? Nothing. Why? Should he have said something?”
I didn’t reply.
“Nope, it was Jaxson who told me all about you,” he continued. The charming, sweet smile melted away. His expression became harder—sharper. “But while my boy is a good judge of character, I prefer to decide these things for myself.”
Without warning, he dropped my hand. “As you would have heard, I’m a busy guy and I don’t have time for bullshit. Tutoring looks good on a college app, but not even that’s worth it for stupid little girls who aren’t serious.”
I reared up. “What did you just—”
His soft words cut right through my rant. “If I’m going to tutor you, then you’re going to work harder than you ever have. You’re not going to complain I’m going too fast, because I’m not. You’re not going to say I didn’t explain it well, because I did. And you’re not going to come back to me with anything less than an A. Do we understand each other?”
Tight as a bowstring, I met his gaze without flinching. “Perfectly.”
“Good. Then you’ll meet me here tomorrow at three o’clock. If you’re late, I’m gone.”
“I won’t be late.”
“Until then.” Ezra smiled as he got to his feet. “One more thing—” He reached down and plucked my soda from my hands. “You don’t mind if I have this, do you? I ran out my limit for the week.”
I sputtered. “I do mind actually!”
He grinned at me with my straw between his teeth. “Then call it punishment for bringing food in here. I’m a Knight; I can’t let you get away with breaking the rules.” He winked. “No matter how cute you are.”
Ezra loped off before my mouth rememb
ered how to form words.
What is with these guys? It’s probably a good thing no one knows who chooses the Knights or that fool would be hearing from me.
Shaking my head, I took my homework out of my bag and got to work—pushing aside all thoughts of flirty, funny, handsome guys who just happened to share the same title.
Chapter Five
The pain tore a cry from my throat. No matter how many times, it still hurt and the tears still came.
They wracked my body, choking me until I couldn’t breathe... until I wished I wasn’t breathing. Then the pain would stop. If I was dead, this would all go away.
My fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife.
I would make the pain stop.
I woke with a shout. Sweat covered my body, soaking into my sheets, and I threw them off me in a blind panic. This was the first time in weeks I had the dream. I thought this was finally over—that my new determination to change my life was taking root.
Though, I had a good feeling why it had come back.
My breaths came in rapid pants as the remnants of the nightmare slipped back into my subconscious. I clutched my chest.
I always felt strange after the dreams. Not just the racing heart or the churning stomach, but a feeling deep inside. It was a raw, achy sense like someone was scraping sandpaper against my soul.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
Slowly but surely, it was being eroded away.
“It’s alright. It’s over. It’s just a nightmare.” Encircling my knees, I rocked back and forth as I repeated my mantra. “It’s just a nightmare. It’s over. It’s all over.”
When I felt like I could breathe again, I reached for my cell phone. It took a few tries for me to pull up the number, my hands were shaking so badly, but soon the phone was ringing.
“Val?” Mom’s concerned voice came through the speakers. “You alright? It’s after midnight.”
“Sorry,” I rasped. My throat was sore. I must have been yelling in my sleep again. “But I figured you were up.”
“We’re both up actually. Adam’s been doing this thing where he doesn’t sleep. Can’t wait for him to grow out of that phase.”
Despite myself, I cracked a smile. “Read to him next to the open window. He likes the sound of traffic. Puts him right back to sleep.”