by Ruby Vincent
“Oh yeah,” he said gruffly, desire lacing his voice. “It was.”
I shivered just thinking about our night together. “Today started so awful and now we’re here. Maybe I should thank Ace for finally forcing me to tell you guys how I feel.”
“You want to date all of us.”
“I do.” I lifted my head to look him in the eyes. “But what about you? Are you okay with this?”
I could see his smile through the dark. “I was always okay with it. I told you, Valentina. I don’t deserve you. I never did. But if being with you means sharing with my best friends, at least I know they’ll spend every day proving their worth like I will.”
“You won’t believe me if I tell you that you don’t have to prove yourself anymore, will you?”
“Nope.”
I chuckled. “Well, I guess you do have one more labor left.”
“I have two more.”
“No, we can count the kittens as number two.”
“Oh.” I could see his smile disappear. “I don’t think we should. I used them to get you over here. ‘I want to show you something’ was totally a euphemism.”
“Maverick,” I cried, swatting his shoulder. We dissolved into laughter. “So this was all a part of your plan. I said sexy and smart was a wicked combination.”
“That wasn’t the only part of my plan.”
“No?” I scooted up and planted a kiss on his cheek. “What else did you have in mind?”
Maverick’s hand found my waist. The finger began anew, drawing circles that sent ripples through my body. “I was planning on telling you... that I love you.”
The breath escaped my lungs. Could I have heard him right? He loves me? Maverick Beaumont loves me?
“Maverick, I—”
He rose and captured my lips in a slow, sweet kiss. “You don’t have to say anything now,” he whispered when we broke apart. “I just wanted you to know how I feel.”
I nodded, then I bent to kiss him again, hoping it told him how I felt.
“So,” he began when I lay back down. “You weren’t thinking about sleeping tonight, were you?”
His lips had to swallow my giggling.
THE SUN WAS PEEKING over the horizon when I made it back to my dorm the next morning. I had a lazy Saturday ahead of me—video chatting with Adam, watching movies, tidying up my room, and plotting how I would take Ace down.
The boys had their plan, and it was a good one, but it was me they targeted. Me they violated. My friend they forced me to hurt. My relationships they tried to sabotage. I didn’t want to be the girl I was in sophomore year, but I wasn’t letting anyone get away with what they had done to me.
Game on, Ace.
Chapter Nine
“Val, can you pass me the goggles?”
“Sure.”
Eric pressed them to his head in a salute. “Thanks. So you ready for the trip? My bag has been packed for the last week.”
I replied as we headed for our desks. “Everyone is skipping over this Mt. Providence trip while I’m counting in my head how many times I’m going to fall flat on my face in the snow.”
“Ooh. I’ll put a bet on that.”
Laughing, I shoved his shoulder. It was crazy how easily Eric and I had fallen into our old friendship. I would never forget what he did, but it was nice to forgive him, while I focused my attention on Ace.
“What are you guys laughing about?” Ciara asked when we strolled up.
I handed her a pair of goggles as I took my seat. We had ended up lab partners again. We had never been very close, but that also meant her betrayal hadn’t stung as badly. It was easier for us to start over.
“The winter trip. It’s going to be insane.”
She shook her head. “No, finals are going to be insane, and we have to get through those before we go anywhere.”
“Gotta ruin the mood, don’t cha,” Eric grumbled.
“My dad expects me to get top in the class this year,” Ciara replied. “I need a miracle to beat Cade.”
“You can do it,” I spoke up. “You’re definitely getting us an A in chemistry.”
She laughed. “You helped.”
“That’s enough talking.” The professor leveled a glare in our direction so we had no doubt who he was talking to. “Start your experiments.”
Eric turned around in his seat and we did as ordered. We worked quietly until class let out and then Ciara and Eric went one way while I went the other. I hurried to my locker to pick up my things and then headed for the library.
My pace slowed as I got closer until I stopped dead outside the doors.
Let’s do this, Val. No point putting it off.
I took a deep breath then pushed into the library. Kai looked up from his laptop when I approached his table. He got right to it the second my butt hit the seat.
“I read over the paper again and I think it’s almost done. I just want to rewrite the conclusion.”
“Okay.” I took out my computer and dropped my bag at my feet. “The presentation is done too. All that’s left is to work out what we’re going to say.”
“We can do that today.”
“Good.”
“Great.”
We fell silent. Outwardly, Kai looked unbothered but inside I was cringing. Things had been so awkward with us since the homecoming dance. I found him the day after and tried to talk, but he shut me down before I got a word out. He said we should pretend it didn’t happen and go back to being friends, but things had been weird ever since. I wanted to fix it, but I didn’t know what to tell him then any more than I do now. How do I explain being blackmailed?
I worked on putting the finishing touches on our English lit project while sneaking glances at him out of the corner of my eye. Kai tip-tapped away, his eyes glued to the screen. The need to break the silence pressed on me. This was silly. We are friends. We have to fix this.
“Are you excited for the winter trip?”
I winced internally. Of all the things to say, I went with that.
A small wrinkle appeared between his brows. “Um, yeah. It will be nice to get out of Evergreen land for a bit.”
“Still want me to teach you how to ski?”
He cracked a smile. “From someone who has never seen snow? Sounds like a great way to spend the trip with my face in the ice.”
“I’ll be doing the same. Eric’s taking bets on how many times I wipe out.”
He laughed—a real, full laugh like the way he used to with me. It spurred me on.
“Sofia will be wrapped up with Zane so it will still be you and me. Want to hang out over the trip?”
His smile held. “I thought we were already doing that.”
A niggle of happiness broke through and fed my grin. “We are.”
“Good.”
“Great.”
I went back to our presentation feeling better about us than I had for a while. I didn’t have many good friends that I could trust. I wanted to hang on to all of them.
An hour later, our English project was done and we were saying goodbye outside the door. My phone buzzed as I headed back to my dorm and I paused beside the grand window. I had come to dread that buzz.
Ace hadn’t ordered me to do anything else since the dance, and it was no doubt because Ryder was right. What they wanted was the Knights to turn their backs on me and I knew that from the constant messages they sent lording it over me.
Ace: They turned on you so quickly. I wonder what they’d do if the video gets out.
Ace: I guess not even your skills in bed could keep them around.
Ace: It was only a matter of time before they found out you were nothing but a diseased slut.
I opened my phone to these messages almost every time I took it out of the box. I wanted to shoot back every harsh reply that came to my mind. I wanted them to know I was coming after them hard. Instead, I bore it in silence. They weren’t forcing me to do anything else and I could still be with the boys in secret. Pr
ovoking them wasn’t the smart move right now.
With that thought in my head, I took out my phone and glanced at the screen. My shoulders slumped with relief when I saw it was Jaxson.
Jaxson: Hey, baby. Did you get a pass for this weekend?
Me: No, I couldn’t. Evergreen said no passes before finals. He also gave me his steepled-fingered frown over how many I’ve used this semester. I think he’s going to start cracking down.
Jaxson: The guy needs a daily update that we’re not prisoners. This sucks, but we’ll be together at Mt. Providence.
Me: But we can’t. We’ll all be on top of each other in the same resort. What if we get caught?
Jaxson: I’ll be on top of you in the same resort.
The number of wink emojis he sent me were outrageous.
Jaxson: Some things are worth it, baby. I’m dying over here.
I rolled my eyes even while a smile played on my lips. Jaxson and I had snuck away on a weekend pass only two weeks ago. The week after that I had been with Maverick. It was no wonder Evergreen was raising his eyebrows, but whether he liked it or not, I was loving getting to see my family almost every weekend—not to mention the detours on the way.
Me: We’ll see what happens when we get there. I’m sure there will be little hideaways.
Jaxson: We’ll find every one.
From there Jaxson’s texts morphed into highly detailed descriptions of the things he wanted to do with me in those hideaways. I’ll admit, by the time the need for sleep made me put my phone on the nightstand and turn off the lights, I was looking forward to the trip too.
“WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING on this list. First is cocoa by the fire. I’m planning on being ridiculously cliché.”
“With me?” I picked her bag off the ground and threw it under the bus after mine. “Aren’t you going to be cliché-ing it up with Zane?”
“Of course, but we’re not going to get to spend Christmas together this year.” She lowered her list to give me a sad smile. “We’re going to England to spend the holidays with Dad’s mom so no winter village with Adam or sneaking your mom’s extra strong eggnog.”
“You’re going to have so much more fun in England than stuck in my little neighborhood.”
She pulled me in for a hug. “No, I won’t.”
I hugged her back just as tight. The truth was I was going to miss her too. I had gotten used to spending all my vacations with my best friend. She had become a part of our traditions. Not only would I not see her, but Jaxson was going to the Caribbean again. Maverick was visiting relatives out of state. Ezra’s mom was taking him to New Zealand, and Ryder’s plans were known only to him. It would be just me, Olivia, and Adam once again.
“But until then,” I said as we pulled back. “We are going to have a great time at the ski resort. Sign me up for the whole list.”
“Everyone, your attention, please.”
Professor Markham stood before the wrought-iron gates looking very official with her clipboard. Falling in line next to her was Professor Coleman, Professor Felton, and the headmaster himself.
I eyed Evergreen as Sofia and I joined the circle of juniors forming around them. It was odd seeing the headmaster outside of his office. He only emerged if it was time to hand down punishments. Otherwise, he was a stern face on the screen or behind his desk.
“Good evening,” Evergreen began. “I know you are all looking forward to your trip so I will make it brief. The resort has been booked out so you will be the only guests, but that does not change my expectations. You are to conduct yourself in a manner benefiting representatives of this elite institution.” His gaze swept over each of us individually. “There will be no drinking, no gambling, no roughhousing, no inappropriate dress, and no funny business. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” we chorused.
Evergreen’s stern expression did not lessen. “We’ll see.” With those parting words, the headmaster turned and strode back toward the school.
“Alright, everyone,” said Markham. “Half in one bus. Half in the other.”
Sofia grabbed my hand and we were off. Zane, Kai, Paisley, Ciara, Eric, and I took up the middle rows for the six-hour drive. We had a great time laughing, joking, and passing around snacks until sleep claimed all of them but me.
I was wide awake when the bus turned onto the snow-shoveled lane and the resort opened up before us. It was even more beautiful than the brochure suggested. The massive brown structure boasted so many large windows I knew I would have my choice of places to sit out and watch the sun rising over the snow-capped mountains.
Something I would love to do with my boys... if the threat of Ace didn’t hang over my head. Darkness tinged my happy mood. The sooner we take them down, the better.
The bus rumbled to a stop before the sliding doors so I roused Sofia. We were subdued and half-asleep as we gathered our bags and followed Markham into the resort. She pelted us with a steady stream of instructions as she led the way.
“Breakfast is from seven to nine. Lunch is at noon. Dinner is from six to eight. Be on time. Ski lessons are available for beginners and the more experienced are free to go out as they like, but do not take on more than you can handle. I have no desire to tell a parent their child broke their neck because they were messing around on the slopes.
“Girls will be on the first floor and the boys will be on the second. Different genders are not to go into each other’s rooms. I have copies of all room keys and I will be making surprise visits.” She peered over her shoulder to glare at us. “I’m certain we will have no problem in that arena. Correct?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Excellent. Then grab a roommate, a key, and a suite. It’s been a long day. Get some rest.”
Sofia snagged us the best suite at the end of the hall. My jaw dropped when we went inside.
“Sof, this is amazing.”
“You think so?” She poked her head into the bedroom. “I guess it’s okay. They only have queen-size beds though.”
I heaved a sigh. “I forget how much of a snob you can be.”
“Hey, watch it, Moon.” Sofia darted into the bedroom. I shrugged, surprised that she had dropped it so easily.
“So what’s first on the—”
“Ah ha!” Sofia burst into the doorway. I only had time to shriek before the pillow came hurtling at my head. It smacked me square in the face to the sound of Sofia’s howling.
I threw my bag down. “That’s it!”
She screamed as I ran into the bedroom and dove for the mountain of pillows on my bed. What followed was the pillow fight to end all pillow fights. It only stopped when Markham burst into our room, found us guffawing in a heap on the floor, and ordered us to bed.
This was already a great trip, and it would only get better.
“SO THIS IS IT. WE’RE doing this. We’re really doing this. This is it.”
With difficulty, I peeled my eyes off of Maverick. He looked delicious in a tight ski jacket and fitted jeans. He was going out to ski for real with the other guys while Kai and I hit the beginner lessons.
I shifted my attention to my friend and tried not to laugh. Kai stabbed at his bacon and eggs without managing to get any of it in his mouth. He looked like he was about to run.
“Why are you so nervous?”
He gave me a crazy look. “I’m about to hurtle down a mountain with two pieces of wood strapped to my feet. Why aren’t you nervous?”
“I doubt there will be much hurtling. We’ll probably be learning how to walk and stop first.”
He threw down his fork. “This is a bad idea.”
I laughed. “If you want to skip it and watch more movies in the rec room, I’m game. The kitchen makes caramel popcorn on demand.”
“No.” Kai took an exaggerated breath. “No, we’ll do it. Never let it be said that Kai Thomas was afraid.”
“As opposed to yesterday when you screamed like a six-year-old during the movie?”
“That was yo
ur fault! You came for me just when the killer popped out!”
“I tapped you on the shoulder and asked if you wanted pizza!”
“Exactly! You knew what you were doing.”
By then I couldn’t take it anymore and fell out laughing. After a minute, Kai joined in and soon the rest of the room was looking at us—including the Knights.
I spotted Jaxson’s scowl across the tables. He was less than pleased that I was eating breakfast, skiing, and watching movies with Kai while we hadn’t been able to find a single moment alone together. Markham made good on her threat to pop in on us. She even woke me and Sofia up in the wee hours of the morning checking to make sure our boyfriends hadn’t made a visit.
If that wasn’t bad enough, there was no privacy in the resort. Students popped in and out of the rec room, sauna, pool, and kitchen—all places we had tried to meet up. Three days in and it was looking hopeless.
“Come on,” I said when I caught my breath. “Let’s finish up and get out there. I’m sure it’ll be fun.”
“I’m holding you to that. If it’s the disaster that I know it will be; I choose the movie tonight.”
“Deal.”
I stood and followed him out feeling happier than I had in a while. It was great being in sync with him again.
Kai and I stepped out of the resort and spotted the beginner group right away. Claire and her boyfriend, Ethan, waved us over. Things were still weird between Claire and me, but she spent most of her time studying and hanging out with Ethan so there was never a time to hash it out—and I wasn’t starting now.
“Hi, Claire,” I said lightly.
“Hey, Val.”
We left it at that.
The instructor walked us through the first steps of choosing our skis, putting them on, and learning how to walk in them. Kai messed up on each one. He whacked a poor girl in the head when he chose his skis, fell over trying to put them on, and waddled around the snow while I openly laughed at him.
“You suck at this, Thomas,” I shouted. “Use your poles!”
“Ima use them alright! Wait till I get over there, Moon.”
“See you in a few hours.”