He did?
“That doesn’t mean she has to go with him,” Lilia’s voice cuts in, arms crossing tighter. She’s right next to me now, holding me up, and I want to tell her I won’t break or collapse if she lets go. I’m not as fragile as everyone thinks.
Will, ignoring her completely, locks his phone and slides it back into his pocket. “After lesson.”
“What makes him think I’d agree?” I say to myself more than him, disbelieving.
“Because no one else can,” Will says flatly, not looking away from me.
A chill creeps up my spine, and I don’t know what bothers me more—the fact that Kai agreed, or the fact that Will is right.
Probably both, honestly.
Liam lets out a low whistle. “You sure he didn’t mean he’s going to dump her in a ditch somewhere?”
And Lilia turns to him, horrified, shoving him lightly. “What is wrong with you?”
Liam shrugs. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Kai, but he can be a bit…” He lifts his hand, circling his fingers next to his head.
“You really don’t have to go with him, you know,” Lilia mutters, pulling at my sleeve lightly.
I swallow. I know that. But I also know that if he already agreed, it’ll be hard to dissuade him. Seriously, arguing with him right now sounds about as appealing as slamming my head against a wall. In fact, arguing with him is probably exactly what that feels like. And honestly? I don’t have the energy for it right now.
Lilia must see the look on my face, because she sighs, muttering something about how she’d rather send me into the woods blind than with Kai.
***
Brentwood College is covered in snow. Completely. An endless expanse of whites and greys. But the air is so cold it practically bites at my cheeks through the gaps in my scarf. It’s beautiful, sure, but freezing. My coat isn’t nearly thick enough, though my scarf helps—a massive, absurd thing I’ve wrapped around my head like a balaclava but is still barely enough to keep my ears from freezing off.
Everyone’s outside, though. Of course they are. It’s a snow day. And as much as I want to complain, there’s something oddly nice about it. Everyone’s willing to suffer just to be part of it.
Liam has managed to rope everyone in and convinced everyone to meet by the arc. Something about “desperate matters”, and since Kai has agreed to help, that means we have to cooperate. Even in the cold.
The arc comes into view as we trudge along, and though every square inch of my body hurts, I try to focus on the white around me, the people around me, and my breath fogging up in the icy air.
The arc is a tall, beautiful curve of stone framed perfectly by the snow-covered grounds beyond it. I’ve seen it before, admired it, but that’s as close as I got, since it’s probably the most popular hangout spot in the entire school.
Everyone’s already there when I get closer. Even Kym, who’s currently shouting at Liam—who sped off to find her not even moments before—with more enthusiasm than I’ve seen from her in weeks. She’s holding a snowball—or, no, a snow boulder—and before I can even process what’s happening, she launches it straight at his head. It hits dead-on, and Liam stumbles back with a loud yelp.
Kym shouts something I can’t quite hear, and Bea, off to the side, is laughing while mouthing something I can’t make out.
“Guys! Over here!” Bea’s voice rings out, and she waves at us from under the arc, her gloved hand flapping in the air. Her smile is wide, and somehow, she doesn’t look half as cold as I feel. Hearing her, I try to speed up, my boots crunching faster through the snow. My scarf slips a little, and a gust of icy air stings my face, but I don’t bother fixing it.
Lilia takes my arm tighter as we approach, pulling me gently under the shelter of the arc.
“They’re putting up cameras around your house.” She smiles like she’s trying to keep things casual, but her voice betrays something else entirely.
“What?” I blurt out, blinking at her in confusion. I glance around at the group. Kai is standing slightly off to the side; his hands stuffed in his coat pockets. As usual, I can’t tell what he’s thinking.
“We have someone doing it right now,” Christian speaks up, his tone calm but firm.
I blink at him. Cameras? Around my house? My stomach twists, though I’m not sure if it’s from relief or just unease. “And if they wear a disguise?” Bea asks, narrowing her eyes at Christian like she’s already several steps ahead of him.
He lets out a soft sigh, as though he’s humouring her. “The cameras aren’t going to solve everything,” he admits, “but they’ll give us a head start. We’ll know if someone’s still lurking around.”
“Unless they’re clever,” Bea mutters, crossing her arms. She tilts her head, her black curly hair catching the faint light spilling under the arch. “Like, really clever.”
Liam shakes his head, stepping closer to me. “The point is deterrence, Beatrice,” he says. “They’re not going to walk straight up to a house with cameras everywhere unless they’re really stupid.”
