“You look lost?” I come to a halt just outside the entrance of the building and lift my head. A boy with muddy brown hair and dull brown eyes stands there with a broad smile displaying his braces. He’s tall and lean with an athletic build. His smile is kind and inviting, he’s the first person to even speak to me aside from the encounter I had yesterday with Maddison and Telisha. He walks toward me and I fight the urge to take a step back when he stops a foot away. “I’m Brady.”
I swallow to rid myself of the cotton ball size lump in my throat. “Toren,” I answer.
His smile widens and his eyes sparkle with a hint of mischief. “I’m pretty sure everyone knows exactly who you are.” I cringe.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter, unsure what else I should say. It’s one thing for them to know who I am but I am left at a disadvantage by not knowing any of them.
Brady rears back and shakes his head. “What the hell are you sorry for?” His question is tinged with a hint of annoyance and I suddenly feel unsure of him.
“I–I don’t know, I guess for being me?” It’s posed as a question.
“Girl, there is nothing for you to be sorry about. We have Somerset royalty in our midst and I'll be damned if I let any of these assholes treat you any other way.” His words are like a balm to my shattered pride. He reaches out and snatches my schedule from the top of my books and begins looking over it. “Oh look at that, we have a few classes together,” he says with humor in his tone. I stare at him in surprise.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I blurt without thought.
He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Believe it or not, I know what it’s like to be an outcast. My family isn’t exactly loved around these parts.”
I snort. “Yeah, I feel that,” I mutter. “Your family isn’t in the mob or something, are they?” I tease and fall into step beside him as we walk inside.
“Worse. They work for the IRS.” We both laugh at his joke. When he doesn’t elaborate on what his family actually does, I let the subject drop, not wanting to irritate the only person who has shown me any type of kindness. Brady begins explaining the layout of the school and how the classes work since the school is undergoing construction. He says that they have been meaning to update the dorms for six months but never seem to get around to it. He points to a few places but I just hum my acceptance without lifting my head, too afraid I will catch the gazes of other students. “So, will you come?”
I shake my head and come to a stop. I peer up at Brady through my lashes and shoot him a sheepish look. “What was the question?”
He rolls his eyes playfully and sighs dramatically. “Will you come to the hockey game with me?” My face slackens as my blood turns to ice in my veins and my head begins to splinter with pain.
‘Come on, Tor. We just won the championship. No more hockey games until next season, Sister. Get your ass up and let’s go!’ I groan and roll over on my bed, waving my brother away. I'm tired and the last thing I want to do is go to the beach.
‘Nope. I have a hot date with a book boyfriend of mine,’ I say, waving my kindle over my shoulder.
‘I got it.’ My kindle drops to my bed at the sound of his voice.
‘You got five minutes to get her ass up or I’m carrying her out,’ Masen warns as he stalks out of my room, leaving me alone with Kellan.
The master of the cold shoulder. After we kissed the other night when Mase wasn’t home, he hasn’t spoken a single word to me.
‘I’m not going,’ I grit out as I push into a sitting position and cross my arms over my chest.
‘Yes, you are. Now get up and let’s go,’ Kellan demands as he grips my arm and hauls me to my feet. His touch sets my blood pumping and my heart lurching.
I gasp as I come back to the present, yanked from my memory. I stumble forward. Brady grips my arms to keep me steady so I don’t bump into him. “Woah, are you okay, Toren?” he asks with a hint of urgency in his tone. I suck in lungfuls of air, trying to calm my racing heart. The ghost of Masen’s voice still lingers in my head. I just had a flash of a memory from that night. My breathing is ragged and coming in short fast pants.
“I’m sorry, I just got light headed,” I lie with such ease that it should disgust me. I was never one to tell half-truths but how do I tell Brady that I lost a week of my memories from a year ago and I know something big happened but no one will tell me why!
“You want to go to the nurse’s office?—”
Before he can finish, I cut him off as an idea hits me. “Is there a computer or lab or somewhere I could get access to one?”
His brows draw together as he studies me for a long drawn minute. “Uh, don’t you have a phone?”
I fight to keep the shame from splaying across my face. “No.”
Surprise is clear in his eyes. “Why not?” His voice is high-pitched and rebounds off the walls, drawing everyone's attention.
“Shhhh,” I scold.
He smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, but you’re a nineteen year old with no phone, that is… unheard of.”
I nod my agreement. “I’m being punished,” I mutter.
