“Shit,” she mutters between bites.
I ordered a salad for lunch, not incredibly hungry, and picked at the lettuce. I’ve mostly eaten around it; the diced carrots and cucumbers have gained more of my attention.
“How are you doing?” she asks, watching me.
“Fine. Luca’s not talking to me; well, mostly he’s ignoring me.”
“Sounds like a healthy marriage.”
I snort at her joke and reach for my water, taking a swig. “We’re sleeping in separate bedrooms. But I get it. He’s pissed.”
“He’ll come around,” Kensley says. “I mean, you’re married. He can’t go his entire life avoiding you.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” I grumble under my breath and stab at my salad.
“Hey!” Nova says as she grabs a seat at our table. “I heard the big news. Let me see the rock.” She holds out her hand, waiting for me to deposit my hand in hers.
I lift my left hand, which houses a simple gold band. “No rock. Just wedding bands,” I say.
“I can’t believe I missed the wedding! I’m going to kill Dad for making us leave the house early.”
Kensley shifts uncomfortably and pushes the remainder of her sandwich aside, uneaten. She seems to have lost her appetite, not that I blame her. I don’t know exactly what she went through, but it couldn’t have been good.
Does Nova have any inkling of what happened with Kensley?
“I’m going to head out. I have class and I should get there early; it’s across campus,” Kensley says, excusing herself as she grabs her backpack and then her trash to discard.
“I’ll catch you later?” I ask.
But she doesn’t meet my stare.
“Yeah, maybe. I know where you live. If I have time, I’ll stop by.” Kensley jets out of the dining hall like it’s been set ablaze.
“That was odd,” Ashton mutters and glances at Nova. “How’s the pizza?
“Pretty decent for cardboard.” Nova glances over her shoulder in the direction Kensley disappeared. “Is everything okay with her?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. She had some marks on her wrists—” I say.
Ashton clears his throat. “Moreno escorted her down into the basement when we realized she’d helped you run away.”
I push the salad aside.
The small appetite that I had vanishes.
“Moreno tortured her.” I glance up at Nova.
“Dad wouldn’t do that. He insisted that we return to campus to protect Kensley. It’s why he drove us home himself. He was keeping Matteo from interrogating her.”
“Did you see the marks on her wrist?” I reiterate.
“No,” Nova says. “Dad wouldn’t hurt one of your friends. I mean, I’m sure he sat her down for questioning, demanding to know everything she knew, but he wouldn’t hurt her.”
“I’m not so sure,” I say, reaching for my water and taking another sip.
“I know my father,” Nova says. “He follows orders, but he wouldn’t hurt Kensley. He wouldn’t hurt a girl. That doesn’t follow his code.”
I bite my tongue. Sure, they wouldn’t hurt a girl, but they sure as hell would kidnap a little boy.
