Page 43 of Burn Bright

On the stairs, Xander continues whispering to his bodyguard.

Donnelly wears a white MVU Thrashers tee, probably to blend in. His inked arms, pierced ears, and casual-cool demeanor should make him stand out more than Xander, but it’s clear the Hale is the one being ogled of the two.

I’m sure it’s partly because Xander is a known recluse. He’s rarely spotted out, despite his level of popularity online.

Admittedly, I’m not the best at reading body language, but there must be a reason he hasn’t moved off the stairs. Is he inwardly freaking out? I mean—Ipersonally would be flipping the fuck out if that many people were staring at me.

I turn quickly to Ben, expecting him to be waving Xander over because, you know, they’recousins.But Ben is just silently watching Xander like the rest of the students. Confusion throttles me. “Are you going to wave him over?” I ask.

Ben looks from me to Xander, then back to me. “Do you want me to?”

That’s not the reply I was anticipating. “He probably doesn’t know where to sit. Right?” I ask, not even sure myself. There are girls literally on the edge of their seats, hoping he’ll choose the empty chair beside them. The two girls in front of us have abandoned taking “selfies” and have aimed their cells more blatantly in Xander’s direction. Not hiding the fact that they’re filming him.

Ben opens his mouth to reply to me.

“Xander!” That voice originates from the other side of the auditorium. A petite brunette waves a hand and bounces up in her seat. “Come sit over here!”

Xander pretends not to hear and continues up the stairs. The girl goes beet-red and shields her face with a textbook. Ugh, I feel the rejection secondhand, and my stomach cramps.

Ben takes a deeper breath the closer his cousin comes to our row, but Xander hasn’t exactly spotted us as the lecture hall begins to crowd. “I just think he’d prefer to sit in the back,” Ben whispers to me.

“You think?” I frown. “If a ton of strangers were bombarding me, I think I’d like to sit with my cousin. You know, a friendly face.” I shrug.

“I’m not a friendly face, Fisher,” he says tightly.

Wait.“You have beef with Xander too?” I whisper back, shocked.Thisis not advertised, to my knowledge. Granted, I’m not diving into the depths of Fanaticon. People on those forums dissect every breath these families have taken, so maybe there are theories or videos about discord between Xander and Ben.

“Beef isn’t the word I would use,” he whispers hurriedly because Xander is getting closer. “I don’t have anything against him. But he hates me.”

He hates me. I have to repeat the words in my head because they don’t fully make sense to me. Who could hate Ben? He’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met—and okay, maybe I don’t know him completely yet, buthatefeels too brutal of a word.

It just baffles me more, and I watch his cousin continue ascending the flight of stairs. The lecture hall has gone extraordinarily quiet now like everyone is caging breath, wondering where he’ll choose to sit.

Xander climbs three more stairs, then his eyes flit to his right, and they land directly…on…me.

9

HARRIET FISHER

With Xander’s gaze firmly on me, recognition shoots through his expression, and then immediate relief pours over his emotive eyes. Flashes of all the parties I’ve been to hit me.

Parties where I was alone beside a wall.

Parties where I wished I knew a single person to at least fill the awkward tension in my bones.

I relate to the feeling I see wash through him. I just never thoughtI’dbe the friendly face in the crowd. We barely know each other. We’re acquaintances through his sister—who I don’t even talk to anymore now that we’re no longer lab partners.

He takes a step toward me, entering our row.

One foot in, he stops. His gaze passes over my shoulder to see Ben. The color drains from Xander’s face.

“Hey,” Ben acknowledges in a friendly up-nod. “We saved you a seat.” He motions to the open one beside me.

Xander looks from Ben to me and back to Ben. “It’s all right.” His voice is a low husk. “I’d rather sit in the back.” He backsteps out of the row and hightails it up the rest of the stairs.

My stomach twists and twists. It feels like I rejected Xander now, and I hate how he’s on an island alone when he was so clearly searching for a life raft. Did he think there wasn’t room for him on the inner tube? That Ben occupied the lone spot?

My neck aches as I strain to watch Xander reach the back row and slump into an open chair, Donnelly claiming the one to his left.