Page 24 of I Don't Need Your Protection

I laugh. “I won’t.”

Sophie lifts her shoulders. “We already established Warner is very nice and not a snob like most people here. Maybe he doesn’t care about all that stuff.”

“Yeah, it’s not right to lump all rich kids together.”

“Yep.” Grabbing my hands, she squeals. “I can’t believe he basically asked you out.”

I give her a look. “I think you’re thinking way, way ahead. Hanging out with him and his friends isnotasking me out. Besides, you and the others are coming with me, right? I need moral support.”

“I totally would, but I have tutoring. I can come after.”

“Thanks.”

“And then we do homework,” she says in a stern voice.

I can’t help but chuckle. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am.”

She laughs, too. Then she excuses herself to squeeze in a few pages of her book before the teacher comes in.

I feel intense eyes on me, and as soon as I look at Caleb, I sure enough find him watching me. Then he glances at Warner who’s chatting with his friends. He frowns. Sheesh. What’s his problem with Warner? Ugh, don’t tell me he thinks he has anagenda, too.

Smiling, I give Caleb a small wave, similar to the one I gave him yesterday during dinner. He narrows his eyes, jaw clenching.

Chapter Nine

Addie

Carly whistles when she opens my closet. “Am I in clothing heaven? Or am I dreaming?” She peeks out from the open door. “How do you have a wardrobe full of such fine clothes?”

“Um…well…my mom is a seamstress at a clothing boutique and when her boss heard I was coming here, she gave me all this stuff. She said she wanted me to fit in.” I cringe at another lie I’m throwing their way.

Sophie glances up from where she’s reading on my bed. “Meh. Clothes don’t speak to me.”

“Any good tops?” Raven asks as she joins Carly at my closet. “I never have enough tops.”

“You’re all welcome to borrow whatever you want,” I tell them.

“Thanks!” Carly disappears into my closet, squeals in delight, then sticks her hand out and yanks Raven inside withher.

I lower myself on the second bed, silently marveling at how Caleb made it up to appear like it hasn’t been touched. Someone would definitely get suspicious if the bed was untidy.

“So what’s that book about?” I ask Sophie, noticing it’s a different cover. “Another dragon?”

“Nope. This one is a shapeshifter romance.” Her eyes flit across the pages before rising to mine. “Sorry.” She closes the book. “I don’t mean to bury my head in my books all the time. I have to meet the kid I’m tutoring soon and I’ve been waiting forever to start this book. There are just never enough hours in the day to fit in all my reading.”

“That’s okay. You can read.”

She shakes her head and smiles. “I want to hang out with you guys.” She nods in the direction of my closet. “It’s oddly quiet in there. You think they fainted from pure bliss?”

That makes me laugh. “Let’s give them another five minutes before checking on them.”

I hear someone at the door. For a second, alarm passes through me, but then I figure it must be Caleb. He’s obviously not going to hang out in my room during the day, so he has no choice but to guard outside. Although, I have no idea how he’s managing to look unsuspicious just standing outside my room like that. But he has his ways. He always does.

“I died and went to heaven!” Carly cries from inside the closet.

“Looks like they’re alive,” I tell Sophie.

A few seconds later, Raven emerges dressed in a prettypurple top and jeans. She glances down at it and laughs lightly. “I know it might be a little too dressy to wear this to the rec room, but it was so pretty.”