Page 34 of I Don’t Need Your Protection (Harrington Bay Academy #1)

Addie

My eyes slowly flutter open.

It takes a second or two for the events that happened last night to crash over me.

The sleepover at Clarissa’s house, all of it a ruse to abandon me in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night in the pouring rain, just so she could send me a loud and clear message. I have no right to get close to Warner.

Couldn’t she have just told me to stay away like a normal person?

And Caleb. Oh my gosh, Caleb. The way he rescued me and tried to keep me warm and took care of me…

Turning my head to the left, I find him sitting in his usual chair with his eyes pasted on me.

It’s usually hard to detect emotions in his eyes, but I see a hint of a few of them.

Anger at Witch Clarissa and her evil minions, relief that he managed to find me before I died from hypothermia. Guilt that he didn’t find me sooner.

I sit up and offer him a small smile. “Good morning. No trumpet today?”

Even though I technically don’t need an alarm on Sundays, Caleb always had me wake up no later than eleven with that annoying trumpet alarm. Well, maybe it’s not so annoying anymore. I guess I kind of got used to it.

“I wanted to give you a few more minutes of sleep,” he says.

“Oh. Thanks. That was kind of you.”

We’re both quiet.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asks, eyes roving over every part of my face as he assesses for damage. “After what you went through last night…”

“I’m okay.” I hug Ellie to my chest and squeeze her just a bit too hard.

“I know I already told you this last night, but I’m really so thankful to you for saving my life.

I thought I would have either died there or that I would have to walk through an unknown area in nothing but soaked pajamas, desperately looking for a phone. ”

The thought causes his face to cloud over with alarm and unease. Not to mention fury. “I wish she would pay for what she did,” he mutters.

“You think I should report her to the school?” I ask. “I’m sure this counts as bullying, and the school has a no-bullying policy. I can kick her horrible butt out of here and to oblivion, where she’ll never see the light of day ever again.”

Obviously I’m exaggerating. But it feels good to say it .

He contemplates it for a few seconds. “That decision is up to you.”

Now I think it over for a few minutes. “Would that expose me?” I finally ask. “I’m supposed to keep a low profile.”

He runs his hand through his hair, shutting his eyes for a second.

“I don’t see how you won’t be exposed. A story like this will definitely make headlines, especially because that witch’s parents would make a huge issue out of it.

They’d certainly sue the school and make it out to sound like their daughter was the victim.

And not to mention that her two sorry excuses for friends would take her side.

It would be your word against theirs. I can’t help but expect that you’ll be the one who will get all the heat. ”

He’s right. The only witnesses to what happened last night are Tweedledum Luna and Tweedledee Jemma. Of course they would deny that they (or Clarissa) did anything to me. Her parents would bury me, and I doubt my grandfather would bail me out. Not when I’m still in hiding.

Caleb stands up and lowers himself next to me, close enough that I feel the heat leaping off his body, but far enough that his body doesn’t touch mine.

“I promise I’ll keep a better eye on you and I’ll never allow anything like this to happen ever again,” he says in a soft tone.

“Going up against someone like Clarissa Thomas might make things worse. I hate to say it, but that’s the reality of the world we live in.

Maybe that will change one day when you no longer have to keep your identity a secret and your grandfather can help you confront Clarissa… ”

I force another smile. “It’s okay. I don’t care about her anymore. I should have listened to my friends when they warned me to be careful around her. I should have realized that she was playing me.”

“Hey,” he says in a gentle tone as he reaches for my hand and gives it a light squeeze.

It causes heat to overpower every part of me and my heart to twist in this painful way that feels good, too.

“Don’t blame yourself for the actions of horrible people.

You’re a really nice person with a big heart and they took advantage of that.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You keep being the amazing and wonderful person that you are.

The right people will flock to you. Just ignore the bad people. ”

His kind words cause my stomach to twist again. “Thanks,” I say.

After giving my hand another squeeze, he stands. “Do you want to go to breakfast?”

“I don’t really have an appetite.”

He nods in understanding.

“But you can go.”

He shakes his head. “Food is the last thing on my mind right now.”

I get out of my bed, go to the bathroom, then get dressed.

Caleb is back in his chair, the expression on his face the same as it was when I woke up.

I’m sure he regrets a lot of what happened, maybe even blames himself, but I wish he wouldn’t.

Like he said, this is the Witch’s fault.

He should be proud of himself for getting to me in time. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a hero.

My hero .

As I settle down on my bed, a chill passes through me.

It’s not very cold in my room, but I guess I’m still freaked out about what happened last night.

To know there are some people in the world who are so evil…

all because of a boy? Sheesh. And if she thinks I’m going to bend over for her, she’s wrong.

I won’t let her take Warner away from me.

He’s his own person and can make his own decisions, and he obviously chose me over her.

In her messed-up mind, she thinks I’m responsible for that, like I held a knife to his throat and forced him to hang out with me.

Seriously, how could that make sense in anyone’s head?

Maybe I should text him to see if all is well, but the truth is that I’m not really in the mood to talk to him.

The only people I want to be around are the people who have come to mean the most to me.

And they are Carly, Sophie, and Raven. I know that just hanging out with them will instantly make me feel better.

Reaching for my phone, I text my friends in the group chat.

Addie: I’m not at Clarissa’s house. I’m back in my room at school .

It doesn’t take more than a few seconds for my friends to respond.

Carly: What? What do you mean? What happened?

Raven: Are you okay?

Sophie: ???

Addie: There’s a lot I need to tell you guys. Want to come to my room?

Raven: On my way .

Sophie: Coming ASAP.

Carly: Definitely! See you in a few.

I glance up at Caleb. “My friends are coming over.”

He nods and stands. “I’ll be right outside your room.” He makes his way to the door, then pauses and turns around, eyes searching mine. Like he wants to tell me something. Maybe comforting words? But he pulls the door open and walks out.

I grab Ellie and wait for my friends to arrive, trying to shove the memory of last night out of my head. Will it always haunt me or will I eventually get over it? I hope I’m not scarred for life.

Only a few minutes pass before there’s a knock on my door. When I open it, I find all three of my friends standing there with worried looks on their faces. I give them a reassuring smile to let them know I’m okay and widen the door for them. We all gather on my bed, with me still hugging Ellie.

Before I have a chance to say anything, Carly throws her arms around me, giving me a super hug. I wrap my arms around her and take in as much comfort as I can, so glad and thankful that she and the others are in my life. I already feel better just by having them in my room.

“I don’t know what happened,” she says, “but I can tell you’re hurt by it. So this is me chasing away the pain. Is it working?”

I laugh a little. “Definitely.”

She sits back and looks at me expectantly. Sophie and Raven seem very curious but also wary and concerned. I’m sure I wear a spooked-out look on my face .

“So…I…” I sigh and shake my head. “You were right about Clarissa, guys. She’s an evil witch. The most evil witch on the face of the planet.”

Sophie’s jaw falls open. “What happened?”

Raven sits up sharply, as though she’s ready to bolt out of the room and hunt down Clarissa if she hears she hurt me in any way.

I hold up my hand. “Don’t freak out, okay? The important thing is that I’m okay.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Raven mutters with a scowl.

“Me either,” Carly says.

I sigh again and look away. “They invited me to their sleepover because they wanted to send me a clear message. To stay away from Warner. Turns out, Clarissa is not over him and wants him back.” I look at my friends and hesitate for a moment before whispering, “They tricked me and took me to an abandoned area with a lot of run-down and destroyed buildings. It was pouring like crazy and they just…left me there.”

“What?!” Raven shoots off my bed so fast she almost loses her balance. “What do you mean they abandoned you there when it was pouring?”

I reach for her hand and pull her back to her seat. “I told you not to freak out, remember?”

“Too late for that,” she mutters with another scowl.

“I know this will be hard to hear, but I need you guys to promise me that you’ll keep your cool. ”

I look from one to the other and raise a brow. Carly and Sophie nod while Raven purses her lips. I give her a serious look, and she surrenders with a sigh.

“Before you guys can tell me, ‘I told you so,’ I just want to let you know—”

“We’d never say that!” Sophie says. “You’re such a good person for giving Clarissa the benefit of the doubt. It’s so much easier to dismiss people as bad, but you wanted to see the good in her. We would never make you feel bad for that.”