Page 35 of I Don’t Need Your Protection (Harrington Bay Academy #1)
“And saying ‘I told you so’ is so kindergarten,” Carly adds. “People make mistakes all the time. They shouldn’t be made to feel bad about it.”
“And Clarissa was very manipulative,” Raven says.
“Thanks, guys,” I whisper as I avert my gaze to my elephant.
“I feel so stupid about the whole thing. I wish I hadn’t trusted her.
Looking back, I can see the signs. I should have realized during Truth or Dare that they were trying to play me.
I guess it felt good that she and her friends liked me. Well, I thought they liked me.”
Sophie shifts closer and rubs my arm. “Don’t feel bad. Everyone loves feeling loved. And you wanted to get closer to them because of Warner. That’s totally understandable.”
“Wait a second,” Raven says with furrowed brows. “If they abandoned you in the middle of nowhere, how did you get back to school?”
They all stare at me with puzzled expressions.
“Well…I…”
I don’t want to lie to them anymore. If the situation with Clarissa taught me anything, it’s who my real and true friends are.
The girls sitting before me don’t care what I look like or what I wear or how smart I am or whether or not I’m rich or poor.
These girls love me for the person I am, just as I love them for the people they are.
I don’t have to pretend to be cool like I tried to do with the Witch Crew.
Our bond is stronger than anything in this world.
And I want them to know who I truly am. I trust them with my life.
“Caleb saved me,” I say.
“Caleb?” Sophie asks with such creased brows that they nearly touch her eyes.
“Wait, what?” Raven wonders.
“Caleb, as in Caleb Foster?” Carly asks. “The guy who started school the same day you did? The guy who refuses to be friends with anyone?”
“The very same. But it’s not a coincidence that he and I started school on the same day. Or that he doesn’t have any friends. The only reason he’s here is because of me.”
Forget looking puzzled—they look bewildered beyond belief.
“So…there’s something about me that you don’t know,” I admit, hugging Ellie again and praying they won’t be hurt or upset with me.
“My real name isn’t Addie Nelson. It’s Addilyn Hayes.
And up until two months ago, I had a normal life just like everyone else.
My parents…” I swallow the lump in my throat.
“I had two parents. But two months ago, they died and I was put in a group home. ”
Carly’s hands shoot to her mouth. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry.”
Raven and Sophie say the same.
I smile sadly. “Thanks. My parents were unbelievable people. I miss them so much.” I wipe away a tear that slides down my cheek.
“But a month after they died, I found out I had a grandfather. A grandfather who is the richest man in the country. His name is Nathaniel Bradshaw. I gather you heard of him?”
They gape at me like I told them I’m the daughter of a royal family. Which in their eyes, I guess I kind of am.
“He brought me to his house, but the thing is, I couldn’t live with him. My life is in danger.”
“Danger?” Carly gasps.
“Yeah. Apparently, my grandfather has made some enemies over the years and…” Fresh tears fill my eyes and spill down my cheeks. “They killed my parents.”
“Oh my gosh .” Carly leaps from her seat and flings her arms around me. “That’s so terrible.”
Sophie and Raven wrap their arms around us as well, creating a best friend sandwich that brings me more comfort than I felt in two months. Minus Caleb, of course.
We remain like this for a short while, with them showering me with love and comfort and me soaking in as much as I can. Eventually, they return to their seats. I rub my forehead when I feel a sudden throb.
“You okay?” Carly asks.
“Yeah, just a slight headache. There’s more to the story, if you want to hear.”
“Whatever you want to share with us,” Sophie says.
“Yeah, we have your back one thousand percent,” Raven adds.
“We’re here for you,” Carly says.
I give them a thankful nod. “My dad and his father were estranged for years. That’s why I never heard about him or met him.
When my grandfather found out I existed, he immediately got me out of the group home and took me to his house.
But he wanted to put me in hiding right away, before my parents’ murderers could find out where I was.
So he enrolled me here at Harrington Bay Academy, and he hired someone to be my bodyguard.
Some of the security guards around the school are hired by my grandfather, too. A few are undercover.”
Carly blinks at me. “So the hottie Caleb is your bodyguard?”
I nod. “He’s our age, but he’s pretending to be a student here. He’s been staying in my room all this time, always watching over me. I found him super annoying at first, but I’ve come to rely on him so much. And he saved my life last night. I’m sure I would have died if he hadn’t found me.”
They gape at me and then each other, as though they can’t believe what they just heard. Like it’s from a movie or something.
“I know it’s a lot,” I say. “But I don’t want to lie to you anymore. I trust you guys with my life and know you will keep my secret. That is, if you still want to be my friend. I understand if you’re upset that I lied to you. ”
“I could never!” Carly says. “I understand this was a matter of life and death. It’s not like you knew you would become friends with us or that you could trust us. Obviously, you had to do whatever you needed to stay safe. I’m not mad at you at all.”
“Me neither,” Sophie says. “And you didn’t really lie to us. You’re still you . You just happen to be the granddaughter of the richest guy in America. But that doesn’t change who you are. You’ve always been real to us.”
“Same with me,” Raven assures me. “From what I gather, the person you are with us is the person you were before you found out who your grandfather was, so you were never lying to us. And we love you.”
I smile once again as fresh tears fill my eyes.
“You have no idea how much this means to me. And you’re right—the person I truly am is the person I am with you.
I don’t know what will happen after my parents’ killers are caught and I no longer have to hide.
I’m sure my grandfather would want me to start living as an heiress, whatever that means.
I just hope I don’t lose myself in the process. ”
Carly grins. “We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. Because the world needs you just as awesome as you are.”
I stand and wrap my arms around them, once again thanking them for being so understanding.
“So is Caleb guarding outside your room?” Raven asks.
“Yep. He keeps to the shadows when he’s not allowed to be in the girls’ dorm. I’m telling you guys, he’s like a ninja.”
Sophie grins. “This sounds like the making of a great bodyguard romance.”
“Don’t start again,” Raven warns in a playful tone.
A bodyguard romance…?
No, I won’t even entertain those thoughts. Obviously Caleb cares a lot about me and I care about him, too, but we’re not…Anyway, I have Warner.
When I tell my friends I’m not going to let Clarissa push me around and that I still want to be with Warner, they tell me he’d be nuts to choose Clarissa over me. Raven warns me to be careful, but I reassure her I’ll be okay.
“She doesn’t have a hold on Warner,” I say.
My friends hang out with me for a few hours, and then they return to their rooms to finish last-minute homework. When Caleb walks back in, I say, “I told my friends the truth. If you’re mad at me, that’s fine. I just needed to tell them.”
To my shock, he doesn’t seem so surprised. He lowers himself on his chair and says, “I knew you would tell them.”
“You did?”
He shrugs. “You guys seem very tight, almost like sisters. I know you trust them. It was only a matter of time before you felt like you couldn’t lie to them anymore. I gather they know everything now.”
I nod. “Everything.”
“It’s okay. Like I told you many times, I just want you to be happy. I’m glad you found friends who have become your family. They deserved to know the truth. I’m glad they’re not upset.”
“Me, too. Thanks, Caleb. ”
He offers me a small smile that I swear makes me feel like I turned into a puddle right at his feet. I return it.
My headache seems to have gotten stronger and all I want to do is crash into bed. I tell Caleb I’m going to take a quick nap and slide under my blanket.