Page 23 of No More Spies

He was an asshole, but he was done with all of that now. Hewasn’t letting anyone keep him from her. She was his best friend. He justhadn’t been much of one to her. That changed. Now.

“I think she’s maybe a little angry at you,” TJ said with awince. “Like she doesn’t want to hear your name and stuff.”

He should have known Kala would take all her hurt and put itinto anger. “I can handle it.”

Anything would be better than this silence.

His heart threatened to stop because she was walking up thesteps with her sisters and Lou. Kenzie was bouncing as she spoke, and Kalalooked at her twin with an almost indulgent smile.

That faded from her face when she saw him.

Her clique stopped, all of those feminine eyes judging him.Even Tasha seemed to have chosen her side. Which he got.

“Dude, I’m scared for you right now,” TJ said quietly. “I’mgoing to like take a step back. Maybe you should run.”

Coward. He wasn’t about to run. He’d been waiting for thisfor over a week.

For a moment he thought she’d turn and walk away, but shemurmured something to her sisters and then started walking toward him, her chinup and face in a stubborn expression. Her sisters followed, watching herwarily.

Lou had her tote bag open as she approached. “Hey, TJ. Mommade blueberry today. Want one?”

TJ was a walking gut. He had that big blueberry muffin inhis hands very quickly, moving in closer to Lou. “You’re the best, Lou. Momtold me to eat yogurt this morning. I hate yogurt. Dad’s on a job so no Frenchtoast for me.”

“Hello, Cooper.” Kala stopped in front of him and thenlooked back. “I’m fine, guys.”

Tasha sighed. “All right. I have a student council meetingafter school, so I need you guys to hang in the library for a while.”

Kala’s strawberry blonde ponytail swayed when she shook herhead. “Dad’s picking me up. I’ve got a session.”

“Which I’m going to,” Kenzie insisted even as they startedto make their way toward the main building. “I know I didn’t get kidnapped, butI’m not falling behind, and Dad can deal with it.”

“Come on,” TJ said around a mouthful of muffin. “Walk me toclass. On the way, can you explain the whole War of 1812 thing? I have a quiz.”

Lou followed him.

And Cooper was left alone with Kala.

She looked so damn pretty in the early morning light.

“Hey.” A stupid thing to say, but it was all he could thinkof. He’d planned out this whole speech. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Her lips turned up faintly. “Me, too.”

“Kala, I…” he began.

She held up a hand. “No. I don’t need to hear apologies.It’s fine. You need to understand that I don’t hold you responsible for megetting my ass kidnapped.” Her eyes rolled. “I’m supposed to say a bunch ofstuff about how it wasn’t my fault either. Dad’s making me talk to Kai. How amI supposed to take a dude with a man bun seriously? Anyway, it wasn’t yourfault, and we would have had that fight eventually one way or another. It’scool. What I’m trying to say is you and I are fine.”

Oh, this did not feel fine. “The fight was absolutely myfault.”

“Not really.” She seemed way calmer than he would haveexpected. He wasn’t sure he understood this Kala. His Kala would punch him andtell him to be better, and then they would catch up to Lou and TJ and hang outbefore class. “I’m the one who should apologize, Cooper. I was too aggressive,and I didn’t want to see the signs that I was pushing you. I was trying to takea perceived friendship and turn it into something else. I won’t do it again.”

He was starting to panic. What was Kai putting in her brain?Kai Ferguson was the head of the Ferguson Clinic, a group of therapists whospecialized in PTSD. He thought they would send her to a family center for acouple of checkup sessions. If they sent her to Kai… “What happened?”

A brow rose over her eyes. “I got kidnapped. I had to sit ina cell with Kyle, and he’s a chatty motherfucker. Then I had to walk through adusty tunnel with Mom and Uncle Ten, and I’m kind of half grounded, but Dadfreaked enough that he lets me out if I’m serious about school and his lessons.He’s training me, and Kenzie is along for the ride. She didn’t even have to getkidnapped.”

“Come on, Kala,” he urged, “this is me. You can tell me. Youhave no idea how worried I’ve been. You have to unblock me. We need to workthis out.”

She shook her head again and took a step back. “No. I’m notsaying I’ll never talk to you again. We were friendly once. We’ll be okay oneday, but you have to give me space.”