Page 7

Lucas

Two weeks later

?

“Lucas! Xander!”

Setting my book down, I sit up from where I had my head in Xander’s lap. He makes a noise of disappointment as his hand falls away from my light brown hair, so I place a placating hand on his thigh. He can go back to playing with it in a minute.

It takes me a second to pinpoint where the light, feminine voice floating our way came from, but then I see Haven jogging across the quad. The sunlight catches her hair in a way that makes some of the strands look purple.

No, I realize as she gets closer, they’re actually purple.

“Hey.” Xander removes the earbud he had in—he’s almost always listening to music—and waves. “Purple, huh?”

“Do you like it?” Haven asks as she plops down next to us. “Athelia helped me do it the other day.”

“Turn around so we can see better,” Xander says.

Quickly, she does so. Her hair falls in soft waves, most of it still brown, but there are strips of it dyed a dark, vibrant purple. It suits her well.

I tug on a strand. “I think it looks gorgeous. Do you like it?”

“I do,” she gushes. “I didn’t realize I could color my hair until I saw Athelia’s. The green she picked was so pretty.”

My lips turn upward of their own volition. Considering how we officially met, I started off pretty worried about her. But her smile is so full of life, and it’s rubbing off on me.

“Proud of you for trying new things, Haven,” Xander says, nudging her gently.

Her eyes soften. “Thanks.”

After saving Haven from that fucker her first night here, Xander and I started checking in on her occasionally. And by checking in, I mean discreetly watching her from a distance an unhealthy amount of the time. When she had her panic attack, we both decided Colton couldn’t be trusted, but we were disproved pretty quickly. By keeping an eye on him outside Haven’s dorm, we accidentally befriended him, and the four of us have formed a tight-knit group.

Still, adjusting to Pemberton University has been a lot for Haven. Xander and I don’t know much, but she confessed to us that she grew up in a cult. I don’t think she wanted to, but how else was she going to explain how she knows nothing about technology, pop culture, an odd amount of history… actually, literally everything?

The two of us—plus Colton—swore to keep her upbringing a secret. I really don’t get why that’s so important to her, but who cares? I just want her to stop having those damn panic attacks.

“You doing okay?” I ask as Xander offers Haven some M&M’s.

We haven’t heard about her having another attack since this time last week, but it’s not like we’re around all the time to witness them. Not for lack of trying, of course. Colton, Xan, and I have memorized Haven’s schedule so we can walk her to and from class as our own schedules allow.

“Mmhmm,” Haven replies happily. “I don’t think I’m quite as overwhelmed anymore. Oh! And some of my textbooks arrived, so I don’t have to use my tablet so much, which is such a relief. It doesn’t work very well in the sunlight.”

Xander frowns. “What do you mean?”

“It just gets too bright out, you know? And then it makes it really hard to see what’s on the screen. The same thing happens on the phone Julie got me.”

When I glance at Xander, he’s rubbing at his mouth to hide his smile. I’m trying my best to do the same thing.

“You, uh… you know you can adjust the screen brightness, right?” I ask.

Haven tilts her head. “I can?”

Jesus Christ. How has she gone an entire month at school without realizing she could adjust the brightness?

“Of course you can. It’ll look something like this.” Xander angles his phone toward her and shows her.

“Oh!” she exclaims. “That makes so much sense.”

That has me chuckling. She’s asked me and Xander a few questions about how to get her tablet to work. It makes me feel a little bad, honestly. Why didn’t I think to show her one of the most basic settings on the damn thing?

“Why didn’t you ask?” Xander says, managing to hold in his laugh. The poor girl has been subjected to embarrassment over and over again from all the stupid things she has to learn. I know Xander doesn’t want to make that worse.

“I…” She drops her head. “I didn’t think to. I thought it was kinda like a book, but the opposite, you know? You need light to read a book, you need dark to read on a tablet.”

To me, that’s a ridiculous notion, but I can see how she would think that given her upbringing. So I punch her lightly in the arm. “Hey, it’s all right. You’ve got a lot to learn, and I think you’ve done a great job so far. I should’ve taught you how to use the tablet more, that’s my bad.”

“It’s all right.” She picks at the grass. “You’re always really busy. Is football going well?”

“Sure is. Coach is a bit of an ass, but whatever.”

She turns a concerned look on me. “Is he mean to you?”

“He’s an angry man,” I explain. “He takes it out on the whole team.”

“Oh.” She looks disturbed, but we’re all distracted a moment later by Colton calling out to us. She turns, and a bright smile blooms on her face as she waves at him.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, Colton jogs over to us. He kisses Haven on the cheek, which makes her blush, before settling down in our circle. “Hey, angel. Your day going okay?”

“Mmhmm.”

The way she beams up at Colton has jealousy curling around my heart. I get that she’s known him longer, but I want her to look at me and Xan like that, too. I already can’t stop thinking about what it’d be like to have her sandwiched between the two of us in bed, both of us inside her. We’d have to work her up to it, I’m sure, but god do I want it.

“You have any plans tonight?” Colton asks Haven, forcing me back to reality.

She nods. “Actually, I should probably head back to my dorm. Athelia is trying to teach me how to do makeup, and we don’t have a lot of time before the party we’re going to tonight, so—”

Xander’s thigh goes stiff under my hand. “What?”

Her eyes turn wide and questioning at his harsh tone. “She’s taking me to a party tonight?”

“Just the two of you?” I ask, already knowing what Xander is worried about.

“Um, yes? Our original plan was to go with Wesley and Cal and Kellan, but something happened last week, and now they’re not talking to Athelia.”

“Figures,” Colton mutters under his breath.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Xander asks.

“Nothing.” He shrugs. “Wesley is just an asshole, that’s all. So are his friends. It’s good that they dropped Athelia. She’s better off without them, and so are you.”

“I didn’t realize.” Haven’s brows pull together, and her eyes go unfocused. “They were so nice to Athelia up until last week.”

“I’ve known Wesley practically my entire life,” Colton says flatly. “He’s not nice.”

“Oh,” Haven says quietly.

“Okay, but can we get back to the point?” I ask. “What the hell is this party? Where is it at? And why the fuck do you think it’s a good idea to go alone?”

Haven shoots me a confused look. “I’m not going alone. Athelia will be with me.”

“Yeah, and what’s she gonna do if some random jackass starts groping you?” Colton says, tone flat.

At that, Haven pales. “People would—people would do that? To a stranger?”

Xander’s expression turns pitying. From what little we know, it seems like she’s been through hell and back. I see a lot of the same hangups in her that I saw in Xander while he was trying to undo everything his childhood church did to him.

Yet Haven has maintained such a high level of innocence and naivety. It kills me. Watching her slowly learn about how horrifying the real world is only makes me want to shield her from it more. She doesn’t deserve to get caught up in all the bullshit life has to offer.

“Not to you, they won’t,” Xander says through gritted teeth. “No one is getting anywhere near you.”

“What time are you two heading out?” I ask her.

“Um, seven, I think?”

Colton nods. “Then we’ll meet you at your dorm at six-thirty.”

. . .

The party is at some random frat house, so it’s exactly what we were expecting. Music is blasting from somewhere inside, there’s a shit ton of alcohol, and the smell of weed clings to us as we walk inside.

Immediately, I notice how overwhelmed Haven looks. I’m not sure she’s ever been to a party like this, so I slide my arm around her shoulders and squeeze reassuringly.

Out of everyone in our group, I’m the largest, so I’m fucking huge compared to her. I think she likes it, though. Any time she’s up against one of us, she nestles closer almost automatically. It’s kinda cute, and I like that she’s doing it with me right now.

We meet a few of Haven and Athelia’s new friends, and they all get drinks. Me and the guys have no plans to go anywhere near alcohol tonight—not when we have to look out for both Haven and Athelia.

Speaking of…

I nudge Colton and then Xander before discreetly tipping my head to the other side of the room. Wesley Carver is sulking in the corner, and he’s been glaring at Athelia since we stepped inside. She spotted him immediately, but she only looked nervous for a second before seeming to remember that we promised not to let anyone touch her and Haven.

“He’d better keep to himself,” Colton grits out, and I know better than to disregard the dangerous undercurrent in his tone.

When I turned eighteen, my stepfather revealed the secrets of the organization he works within. The Glass Rooks consist of a network of rich and powerful people with one goal: to continue building more wealth and influence. Not everyone in the organization started out that way, but they all grew together— because of each other.

Colton’s father founded the Rooks, so when Colt looks like he’s going to raise hell, I know he can. He has a lifetime of training and more power than the average senator. It’s just that most people don’t know it.

Yet.

While the girls dance and hang out with their friends, we stay close, warding off the worst of the worst with silent glares. Athelia has been eyeing a couple guys, but no one—fucking no one —is touching Haven tonight.

Speaking of, our girl has barely taken more than a sip of her drink. It’s some of the punch that everyone’s been gulping down, so I shoot her a questioning look.

“It tastes like cleaning supplies,” she explains, wrinkling her nose.

I have to hold back a laugh. That’s exactly what I thought the first time I took a shot of vodka from Xander’s dad’s alcohol cabinet. We were only fifteen at the time, and I coughed so loud and for so long that I almost got us caught.

“Do you want it?” Haven asks, holding out the cup.

“Not drinking tonight. But…” Taking her free hand, I tug her back toward the kitchen. “C’mere.”

She follows without question. I know she’s got some trust issues, but at the same time, I’m pretty sure she’d let me lead her anywhere. Me, Colton, or Xander.

I’m not necessarily sure that’s a good thing.

In the kitchen, I grab a bottle of Sprite and fill her cup to the brim with it. “Try that.”

Hesitantly, Haven takes a sip. She makes a startled sound and pulls back before bursting into a fit of giggles. “Oh, the bubbles! I’m still not used to the bubbles.”

Right. Kellan handed her a root beer the other day, and Haven almost died when she took a big gulp of it. I guess carbonation is a no-no in cults. Who knew?

“Does it taste better?” I ask.

“Mmhmm.” As she takes another sip, she absentmindedly slides her hand into mine. “Thank you.”

I look down at her in surprise. Over the past couple weeks, she’s started opening up to us, but it’s been slow-going. I’ve taken her hand a few times to guide her somewhere, but she’s never taken mine.

“What?” she asks when she realizes I’m staring at her. “Do I have something on my face?”

“What? No. You look…”

I swallow as I take her in. Little braids follow the crown of her head before getting pulled into a half ponytail. The sundress she’s wearing is mostly black with little purple flowers on it, and it makes the new purple highlights in her hair stand out even more.

It’s still a fairly modest dress, but I know it’s more skin than she’s used to showing. She keeps tugging the neckline higher while also trying to pull the skirt lower, effectively canceling out her efforts. Still, she looks… fuck, she looks downright tantalizing.

“What?” Haven pushes.

“You look so pretty, all I can think about is kissing you.”

At that, her eyes widen, and her lips part. It was a stupid thing to say—she has a crush on Colton, not me—but goddammit, it’s true. All I want to do is pin her to the wall and kiss her until she’s moaning and begging for more.

“Remember to go easy on the drink,” I say, hoping to distract from her shock. “Your body isn’t used to alcohol.”

“Got—got it.”

“Now let’s go find the others.”

As I tug her along, I make a mental note to not let her have more than that one cup tonight. She can call me a stick in the mud all she wants—I don’t care. It doesn’t sound like alcohol was allowed in her cult, and that means she doesn’t know the dangers of it.

Back with the others, one of the guys Athelia was checking out earlier has approached her. It looks like they’re having a good time until he steps closer. Athelia cringes away, discomfort obvious on her features. Immediately, Xander and Colton both crowd him out, acting as physical barriers between him and Athelia.

As I push Athelia closer to Haven so we can keep a better eye on her, I catch Wesley stalking toward us. I’m about ready to tell him off when I realize his gaze is fixed on the guy who was leering at Athelia. Wesley grabs the guy by the back of his shirt and drags him outside.

Athelia doesn’t notice, so I don’t point it out. I trust Colton’s judgment, and if he says Wesley is a bad dude, I believe him.

For the rest of the night, we don’t let Athelia and Haven get more than a few feet away from us. By the time Athelia has downed her third drink, Haven is just finishing up her first. Both of them are pretty small, and while Haven barely seems tipsy, Athelia is pretty far gone.

We’ve migrated to a slightly quieter part of the house. Colton takes it as an opportunity to pull me and Xander closer.

“I’ve found a way to get Xander accepted into the Rooks,” he says quietly.

Hope sparks in Xander’s eyes. Since Greg invited me to join the Rooks, we’ve been looking for a way to get Xander in. I won’t pledge my loyalty to the organization unless I have Xander by my side, but the Rooks are so exclusive, we lost hope.

When Colton found that out, he got to work concocting a plan. They’ve initiated non-family members before, so according to him, we just have to figure out how to make the higher-ups consider Xander.

“How?” Xander asks.

“I don’t want to get into all the details here, but we need leverage, and I found the perfect thing. It’ll take all three of us to pull this off, and it’ll require complete secrecy. I need you both to trust me.”

“We do,” I say firmly, and Xander nods.

“Good.” Colton rolls back his shoulders. “I’ll explain everything once we’re in a more private setting. If this works, Xander will be inside by Halloween night.”

Perfect. That’s barely a month away.

Not wanting to lose track of them, my attention drifts to the girls while Xander and Colton keep the conversation going. Athelia is talking, and Haven is nodding along, but I don’t think she’s paying attention. Her gaze is fixed out the window, focusing on something across the street. Eventually, Athelia notices and peers out, too.

“Is that a… a…” Athelia frowns. “I don’t remember what it’s called.”

“It’s so tiny,” Haven breathes out, leaning forward so her nose is almost touching the glass. Then she gasps, her body going rigid. “Oh, no!”

In a flash, Haven bolts for the front door. Colton chases after her, but she’s already gone since she’s tiny enough to squeeze between people. Athelia is too drunk to follow, and I hesitate, glancing between her and where Haven went.

“Wes is back inside,” Xander tells me lowly. “He won’t let anything happen to her.”

Dammit. I don’t like leaving Athelia alone with him, but we’ve gotta get to Haven before she gets herself in trouble. While I hate it, Xander is right. Athelia will be fine with Wes watching her.

So we both run after Haven, joining Colton in calling for her. Either she doesn’t hear, or she doesn’t care. We shoulder our way through the tightly packed house until we burst outside. Haven is already halfway across the road by the time we make it outside.

“What are you doing?” she cries.

She’s heading straight for two boys who have sticks in one hand and Solo cups in the other. It’s too dark to make out what exactly they’re doing, but I can see they’re poking at something small and black near the curb.

As we get closer, a tiny, terrified mewl reaches my ears. Haven drops to the ground and shoves the sticks away. She picks up whatever is on the ground—a kitten, maybe—and cradles it to her chest protectively.

“Oh, you poor thing. You—ow! Hey!” She glares up at the guy who just poked her in the back with his stick.

He does it again, harder this time, and so does his friend.

“Stop it! You can’t—”

“Back the fuck off.” Colton’s deep voice echoes off the nearby houses, making the two boys look up. “Unless you’d prefer to spend your last moments sinking to the bottom of Birchwood Lakes.”

The second I’m close enough, I drag Haven to her feet and push her behind me. “You sure drowning is painful enough?”

Colton glances at me. “You have a better idea?”

“Death by a thousand cuts sounds like it could be fun. I’ve always wondered if it’d actually take that many.”

Xander shrugs. “I’m partial to a wood chipper, personally.”

Haven makes a horrified sound, but she doesn’t stop clutching the back of my shirt.

The boys scoff at us before one of them says, “You think we’re scared of a few empty threats?”

Stepping forward, Colton cracks his knuckles. “Who said anything about them being empty?”

Cautiously, Haven peeks out from behind me. She gasps when one of the guys drops his cup and charges Colton. “Wait! Colt, no!”

When she tries to run to him, I catch her with an arm around her waist and haul her back. Colton manages just fine, dodging blows and landing a few of his own. Within thirty seconds flat, he has the guy on the ground with his face pressed into the sidewalk.

“No one hurts my girl and gets away with it,” Colton growls.

Haven’s eyes widen, and I swear I see a flash of confusion before she buries her face in my chest. I hold her gently, not wanting to squish the kitten in her arms.

Colton slams the guy’s face into the ground, and blood splatters everywhere. “If I see you within fifty feet of her again, I’ll fucking kill you. You understand?”

The boy groans.

“Say it out loud,” Colton grits out.

“Won’t get… within… fifty… feet.”

“Good.” Standing, Colton gives him one last kick to the ribs. “Now get lost.”

The guys glance at each other before dragging themselves to their feet and limping down the sidewalk as fast as they can. Only once they’re out of sight do I look down at Haven. She’s looking at the three of us with a soft awe, blinking rapidly.

“Are you all right?” Xander asks.

Colton is already examining her carefully. “She’s not bleeding.”

“Thank you,” Haven breathes out, still looking between us.

“Next time, don’t run off like that,” Colton says. He’s trying to rein in his frustration, but it still bleeds into his voice. “You could’ve gotten hurt.”

The streetlights reflect off the tears in Haven’s eyes, and I can just make out her bottom lip trembling. “Why would they hurt a kitten? They—they were torturing her!”

There’s a long silence as all three of us hesitate. Again, I’m hit with the urge to shield Haven, to keep the darkness of this world as far away from her as possible. But we can’t make that decision for her.

“Some people get off on doing stuff like that,” Xander says. “It’s sick, I know.”

“They like it?” she exclaims, horrified.

“It makes them feel powerful.” Colton’s expression darkens. “That’s what they like.”

“Oh.” Haven’s posture deflates, and she stares down at the tiny kitten in her arms. “I’ve seen people like that. People like…” Frowning, she shakes her head. “Never mind. Can we keep her?”

Shit. She’s already head-over-heels for the raggedy little thing.

“Students can’t have pets in their dorms,” Colton reminds her.

“But—but just look at her! She’s so thin and sad. It’s gonna get cold soon. She’ll die out here!”

The three of us exchange a knowing look. There’s no way we can say no to her. Somehow, in under a month, she’s got all three of us wrapped around her finger.

Haven turns her big, pleading eyes on me. “Please?”

Xander frowns. “How do you know it’s a she?”

“I…” Her brows furrow. “I suppose I don’t know. She just feels like a girl, I guess.”

Something breaks inside me at the caring way she stares at the kitten. I don’t think it’s that the mangy little thing feels like a girl. I think it’s that Haven sees herself in the kitten. Abused, finding herself all alone in the world, and then finally protected.

“We’ll find a way to make it work,” I tell her softly.

“How?” Xander asks. “There’s no way your stepdad will let you take in a fucking kitten .”

Raking my hand through my hair, I sigh. “Yeah. He’s deathly allergic.”

All eyes turn to Colton, who groans. “Seriously? Why’s it gotta be me?”

“Who else can?” Xander points out. “I’m in a dorm like Haven, and Lucas’s stepdad will die if he comes within five feet of the thing.”

With a heavy sigh, Colton steps up to Haven. He leans down to get a better view of the kitten and strokes it gently. “Jesus. I can feel her ribs.”

“Can you please let her stay with you?” Haven asks. “Please please please, Colt? I can come by every day to feed her and play with her.”

“Your heart is too big, angel,” Colton mutters.

Haven must’ve missed the undercurrent of pride for her in Colton’s tone because her face falls. “But—”

“I’ll take her.” He smiles down at her. “If my dad has a problem with it, he can suck it up.”

“Really? Oh, Colton, thank you!” Her arms are occupied, but she rises onto her tiptoes to press her lips to his neck, not able to reach any higher.

With a sharp intake of breath, Colton grabs Haven’s hips to hold her against him. He stares at her with the same shock I had when she grabbed my hand earlier. When their gazes clash, I realize she looks just as surprised.

I don’t know if she’s ever dated before—if she’s ever even been kissed. This all seems like new territory for her, and based on her reactions tonight, she’s overwhelmed.

“Well,” Colton says hoarsely, trying to break the tension, “what are you gonna name her?”

Haven thinks for a moment before her face lights up enough to illuminate the entire damn street. “How about Star?”