JackJack waited, hidden between the trees. He’d been following Matt for almost an hour when his patience finally paid off. Enzo and Nina stepped out from between the trees, dressed in matching cargo pants and tank tops.“Are you sure about this?” Enzo asked.“Definitely,” Matt replied. “Those kids said they saw it out here.”“We’ve got to find it tonight,” Nina said, her eyes roving through the trees. Jack tucked himself further behind the t
I thought maybe Matt was just late, but after an hour passed, I started to worry that something else was up. Jack eyed me as I paced near the front window.“Guess he’s not coming,” he said, sounding a bit smug. He’d come home fifteen minutes earlier, covered in mud. After a quick shower, he joined me in the living room to wait.I shot him a look but didn’t comment. Jack said it like he saw this coming, but I knew Matt wouldn’t just stand me up. Something else had to be going on. I tried his number, but his phone went right to voicemail. I sent him a few more texts but staring at my phone didn’t make any answers materialize
Fiona met me at the door, a wide smile on her face. “Thank God,” she said, dragging me into the room. Her roommate was out with her girlfriend for the night, and we had the place all to ourselves. “We need some girl time!”“I know,” I said, with as much enthusiasm. Things with Matt and my brother had made it difficult for me to see Fiona. Sure, we had classes together, but that wasn’t the same as having one-on-one time. Fiona meant a lot to me, and I didn’t want to let our friendship fall between the cracks. I wasn’t lying when I told Jack that I didn’t want to be one of those girls who forgot about their friends just because they had a boyfriend.
I hadn’t given up on my plan to get Jack and Matt together, and the minute Matt’s concussion was healed, I decided I needed to stop putting it off. He still had a couple of bruises where he’d bashed his head, and a sore arm, but he was mostly okay. It was a relief to walk out of class a few days later to find him leaning against the far wall with an easy smile on his face–headache mostly gone, and his broken bone well on the way to healing completely.No one really spared his bruises a second look, and he didn’t wear a sling. Hockey players were often getting injured, and Matt’s friends seemed to take it all in stride. He still hadn’t told me what really happened, but I planned to ask him about it when w
“What the hell was that?” he said, his face slightly red with anger. I flinched away from him, and his gaze instantly softened. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He turned away and ran his hands through his hair. “Why am I here Celeste?”I took a step toward him but stopped myself from reaching out. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you here. I just thought…” I trailed off and bit my lip. He was going to be so mad at me. The thought of it made me feel a little queasy.He turned to look at me. “You thought what?” I could tell he was still upset, but he was trying not to seem angry. Th
I had lunch with Fiona that Monday, eager to fill her in on the party and everything that happened after. Matt and I ended up just making out. He had to run out when he got a call. He wouldn’t tell me who it was, but I figured it had to do with the Peacekeepers.He made sure to promise me a rain check, though. Matt seemed as eager to have a repeat of the bathtub incident as I was.“So, I guess Matt and Jack won’t be besties again anytime soon?” Fiona surmised after I finished telling her about it. I told her everything but the stuff about the werewolves. It wasn’t my place to divulge that secret, and I doubted she’d believe me,
Alyx landed a punch. He was poised over my brother, blood running from the side of his head. I gripped Fiona’s hand in mine, desperate for someone to put a stop to this. No one made a move to help, though. They were all too intent on the fight, bets still flying around as people took sides. Alyx hit my brother again, and I tensed even further.Before I could do something stupid, like try to get between them, Jack punched Alyx in the ribs hard enough to make Alyx lose his breath. Jack shoved him to the side and climbed to his feet, his shoulders moving with his heavy breaths, and his face so red it was nearly purple.“If I ever see you talking to her ag
“None of this is your fault,” Matt assured me. Unfortunately, his kind words didn’t do much to get me out of my own head. I couldn’t help but blame myself for everything that happened with Alyx. I never should have trusted him.“Then why does it feel like it?” I said, my voice small.“You can’t blame yourself for any of this.” Matt took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I couldn’t bring myself to hold his hand back, but he didn’t let go. “What happened with Alyx wasn’t your fault.”I turned my fa