YENA
As I walked to the bakery from my house, I started getting a funny feeling.
Lily was saying to me that something was wrong.
That she could sense danger.
Adan set up the meeting at the bakery to make it convenient for me. I was glad.
I didn’t want to go to campus. It had become a place full of unpleasant memories for me at this point. Even though school was out right now, there was still plenty of activity there, and I would rather avoid it.
I arrived a couple minutes early, but Adan and his professor friend were already there when I walked in.
Adan stood when he saw me. He pulled a chair out for me and did a small bow as I approached, but then quickly sat back down, before I could tell him to stop with all the theatrics.
The woman seated beside him gave me an anxious look. I assumed she was taken off-guard by Adan bowing to me. She was wearing all black and had chunky, black-frame
EVANPeter was sitting at the dining table, reading a book when Evan came downstairs.“Hey, Dad.”“Hi, son. What are you doing up? Can’t sleep?”Evan sighed and sat down across from his father at the table.“I actually came to talk to you because I need some advice.”“Oh? About what?” Peter closed his book and set it aside.Evan’s heart was pounding. He actually felt kinda shaky, too.“How about I put some coffee on, then we’ll talk?” Peter shuffled off to the kitchen, giving Evan time to collect his thoughts.There was a small fire burning in the fireplace. Evan crouched beside it and opened the grate, then started working some new logs into the fire.“Quite a blaze you got there,” Peter said when he returned with their coffees, carrying the mugs carefully in both hands.Evan looke
EVANYena was pacing in the kitchen. Her lips were moving, like she was reciting something or having an imaginary argument. “Hey,” Evan said, and Yena jumped.“Oh, hey!”“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, smirking.She laughed. “Sorry, just talking to… myself.”Evan looked at the table and smiled. An empty pie tin, a can of whipped cream, and a dirty fork.“Healthy breakfast today, I see.”“Well, it’s no cold pizza.” She came over and suddenly put her arms around Evan’s waist. He hugged her back.“I still can’t sleep, Evan.” Yena’s cheek was flat against his chest, and he could feel the vibration of her voice inside his chest as she spoke. “And I’m so tired.”“Aw. How can I help?”She sighed, then walked away again, resuming her
#Chapter 121: Whatever you needNOLAN “This needs to happen today.” The woman on the video call looked nervous now. Nolan’s tone was very firm. “Absolutely,” she said. “We’ll send Yena’s acceptance letter right away. I’ll have a it delivered to the palace as soon as possible.” Nolan paused. “Actually, I am going to give you an alternate address to send it to. Yena is visiting her family tonight.” The admissions lady nodded. “Of course. Whatever you need.” “And you received the donation this morning by wire transfer?” Now she smiled.“Yes, and thank you so much for your generous gift! We’ve been trying to build this library for years. Your donation will benefit so many students.” Nolan nodded. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for making this possible.” The fact was that he’d wound up needing to give them a big incentive to move faster with Yena’s admission.
“Spooky…”Evan was leading me through the boxing gym. It was bigger than I expected.It was a long, narrow building with a single room that just went on and on, with tons of equipment stations, punching bags, and full-size boxing rings.“Why?” Evan asked. “Cuz it’s empty? You’re the one who wanted privacy.”The sarcastic tone that Evan used kind of stung.We’d talked about why I didn’t want to be in a crowd… It wasn’t that I wantedprivacy. I just had to be careful about my safety, now I was a public figure.
ADANSome weird impulse had Adan wanting to call Yena again right away after she didn’t answer the first time.When had he started feeling like that about Yena? Desperate to talk to her?He tossed the phone down on his bed.Then realized he was just staring at it, waiting for it to ring.He shook his head. Turned to look at the video that was playing on his laptop.It was the interview she gave on TV at the werewolf orphanage. He’d been rewatching it, listening to all three of them talking about Nolan. Studying what they said.If Adan could count on his little brother for anything, it was for him to always be soft. Generous and caring, and going out of his way to do stuff for other people.Nolan would be going back to visit these friends of his at some point.Adan was just trying to figure out the timi
YENA“Right,” Nolan said. “Evan. Your brother is going with you.”“Mm-hmm. We talked about that, right?”“Yes. Of course, I guess I just… forgot.” Nolan’s tone was calm and even.But suddenly I understood that Nolan saw Evan as a rival, even a threat.And he didn’t even know what had been happening between me and my brother since I’d been home.I guess Nolan must have sensed it before. Even when I didn’t
NOLAN“Well?” Gina asked. “Did you give it any more thought – what we talked about?”She had once again dropped by the palace unannounced.“Yes,” Nolan said. “And my only thoughts on the topic are… that I still feel the same as before. I can’t marry you, Gina.”“Do you really have to marry for love?” she asked. “You’re a prince, Nolan. Aren’t your responsibilities more important than… your emotions?”Nolan closed his eyes. Remembered it was no use arg
YENALucy put one last bite of pancake into her mouth.Then Tina appeared at her side and slipped another one, fresh off the griddle, onto the empty plate.“Tina!” Lucy covered her mouth with her hand as she chewed. “Please, if I eat another bite, I’m going to burst.”“Alright, alright,” Tina said. “That was just the last of the batter. Someone needed to eat it.”Evan reached across the table and stabbed the steaming pancake with his fork, removed it from Lucy’s plate, and plopped it down on his own.&ldquo