I can tell she has no idea who—what—she’s dealing with, which is the only reason I don’t immediately call security to deal with her.
“Oh, isn’t this interesting?” I snort. “We have ourselves a little snitch in the house.”
I’ll have to hunt down Keller and get him to handle his woman.
Lily stiffens. “She didn’t mean it,” she assures me, before turning to her friend. “Claire, please delete that. It’s a private house; you can’t film people.”
Her outrage from earlier is gone, replaced by steel resolve, and no small degree of fear. Of me, on her little friend’s behalf.
Well, isn’t that interesting?
“Maybe he should delete that fake picture first,” the friend insists.
Fucking idiot.
“No.” She’s determined. “I’ll kiss you later,” she assures me. “Just taking my roommate home. She’s tipsy. The videowillbe deleted. Don’t make a fuss, understood?”
I consider. Yes, the woman fucked up, but she’s been in Thorn Falls for mere days.
Lily never made an error like this, even at the very beginning. But she did make mistake, such as assuming she could coast at Rothford her first term. She knows better now.
I decide that ultimately, handling her isn’t my problem. She’s already been spoken for. Still, I tell Lily, “Get her under control or I will.”
10
LILY
Iwrestle with myself, trying to put into words what I’ve learned in my last year in this town. Claire’s courageous, willful, and it’s going to get her in big trouble. She’s been here for three days; she doesn’t know about the legacies who rule Thorn Falls. She’s already entangled with fucking Keller, without any clue how this game works.
I can’t believe she filmed, then threatened Cross.
“You can’t threaten those people. Don’t eventry. Oh my god, Claire, this could have endedbadlyfor you.” I chew on my lower lip. “They’re all powerful here. Not only in the school; in this town. They can literally make you disappear if they want to. Don’t pissanyoneoff in Thorn Falls. Especially not those who live in these houses.”
“He was going to make you kiss him,” she grumbles.
Ugh, who the fuck cares? I’ve had his dick in my mouth. I owe him a hell of a lot more than a kiss.
Instead of saying that, I sigh. “It’s…a game, all right?” That felt accurate enough. “And I don’t mind any of it. Come on. I’ll take you home. Damn, you’reluckyKeller likes you. I thoughtCross would eat you alive on the spot. He likely would have, if he wasn’t reluctant to step on someone else’s territory.”
I’ve been a subject of Cross’s attention, and his teasing smile, his molten gold eyes filled with amusement and daring were completely absent when he watched Claire tonight. He had the look of a lion considering whether a gazelle was worth tearing into.
“I’m not Keller’s territory,” she protests.
“Right.” I manage to say it with a straight face, and I don’t even snort. “Just like I’d say I’m not Cross’s if anyone asked. I don’t belong to anyone. But as far astheyare concerned, they’ve decided to play with us.”
I was so certain that rumors would fly after the botched blowjob last winter. That people would talk shit about me, tease me, harass me. There was none of that, not even a funny look. And it’s not like Rothford doesn’t have bullies; it does, and most of them are legacies. Just ask Liv. She’s always in their sight.
But I’m not. Not while Cross has marked me as his toy to play with.
This place doesn’t follow the same rules as the rest of the world.
I try to explain it to Claire. “And they respect that. None of the other people in those houses will really fuck with you since Keller registered an interest. It’s, like, common courtesy for them. And trust me, it comes in handy. Come on, let’s walk a little faster.”
As we chatted, we’ve walked most of the length of the legacies’ private drive. I can spot the Shark House, their outdoor pool lit up like a beacon.
I feel my skin prickle and heat as it always does when I think about what I did in this place. The humiliation. The fear that Cross would consider my end of the bargain unfulfilled and retaliate. The regret. I’d been such an idiot that night.
I’m lost in my memories when Claire pulls me out of my own head.