Evanescent - By Addison Moore Page 0,47

she says, hoisting him into the hall rather unceremoniously.

“Excuse me,” I say, plucking her hand off his jacket. I step out with him and shut the door behind us. “So what do you think? It looks like Ezrina perfected the resurrection recipe, and now you won’t have to exterminate the Spectators.”

He pulls his lips to the side. “I wouldn’t go running to the Counts with the good news just yet.” He glances over my shoulder before stepping in close. “Don’t you think it’s odd that Pearl was a student at Ephemeral?”

“Why would I think it’s odd? Should I be surprised?” Crap. I don’t know what to think anymore.

“It’s strange, that’s for sure.” Coop latches onto me with those pencil grey eyes. “I’d better go before Jen has a coronary.” His cheek pinches to the side. “I’ve got some shopping to do for homecoming anyway. Apparently all hell will break loose if I don’t accessorize correctly.”

“Homecoming,” I whisper, despondent at the thought of Coop escorting Grayson anywhere.

He glances at the door. “Be careful,” he whispers. Coop reaches up and caresses my cheek, making the rest of my body jealous for his touch.

“Say cheese!” Grayson steps in close and displays a picture of us on her phone with Coop brushing over me with his hand. “Now to hit send.” She clicks away, and already I know where it went.

Shit.

“Pity.” She gives a mock frown. “Wes has been asking for you all afternoon.”

Coop lets out a sigh of frustration. “I really don’t appreciate this.” He shoots Grayson a look of discontent. “I was just helping out a friend. It really pisses me off that you’re so quick to cause trouble.”

Grayson’s bright pink lips quiver into a perfect O. Her shoulders sag. Her eyes cut to dangerous slits as she glares into him.

“Well, Cooper”—she takes in a controlled breath—“I was just helping out a friend, myself. You see, it turns out some guys from Rycroft jumped Wes this morning. They had to take him to the infirmary. He’s got a concussion, and they nearly yanked his balls out of his nose.”

The floor shifts beneath me—the oxygen vacuums out of the room.

“I need to get to Wes.” I take the stairs two by two and tumble down the last few.

“Laken.” Coop helps me up. “I’ll drive.”

“I’m coming with you.” Grayson follows us into the cool evening air.

Who were these idiots from Rycroft? Obviously, that psycho I supposedly dated, Miles Richards, was involved. Suddenly, I’m feeling the need to invoke an ass kicking myself.

We hop into Cooper’s truck. Grayson pushes herself in so close to him, it makes me wonder if she’s driving.

I stare out the window at the silver-colored world as it stretches out like taffy.

Wes is hurt. He was asking for me. I used to worship at his feet, and now I’ve reduced him as low as the enemy, but he’s not—nor will he ever be. I need to reprioritize and get him back in his right mind. We were each other’s everything, and we can’t lose sight of that now.

“You okay?” Coop dips past Grayson’s breast extensions as he looks me over.

I give a brief nod.

Coop. He’s filled in Wesley’s void so proficiently, dare I say better. I think out of all the things this new world of Ephemeral and the Counts have given me to fear—the thing I fear most is Cooper Flanders himself.

He’s changed everything.

Nothing will ever be the same.

The infirmary is a boxy building, across from the north campus, that I didn’t know existed until this unfortunate hour. It took more than ten minutes to get to by car, so I’m glad I accepted the ride.

“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t go in,” I say to Coop before we enter the tiny building.

“I want to.” He glances past me at Grayson who’s already at the information desk.

Inside, the scent of ammonia scours my senses, makes my eyes water from the invisible fumes employed to battle bacteria.

“Wesley Parker,” I pant into the girl seated at the front desk. “I mean, Paxton.”

“Mr. Paxton is in the third room to the left.” Her forehead creases as she takes the three of us in. “Keep it down. He’s trying to get some rest.”

I don’t listen to the rest of her spiel. I simply count out the doorways and barrel into the one where I find Kresley, seated at the edge of a tiny blue sofa.

“Look who decided to show?” She rises, mostly to get out of my way as I head to the other side