different, but it’s the way she says it.
My earlier thoughts come to mind—the fact that I don’t want to get involved with anyone. My time here is limited. I won’t be in Thorne Haven forever, but perhaps I was hasty to think such a thought.
“How different?” I ask, my curiosity peaked. “Come on, you have to give me something here.” Even though they owe me nothing, I still feel like I’m about to be blindsided.
“He’s just intense,” Tamika says. “He doesn’t usually have a type of girl he goes for, but he does like his Finders Keepers game. Rumors are, it’s his idea of foreplay.”
“Finders Keepers?” The girls don’t have a moment to respond to me because I feel heat at my back, the moment I utter the words. Their gazes all flick over my shoulder, and my spine goes rigid with fright.
Slowly, I turn to see who’s entered our personal bubble, and I’m not prepared for what I find. A boy, no, a man, with blue eyes and blond hair, stands confidently with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
His face is chiseled, with sharp features and a jawbone that would make a sculptor jealous. The corner of his mouth is tilted in a casual grin, but it’s the look in his eyes that makes me tremble.
“Girls,” he greets, looking at us for a long moment before he steps even closer. “I take it invitations have gone out,” he says. “I haven’t had a chance to do mine yet.”
“Keirin,” Tamika greets him, but Paula doesn’t utter a word. Her cheeks, however, tell a different story. They’re bright red. Her mouth is pursed as she regards him with an equal mix of rage and desire.
“You’re one of the Havens?” I ask stupidly. Of course, he is; the girls had just told me their names, but right now, I’m dumbfounded.
“I am indeed. I see my reputation precedes me.” He grins playfully at me.
“It does,” I tell him, finding my footing in our confrontation. I can see why Paula is so attracted to him; he is breathtakingly handsome.
“What are you doing here, Keirin?” Miriam asks. “The rest of the Havens overtaking the school as well?” Her biting tone has me snapping my gaze toward her.
But if the man before us is perturbed, he doesn’t show it. He laughs. The sound is low, throaty, and it doesn’t seem to echo. It’s for us, alone, a secret.
“I’m visiting,” he tells her. “And I guess I’ll see you at the party,” he whispers, his gaze turning to me.
“Do you know who would’ve sent me the invite then?” I ask, needing to know what the hell is going on and why I’m suddenly a person of interest.
“I would definitely know that, Darling. That would be my big brother.” He winks, the amusement brightening his face makes him seem innocent, but I know it’s a lie. This guy is so far from innocent.
“Creed?” The moment his name leaves my lips, I feel it, as if I’m being wrapped in an icy-cold blanket of danger. I can’t explain it in any other way. And the look on Keirin’s face tells me I’ve guessed correctly.
“Take care, Darlings,” he says, before offering us one last, long look, then disappearing into the classroom to our left. I notice it’s the history class, and I wonder why he would be visiting.
All the way to my next class, I can’t shake the ominous feeling that’s wrapped itself around me. And I have a feeling it’s going to linger until the day I finally come face-to-face with Creed Haven.
4
Creed
I’ve spent the better part of the past couple of days researching everything there is to know about Micaela McCray. It helps when your father is rich, and you can pay people to find out shit for you. Thankfully, I now know more about the beauty who’s captured my attention. When new girls move to Thorne Haven, news travels quickly, and even after Keirin’s interaction with her, I still don’t know if she’s actually going to attend the party.
When my brother told me he had been to the college visiting an old friend, I knew he only went there as an excuse to get closer to her. I don’t mind. My brothers know when I’ve chosen a girl, they need to steer clear, but they’re welcome to poke around and find out more information for me.
“Creed,” my stepmother calls to me the moment I walk into the house. She married my dad almost two years