Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,77
of them still had tags and everything.
It’s almost like they care about me. Almost like I really am one of them.
Which is ironic. Because now that I’m in… I’m thinking maybe I don’t want to be. Maybe they were all right when they told me to leave. And even if I do make it all the way to the end of the summer, maybe I should say ‘no, thank you’ to that scholarship?
I push those thoughts away for another day. We still have six weeks left. And tomorrow I won’t be Mona’s stand-in. She’ll be back and I’ll be the Fugling again. So we’ll see.
When I go outside Lars is leaning up against a tree near the path through the woods. He pushes off it when I approach and steps in line with me.
“You’re my bodyguard now, Lars?”
He shoots me a sideways smile as we walk. “You know… I’m on your side, Cadee.”
“Thanks.”
“No, I mean it. Regardless of what it is. I’m on your side.”
“Right. I get it. And… thanks. I appreciate it.”
“None of this was my idea. It was Cooper’s.”
I don’t know where he’s going with this, so I stay quiet.
“Those first days, he was wrong to do that to you.”
Jesus. What is he getting at? “He apologized, Lars. The night Isabella threw that party at my cottage. We talked it through a little.”
Lars draws in a long breath, then lets it out slowly, like he’s trying to think of what to say next. “Did he apologize for everything?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I think you do, Cadee.”
“If you’re referring to these rumors—”
“I am.”
“Look,” I say, stopping on the path. “It’s all in the past now.” He opens his mouth to say something, but I put up a hand. “I mean it, Lars. Whatever you heard, it’s not about you. It’s about me. And I’m telling you to let it go.”
“Cadee—”
“No. This is my life. I’m making my own decisions. And if I want to try again with Cooper—”
“Try again with Cooper? So that’s what it was, huh? Just Cooper? That’s all you were after that year?”
“No. Of course not. It was all pretty equal, don’t you think?”
“I did. But then I heard—”
“Stop. Just please stop. I don’t know what we’re doing. But my feelings for you, and Ax, for that matter? They haven’t changed. I’m on your side too, Lars. And you know damn well that Cooper would never choose a girl over you guys.”
He doesn’t look convinced. But then he nods. “OK. It’s your life. Come on. I think I smell dinner.”
We’re just across the blacktop road from Cooper’s house when Lars makes a big production of smelling the air. And he’s right. I smell food. “I thought the house staff was on vacation?”
“They are.” Then Lars smiles, takes my hand, and leads me across the road.
The first person I see when I enter is Meat. “Hey!” I say. And then I realize what that means. “Mona!” I start walking towards the kitchen.
“Surprise!” She pops out from a side hallway. “Are you ready to party, Cadee?”
She hooks her arm around mine, forcing Lars to let go of me, and leads me towards the kitchen. The back wall of windows has been opened up so that the patio facing the lake is now an extension of the great room and outside there’s smoke blowing in the breeze, the smell of barbecue in the air, and everyone from rush is in Cooper’s back yard.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“Cooper wanted to throw you a welcome home party.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m completely serious. He’s been hanging out at my house almost every night since you got sentenced to Dante duty. He made Meat check in with him every two hours.”
“Stop it.”
She laughs. “I’m serious, Cades.” She shoots me a crooked grin. “He likes you. He wanted to throw you a party but didn’t want it to come off weird. So I told him I’d come. We have a lot of catching up to do. Now go talk to your man.” She pauses, cocks her head a little. “Men? Man? I’m not sure. I think you have all three of them, sweets.”
“I don’t know about that. Ax has been pretty busy with Valentina these past two weeks. And it appears that Lars and Selina have a thing going too.”
“Right. They do. But that’s work, honey. You?” She points her finger up and down my body. “You’re just pleasure. It’s gonna be tricky, but not impossible. Can I give you a piece of advice?”
“Sure.” I laugh,